Untitled Flashcards Set

What is Federalism? - A system of government where power is shared between one  national (federal) government and smaller regional governments.  Each level of government has its own responsibilities that have been written in the constitution 


What is the Goal of Federalism? - To keep canada united while allowing parties to make their own decisions on local matters 


How does Federalism Work? - There are different types/models of federalism that include Dual Federalism, Executive Federalism, Asymmetrical Federalism, Fiscal Federalism, and Cooperative Federalism 


Dual Federalism- Federal & Provincial Governments operate independently in their respective areas


Executive Federalism- Intergovernmental negotiations between leaders only.  Primeminster, premier, and top officials negotiate and make decisions without involving the public or legislatures directly 


Asymmetrical Federalism-  Some provinces have unique powers such as Quebec has more control over immigration and language laws to protect French culture.  Not all provinces have the exact same relationship with the federal government


Fiscal Federalism- how money and financial responsibilities are shared between the federal and provincial governments.  The distribution of financial resources like equalization payments, and federal transfers


Cooperative Federalism- Federal government and Provincial government collaborate on shared issues such as healthcare and infrastructure


Why did Canada Choose Federalism? - Canada chose federalism for many different reasons like Defense Concerns, Economic Reasons, Political Instability, Geographic Reasons, Colonial History, Diversity Reasons



  1. Defense Concerns - Threats from the US and internal conflicts such as fenian raids required a strong national government 


  1. Economic Reasons- A centralized government ensured a unified trade system across provinces 


  1. Political Instability- Political deadlock in the province of Canada (upper and lower) made a federal system necessary 


  1. Geographic Reasons- Canada is large, which requires local governance for each province 


  1. Colonial History- When Britain took control of French territories in Canada, they had to blend two very different legal and political systems to keep the peace.  Which allowed Quebec to have control over its own laws


  1. Diversity Reasons- Different languages and cultures eg French and English needed autonomy 



Evolving Federalism -

1. Judicial review: when courts decide on the constitutionality of laws

2: Quebec’s unique cultural and political needs have led to special powers and status for the province, affecting the way federalism works in Canada.

3. Provincial governments have pushed for more control over their own affairs, leading to a more flexible and evolving federal system that gives provinces more autonomy over time.


What Problems Does Federalism Solve- Federalism solves many problems like Balances local and international interests, Reduces Economic Gaps,  Prevents too much power in one place, Protects Policy Testing, Legal disputes 


  • Balances Local and International Interests- Provinces can make decisions on local issues while having canada stay united


  • Reduces Economic Gaps- Richer Provinces help poorer ones through federal funding 


  • Prevents Too much Power in One Place- Power is spread out to avoid dictatorship 


  • Protects Policy Testing- Protects provinces abilities to try new ideas 


  • Legal Disputes- Courts must decide who has power when rules are unclear 




What Problems does Federalism Create? 

  1. Quebec's Separatism and western provinces feeling ignored 

  2. Who Controls What - arguments over responsibilities

  3. Unequal Wealth- some provinces are richer than others and don't want to share their money 

  4. Slow Decisions- governments must negotiate which takes time 











Origins and How Federalism Started - The BNA Act in 1867 now called the Constitutional Act, created Canada's federal system.  It was a compromise.  Most of the anglophone fathers like John A. MacDonald, George Etienne- Cartier Sir George Brown favoured a unitary system but two groups opposed; Quebec and the Maritimes.  Quebec insisted to have constitutional protection for their culture and french speaking community, and the Maritimes had strong local identities and were not willing to see submerge into unitary government.


  • Canada was also influenced by Britain's Parliamentary System, and the US Federal system 

Division of Federalism Powers - Divided into Federal Government and Provincial government 

Federal government (Section 91) - Deals with defense, trade, banks, indigenous affairs, criminal law


Provincial Government (Section 92) - Deals with healthcare, education, natural resources, highways and transportation within a province, property and civil rights


Shared Powers Section (95)- agriculture and immigration 



Why Federation over Confederation?-  In a confederation, provinces would have most of the power, and the central government would be weak 

  • This is not ideal because Canada needed a strong government for defense when in fear of US invasion 

  • A loose confederation could lead to provinces breaking away causing instability




2 Objections For Federalism- 

  1. Argued that federalism created a divided system of government that caused civil war in the USA and weakened their government 

  2. Argued it would create 2 levels of government which would be more costly than oe unitary government 


Federation VS Federalism 


Federation: A country with a shared system of government > A political system where power is divided between central and regional governments 


Federalism: The idea of dividing power between different levels of government > The principle or belief that government power should be divided between different levels.