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115 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What are the three sets of cleavages in Canada? |
1. Geographic 2. Ethnocultural 3. Ideological |
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The Power of Disallowance |
The constitutional power of the federal govt to veto prov legislation and cause its termination |
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Declaratory Power |
The authority of the federal govt to decide that an issue falls within its jurisdiction. |
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Residual Powers |
Any powers not specifically identified in the constitution, which default to the fed govt |
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Classical federalism |
A model of federalism in which fed and prov govts operate independently of each other in their own respective areas of jurisdiction. |
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Cooperative federalism |
A model of federalism in which federal and provincial governments work together to solve public-policy problems. |
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Collaborative federalism |
A model of federalism in which prov govts take the lead to solve common public policy probs together |
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Emergency federalism |
A model of federalism in which the fed govt assumes control in a national crisis. |
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Symmetrical federalism |
A model of federalism in which prov govts are entitled to equal powers. |
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Asymmetrical federalism |
A model of federalism in which jurisdictional powers are distributed unequally among provinces. |
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Treaty federalism |
A model of federalism recognizing the equal-order relationship between First Nations and the Crown. |
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Fiscal federalism |
The manner in which revenues and responsibilities are distributed among various orders and governments. |
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Horizontal fiscal imbalance |
A situation in which some provs have greater capacity to fund their constitutional responsibilities than others. |
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Vertical fiscal imbalance |
The fed govt has an excess of revenue, and the provs an excess of responsibilities, wrt their constitutional obligations and fiscal capacities. |
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Equalization |
A federal transfer program that is designed to lessen the fiscal disparities among provs |
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Executive federalism |
A system in which the elected leaders of fed and prov govts make public policy decisions. |
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Inter-state federalism |
A system of formal interactions among govt officials and leaders |
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First ministers' meetings |
Formal gatherings of the premiers, sometimes hosted by the PM |
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Intra-state federalism |
A system in which regional interests are represented within the institutions of the central govt |
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Government |
The body consisting of all cabinet ministers, who remain responsible to the legislature for state decision-making. |
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Head of state |
The highest ranking figure in a sovereign state, serving as its foremost ceremonial representative. |
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monarch |
The absolute head of a monarchy, whose power is typically derived by birth. |
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Crown |
The legal concept dictating the supremacy of the monarch over the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. |
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head of government |
The highest-ranking elected official in a jurisdiction, appointed by the Crown to lead the executive. |
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Privy Council |
The body of prominent federal politicians and officials that typically advise the GG |
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cabinet |
the leaders of the political executive, consisting of the sitting PM and ministers. Ministers of state and associate ministers may attend upon invitation |
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PMO |
Partisan staff appointed by the PM to advance the political interests of the fed cabinet, in particular those of the first minister |
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Minister of state |
A member of the legislature assigned by the first minister to provide support to Cabinet by exerting leadership over a particular policy area. |
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Parliamentary secretary |
A member of the legislature assigned by the first minister to assist a minister in the performance of ministerial duties |
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Backbencher |
A rank and file member of the legislative assembly without cabinet responsibilities or other special legislative titles or duties. |
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Inner cabinet |
Members of the political exec that hold its most important portfolios, including finance, treasury board, and justice (among others) |
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cabinet committee |
A subgroup of cabinet members assigned to scrutinize a particular set of executive actions |
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Confidence convention |
the practice under which a govt must relinquish power when it loses a critical legislative vote |
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cabinet solidarity |
A convention which holds that, as a group, cabinet ministers are accountable for all govt decisions |
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ministerial responsibility |
a convention which holds that a minister is directly accountable for decisions taken in her or his portfolio |
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permanent executive |
non-partisan bureaucratic officials serving at the pleasure of the Crown and its ministers (includes central agencies, line depts, and ABCs) |
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clerk of the Privy Council |
The highest-ranking public servant in the fed bureaucracy |
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deputy minister |
reporting to the minister, the highest ranking public servant in a given govt dept |
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central agencies |
coordinating bodies that steer govt business across all depts (PMO, PCO, Treasury Board, and Dept of Finance) |
