parliamentary & presidential system

Question 1

the parliamentary system

Answer 1

• canada’s legislature (organized body with authority to make laws for political unit)
• close interrelationship between parliament (legislative body) + political executive (prime minister & cabinet)
• members of political executives = members of parliament
• in parliamentary systems, head of state = different than head of govn’t

Question 2

head of state

Answer 2

• important but largely ceremonial position
• expected to be “above” politics + not usually involved in making governing decisions
• in Canada, governor general is head of state (representative of British monarch in Canada)

Question 3

legislative branch

Answer 3

• responsible for making laws
• typically composed of representative body, (parliament or congress, which is elected by the people)
• debates & votes on proposed laws + oversees govn’t operations

Question 4

executive branch

Answer 4

• responsible for enforcing & carrying out laws
• led by head of govn’t or head of state (president or PM)
• manages government agencies (area of administration) & departments

Question 5

judicial branch

Answer 5

• responsible for interpreting laws & ensuring they are constitutional (align with fundamental rules & principles of a country)
• typically composed of system of courts & judges
• hear & resolve legal disputes + interpret & apply law to specific cases
• review the constitutionality of laws & government actions

Question 6

cabinet

Answer 6

• small group of high-ranking govn’t officials, chosen by head of state or govn’t
• assist in administration & decision making process of country
• usually composed of specific departments; finance, defence, foreign affairs, health, education, etc.
• as head of govn’t, PM is responsible for selecting members of cabinet

Question 7

cabinet structure

Answer 7

• certain conventions influence PM’s choice for cabinet;
• need for geographical representation
• presence of French speaking members
• appointment of women
• members from different ethnic & racial backgrounds
• problem with selecting representative cabinet = PM is generally limited by who the party elects

Question 8

cabinets role as decision making body

Answer 8

• has generated expectations;
• cabinet solidarity = convention that each member of cabinet is expected to fully support + defend decisions of cabinet
• collective responsibility = convention that cabinet will defend/explain/take responsibility for actions of govn’t in parliament
• cabinet secrecy = convention that cabinet meets behind closed doors + documents remain secret for 20 years

Question 9

PM & House of Commons (HOC)

Answer 9

• PM is not normally member of HOC + therefore not directly elected by voters
• instead PM is leader of party (usually the largest) + is able to maintain support of majority of members of HOC
• not required to be apart of HOC according to Canadian Constitution

Question 10

majority government

Answer 10

• one political party holds more than half of the seats in legislature (such as HOC in Canada)
• with majority of seats, ruling party has ability to pass legislation without relying on support from other parties
• most controlled and stable govn’t

Question 11

minority government

Answer 11

• no single party has majority of seats
• ruling party must negotiate & seek support from other parties to pass legislation

Question 12

coalition government

Answer 12

• two or more political parties come together to collectively hold majority of seats in legislature
• require cooperation & agreement among participating parties
• share cabinet positions

Question 13

Canadian parliamentary system

Answer 13

• reflects country’s British political heritage
• closely follows Westminister model (parliamentary system in UK), with only few exceptions to suit specific needs & circumstances of Canada
• federal system, charter of rights & freedoms, power of judicial review = limit what Canadian govn’t can do
• head of government (president or PM) exercises significant influence & control over other branches of govn’t + overall decision making process = can be described as executive dominance

Question 14

parliament responsibilities

Answer 14

• responsible for passing laws + approving spending/taxing plans of govn’t
• provides public platform for members of opposing parties to voice their criticisms, concerns, & alternative viewpoints
• individual members of parliament frequently raise issues + concerns of those they represent
• consists of two chambers = HOC + the senate

Question 15

prime minister

Answer 15

• leading figure in Canadian politics, as evidenced by following powers;
• cabinet-maker + chair of cabinet
• party leader
• chief policymaker
• leading player in HOC
• advisor to Governor General
• chief diplomat

Question 16

HOC

Answer 16

• elected lower chamber of parliament in Canada
• its members (MPs) are elected to represent specific geographic areas within the country, known as constituencies or ridings
• MPs in HOC are generally expected to vote in alignment with the official position or stance of their political party
• party with second-highest number of seats in HOC is designated as official opposition

Question 17

the senate

Answer 17

• appointed upper chamber of parliament
• decided on by recommendation of the PM
• established as ‘sober second thought,’ so legislation would receive proper, careful consideration before becoming law
• checks on democratic tendencies (underscores importance of balancing principles of democracy with other considerations, such as regional representation, and protection of minority rights)
• while senate cannot ultimately block legislation approved by HOC, it can propose amendments, suggest changes, & delay passage of bills

Question 18

reforming the senate

Answer 18

• reform of senate = continuing topic of Canadian politics
• 1980 movement based in Alberta developed to promote idea of “Triple-E” senate (senators to be elected + based on equal number of senators for each province)
• some, including New Democratic Party, argue that senate should be abolished

Question 19

the presidential system

Answer 19

• features a president & congress who separately derive their authority by being elected by people + have fixed term of office
• feature a separation of powers in which president & congress have separate basis of authority
• ideally, separation of power creates system of checks & balances that prevent any branch of govn’t or any individual from becoming too powerful

Question 20

the American congress

Answer 20

• is legislative branch responsible for making laws + representing interests of the people
• US congress is composed of two chambers;
• the senate = composed of two senators from each state, serving six-year terms (1/3 of senate being elected every two years)
• house of representatives = elected every two years from districts of approximately equal population size

Question 21

congress & legislation

Answer 21

• proposal for legislation must be presented by member of congress
• executive branch prepares many of legislative proposals that congress considers (congress is very active in modifying or rejecting executive’s proposals)
• congress can override a presidential veto (power granted to president to reject bill passed by congress), but requires 2/3 majority in each body of congress

Question 22

the president

Answer 22

• president is both head of state & head of govn’t
• carries out ceremonial duties associated with head of state + also leads executive branch of govn’t
• is commander-in-chief of armed forces + exercises control over foreign policy + helps shape domestic policy + exercises control over public service
• president & vice president are elected + serve a four-year term

Question 23

electoral college system

Answer 23

• when people in US vote for president, they vote for group of ‘electors’ who are pledged to support & cast their ballot for a specific candidate
• each state has certain amount of ‘electors’ based on its population
• majority of electoral college votes is needed to elect a president

Question 24

cabinet & executive officers

Answer 24

• cabinet secretaries who are appointed by the president & confirmed by senate lead & oversee various departments of government
• however, American cabinet as a whole is not key decision-making body (some presidents have avoided holding regular cabinet meetings + president does not necessarily follow advice of cabinet)

Question 25

semi-presidential system

Answer 25

• number of countries have adopted system of governing involving mix of parliament & presidential features
• generally features elected president sharing executive power with PM
• France (1958) is best known example of this

Question 26

executive & legislative power: semi-presidential system

Answer 26

• unlike head of state in parliamentary system, president wields substantial powers, including power to appoint (sometimes, dismiss) the PM
• president generally has power (sometimes limitations) to dissolve legislature & require election to be held
• as in parliamentary system, PM & cabinet are responsible to an elected legislative body