The Levels of Government in The Levels of Government in Canada’s Federal SystemCanada’s Federal System

The Levels of GovernmentThe Levels of Government

Key TermsKey Terms The Three Levels of The Three Levels of

GovernmentGovernment Why do we have a Federal Why do we have a Federal

System?System? The Responsibility of the The Responsibility of the

Federal Level of GovernmentFederal Level of Government The Responsibilities of the The Responsibilities of the

Provincial level of Provincial level of GovernmentsGovernments

Areas of Shared ResponsibilityAreas of Shared Responsibility The Role of the Municipal The Role of the Municipal

level of Governmentlevel of Government

Key TermsKey Terms Self-GovernmentSelf-Government: A group, or nation’s power to : A group, or nation’s power to

administer its own governmentadminister its own government ExecutiveExecutive: The Branch of a government or : The Branch of a government or

organization that makes decisions and enforces rulesorganization that makes decisions and enforces rules LegislativeLegislative: The branch of government that makes : The branch of government that makes

lawslaws JudicialJudicial: The branch of government that deals with : The branch of government that deals with

the administration of justice and the interpretation of the administration of justice and the interpretation of lawslaws

Governor GeneralGovernor General: The appointed representative of : The appointed representative of Canada’s monarch as the official head of state in the Canada’s monarch as the official head of state in the Canadian federal system of government.Canadian federal system of government.

CabinetCabinet: advisors selected by the prime minister to : advisors selected by the prime minister to head ministries or departments and run the head ministries or departments and run the executive branch of governmentexecutive branch of government

Members of ParliamentMembers of Parliament: The elected representatives : The elected representatives of the people, who sit in the federal House of of the people, who sit in the federal House of Commons.Commons.

Key TermsKey Terms House of CommonsHouse of Commons: The structure in Ottawa where the : The structure in Ottawa where the

elected members of Canada’s federal government meet elected members of Canada’s federal government meet to discuss and pass laws; sometimes called the lower to discuss and pass laws; sometimes called the lower househouse

Question PeriodQuestion Period: the 45 minute period put aside during : the 45 minute period put aside during daily sessions of the legislature when the opposition daily sessions of the legislature when the opposition parties can question the government; also known as parties can question the government; also known as “oral questions”“oral questions”

SenateSenate: In Canada, the legislative branch of the federal : In Canada, the legislative branch of the federal government that is composed of senators who are not government that is composed of senators who are not elected by appointed by prime ministers; sometimes elected by appointed by prime ministers; sometimes called the “upper house”called the “upper house”

MayorMayor: The head of a municipal government in a town or : The head of a municipal government in a town or citycity

CouncillorsCouncillors: elected representatives in the municipal : elected representatives in the municipal government; a councillor may be elected citywide or government; a councillor may be elected citywide or may represent specific geographical areas, known as may represent specific geographical areas, known as wards.wards.

The Federal SystemThe Federal System

What is federalism?What is federalism? Federalism is the Federalism is the

system in which the system in which the power to govern is power to govern is shared between the shared between the national & provincial national & provincial governments.governments.

Why Does Canada Why Does Canada have a federal have a federal system of system of Government?Government?

Map of the Canadian Federation

Why Federalism?Why Federalism? Historical Reasons: When the Historical Reasons: When the

British North America (BNA) Act British North America (BNA) Act was signed by Nova Scotia, New was signed by Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario, Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario, the provinces insisted on a the provinces insisted on a federal structure because they federal structure because they didn’t want to give up their didn’t want to give up their control over:control over:

Education: Education: Health Care:Health Care: Natural Resources:Natural Resources: By Having a federal structure, By Having a federal structure,

they could enjoy the benefits of they could enjoy the benefits of being in Canada without giving being in Canada without giving up the power of the individual up the power of the individual provinces.provinces.

Question: Why did the provinces Question: Why did the provinces insist on controlling these areas insist on controlling these areas of jurisdicton?of jurisdicton?

The Fathers of Confederation

Why Federalism?Why Federalism?

Language and Culture: Language and Culture: Quebec has a distinctive Quebec has a distinctive language and culture language and culture (French). A federal (French). A federal system provides the system provides the provinces with the provinces with the constitutional power constitutional power needed to protect and needed to protect and promote their promote their distinctiveness while still distinctiveness while still enjoying the economic enjoying the economic advantages that come advantages that come with a larger federal with a larger federal union.union.

St Jean Baptiste Day

Why Federalism?Why Federalism? Economic Reasons: A federal Economic Reasons: A federal

structure allows poorer structure allows poorer regions to have access to regions to have access to larger markets within their larger markets within their own country. (e.g. Nfld. own country. (e.g. Nfld. fisherman can sell their fish fisherman can sell their fish to the wider Canadian to the wider Canadian market)market)

It also allows wealth to be It also allows wealth to be distributed from “have” to distributed from “have” to “have not” provinces. Poorer “have not” provinces. Poorer regions such as the Maritime regions such as the Maritime provinces can receive provinces can receive equalization payments to equalization payments to improve their standard of improve their standard of living.living.

Oil Rich Alberta

The Poorer Atlantic region

Why Federalism?Why Federalism?

Military Reasons: By Military Reasons: By binding together to binding together to form a federal union, form a federal union, you are stronger than you are stronger than you would be as a you would be as a smaller state. smaller state. Increasing the size of Increasing the size of your country provides your country provides increasing opportunities increasing opportunities for advancement and for advancement and protectionprotection

Why Federalism?Why Federalism? We are more likely to see We are more likely to see

federal states where we have a federal states where we have a multi-ethnic, or multi-lingual multi-ethnic, or multi-lingual society. Examples include:society. Examples include:

Canada: French Quebec/English Canada: French Quebec/English Canada/ Aboriginal North, a Canada/ Aboriginal North, a multicultural societymulticultural society

Switzerland: French, German Switzerland: French, German and Italian districts (cantons) and Italian districts (cantons) under a single stateunder a single state

Yugoslavia: Serbia, Croatia, Yugoslavia: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Montenegro, Kosovo (this state Montenegro, Kosovo (this state later collapsed when the later collapsed when the federal structure could no federal structure could no longer address the needs of the longer address the needs of the regionsregions

Responsibilities of the Federal Responsibilities of the Federal GovernmentGovernment

Foreign Trade and Foreign Trade and RelationsRelations

CurrencyCurrency DefenceDefence Postal ServicePostal Service ImmigrationImmigration CommunicationsCommunications UnemploymentUnemployment Criminal LawCriminal Law Aboriginal PeoplesAboriginal Peoples

Responsibilities of the Provincial Responsibilities of the Provincial GovernmentsGovernments

Property and Civil RightsProperty and Civil Rights Marriage LicencesMarriage Licences Health and WelfareHealth and Welfare EducationEducation Alcohol consumptionAlcohol consumption Natural ResourcesNatural Resources HospitalsHospitals Driver education and LicensingDriver education and Licensing Provincial and Territorial HighwaysProvincial and Territorial Highways

Responsibilities of the Municipal Responsibilities of the Municipal Level of GovernmentLevel of Government

Police and Fire Police and Fire DepartmentsDepartments

Streets and RoadsStreets and Roads Water and SewageWater and Sewage TransitTransit Garbage and Garbage and

RecyclingRecycling LibrariesLibraries RecreationRecreation Local ProgramsLocal Programs