Democracy in Canada

As set out in the Constitution Act of 1867. political power in Canada is understood to consist of three distinct types. These include the executive, also known as the government, the legislature, and the judiciary.

In addition to these distinct political powers, government exists on three levels within Canada. These include the Federal Government, the Provincial Government, and the Municipal Government. The Constitution Act, 1867, divided powers between the federal and provincial governments, this essentially stated that the provincial government would handle education, health care, and road regulations and the federal government would be in charge of the rest. It is up to the provincial government to delegate authority to municipal governments. In most cases, municipal governments handle libraries, parks, water systems, policing, parkways, ETC. [1]

Branches of Government

The Government of Canada is separated into two main sections: Parliament and The Crown.

The Crown

Contrary to popular belief, The Crown is not the Queen of England, The Governor General, nor a staffed organization with any power or authority. The Crown is an organizing constitutional principle through which the legitimate right to govern flows to an elected Canadian parliament.

Parliament

The Senate

The Canadian Senate is the Upper House of a two-tiered legislative system. It is occupied by Senators appointed by the Governor General (at the advice of the Prime Minister). It is responsible for passing legislation proposed in the House of Commons and serving as a counterweight to the elected Lower House.

The House of Commons

The House of Commons is the Lower House in the two-tiered system of the Canadian parliament. It is staffed by elected Members of Parliament )MP's) from each of Canada's respective 308 electoral districts. It also houses the executive branch of Canadian Government in the form of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.