The Canadian Regime: An Introduction to Parliamentary Government in Canada

by Malcolmson, Patrick; Myers, Richard

• ISBN13: 9781551114651
• ISBN10: 1551114658
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-01-01
• Publisher: Univ of Toronto Pr Higher education

Author Biography

Patrick Malcolmson is Chair of the Department of Political Science at St. Thomas and Chair of the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission Richard Myers is Vice-President (Academic) at St. Thomas University in Fredericton

Table of Contents

Preface	9	(2)
Preface to the Second Edition	11	(2)
A Note to Political Scientists	13	(6)
PART I: INTRODUCTION
Canada's Regime Principles	19	(10)
Political Regimes	19	(2)
Equality	21	(3)
Liberty	24	(3)
The Canadian Regime	27	(2)
The Constitution	29	(24)
Constitutions and Their Functions	29	(2)
Constitutional Forms	31	(6)
The Canadian Constitution	37	(6)
Amending the Constitution	43	(3)
Judicial Review of the Constitution	46	(1)
Contemporary Constitutional Politics	47	(6)
PART II: BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE CANADIAN CONSTITUTION
Responsible Government	53	(20)
The Emergence of Responsible Government	53	(3)
The Conventions of Responsible Government	56	(2)
Responsible Government as ``Cabinet Government''	58	(1)
Forming a Government	59	(3)
Majority and Minority Government	62	(2)
Institutional Implications of Responsible Government	64	(5)
Responsible Government and Separation of Powers Compared	69	(4)
Federalism	73	(18)
What is Federalism?	73	(2)
Why a Federal Union?	75	(2)
The Original Design of the Federal Union	77	(1)
The Historical Development of Federalism in Canada	78	(3)
Fiscal Federalism	81	(3)
The Challenge of Canadian Federalism	84	(4)
Current Controversies: The Pressure to Decentralize	88	(3)
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms	91	(18)
What is a Charter of Rights?	91	(3)
The Adoption of the Charter	94	(3)
Opposition to the Charter	97	(2)
The Notwithstanding Clause	99	(2)
Section I	101	(2)
The Political Impact of the Charter	103	(6)
PART III: INSTITUTIONS
The Crown and Its Servants	109	(18)
The Crown	109	(2)
The Governor General	111	(1)
The Functions of the Governor General	112	(4)
The Cabinet	116	(2)
The Cabinet Committee System	118	(1)
The Prime Minister	119	(3)
Prime Ministerial Government?	122	(1)
The Civil Service	123	(4)
Parliament	127	(18)
The Role of parliament	128	(1)
The Parliamentary Calendar	129	(1)
The House of Commons: Membership and Officers	130	(2)
The Business of the House of Commons	132	(2)
The Rules of Procedure of the House of Commons	134	(1)
The Backbencher	135	(2)
House of Commons Reform	137	(2)
The Senate	139	(2)
Senate Reform	141	(4)
The Judiciary	145	(24)
The Role of the Judiciary	145	(5)
The Fundamental Principles of the Canadian Judiciary	150	(6)
Canada's Courts	156	(5)
The Supreme Court of Canada	161	(1)
The Politicization of the Judiciary	162	(7)
PART IV: PARTICIPATION
Elections	169	(14)
Elections and Representation	169	(3)
Canada's Electoral System	172	(2)
The Effects of SMP	174	(3)
Proportional Representation	177	(2)
Voting in Canada	179	(4)
Political Parties	183	(18)
Political Parties in the Canadian Regime	183	(2)
The Functions of Political Parties	185	(1)
Parties and Ideology	186	(3)
The Organization of Political Parties	189	(2)
The Canadian Party System	191	(3)
Canada's Federal Parties	194	(3)
Party Government and Party Politics	197	(4)
Interest Groups, Public Opinion, and Democratic Citizenship	201	(16)
Forms of Political Participation	201	(1)
Interest Groups	202	(4)
Women in Politics	206	(2)
Public Opinion	208	(2)
The Media	210	(2)
The Question of Public Opinion Polls	212	(2)
Civic Education and Democratic Citizenship	214	(3)
Appendix: The Constitution Acts 1867 to 1982	217	(48)
Questions for Discussion	265	(4)
Index	269