parliamentary system 1
TRANSCRIPT
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Government and Politics
The Parliamentary System
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The Parliamentary System
In Canada, the powers of government are divided into three branches:
• Legislative power
• Executive power
• Judicial power
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Legislative
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Parliament
The legislative branch is composed of:
• House of Commons
• Senate
• Governor General
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Parliament
• Parliament meets at least once a year in what is called a session
• During each session, Parliament passes new laws and amends (changes) or repeals (removes) others
• Opposition parties challenge the government’s actions, and raise issues of the day they feel the government needs to address
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House of Commons
• Also known as the Lower House
• The only part of the legislative branch that has elected members
• MPs (members of Parliament) represent areas called ridings or constituencies that are roughly equal in population
• Eligible voters in each riding elect on candidate to represent them in Parliament
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House of Commons
• The number of seats in the House of Commons is determined by the population of Canada
• As the population increases, so do the number of seats in the Commons
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• Debate in the House of Commons are controlled by the Speaker of the House
• The Speaker is an MP, and is elected by other members of Parliament
• He/she oversees the impartial operation of the House
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Voting
• MPs belong to political parties
• Each party hold private meetings called a caucus
• Party leaders explain their programs, policies, and actions, and all members have an opportunity to discuss concerns and express opinions freely
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Voting
• Once a decision is made, parliamentary tradition dictates that all MPs are expected to vote with the party’s position
• The party whip enforces party discipline, keeping all members in line, ensuring they support party bills
• Free votes allow MPs to vote according to what they believe is best
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Senate
• Upper House, independent of the House of Commons
• Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the “recommendation” of the Prime Minister
• Senators represent the regions of the country
• The Senate may introduce legislation, but mainly serves the role of providing “sober second thought”