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PCO |
The central agency responsible for coordinating the fed govts overall implementation of policy |
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Treasury Board Secretariat |
The central agency responsible for coordinating govt spending, as well as human and technical resources |
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Dept of Finance |
The central agency responsible for setting and monitoring the govts fiscal and economic policy, including overseeing the budget process |
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ABC |
An agency, board, or commission responsible for delivering a program or service, or producing goods, at arm's length from govt |
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govt agency |
an arm's length corporate body operating on behalf of a govt |
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govt board |
A public advisory committee made up of appointed citizens |
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govt commission |
an agency of govt that provides specialized policy expertise and oversight |
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royal commission/commission of inquiry |
a special research investigation of a contentious area of public policy |
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Crown corporations |
Enterprises owned by a fed or prov govt |
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state |
a structured political community within a single source of ultimate authority |
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democracy |
a system of govt featuring decision-makers chosen by citizens through free and fair elections |
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citizen |
a legally recognized inhabitant of a democratic state |
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liberal democracy |
a system in which equality, rights, and freedoms are preserved through public debate and free and fair elections |
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Institution |
a structure that defines and constrains behaviour within a political system |
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political culture |
a society's innate political characteristics, embodied in the structure of its institutions and the beliefs of its members |
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federation |
a political system that distributes pwr bt a central govt and regional govts |
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policy |
overarching principles used to guide govt decisions and actions |
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ideology |
a set of ideas that form a coherent political belief system |
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libertarian |
advocating the least possible amount of state intervention in the lives of citizens |
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left-wing |
a political tendency that promotes higher taxes and a bigger role for govt while promoting proactive measures to secure social equality |
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right-wing |
a political tendency that promotes lower taxes and a smaller role for govt while supporting traditional social hierarchies and those resulting from competition |
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traditional social democracy |
a branch of socialism that remains committed to replacing capitalism with a more cooperative economic system |
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third-way social democracy |
a branch of socialism that accepts capitalism and aims to harness it to achieve equality of result |
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business liberalism |
a branch of liberalism that seeks to achieve equality of opportunity in economic terms |
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welfare liberalism |
a branch of liberalism that seeks to achieve equality of opportunity in social terms |
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neoliberalism |
a branch of new right conservatism that favours less govt intervention in the economy |
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neoconservatism |
a branch of new right conservatism that promotes the protection of traditional values, and community, and national security |
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toryism |
a branch of Canadian conservatism with Brit, communitarian roots |
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red toryism |
a branch of old right conservatism that promotes the preservation of the social fabric and govt institutions |
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blue toryism |
a branch of old right conservatism that promotes economic nationalism |
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representative democracy |
a system in which citizens elect officials to make political decisions on their behalf |
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Confederation |
the federal union of provinces and territories forming Canada, originally including ON, QB, NB, and NS |
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amending formula |
a set of rules governing how the constitution can be changed |
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Quiet Revolution |
An early 1960s modernizing movement in QB, geared toward a stronger prov govt and outward nationalism |
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patriation |
the process through which Canadian govts gained the authority to amend the country's main constitutional documents |
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Charter of Rights and Freedoms |
A portion of the Constitution Act, 1982, enshrining Canadians' core liberties and entitlements vis a vis their govts |
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distinct society |
a proposed designation for the prov of QB, recognizing that it features a French-speaking majority, a unique culture, and a civil-law tradition |
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equalization |
a federal transfer program designed to lessen the fiscal disparities among provs |
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parliamentary democracy |
a democratic system in which govt executives must be supported by a majority of elected representatives in a legislature |
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liberal democracy |
a system in which equality, rights, and freedoms are preserved through public debate and free and fair elections |
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rule of law |
the principle that no one is above the law, and that any powers granted to elected or non-elected officials must be conferred by legislation |
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representative democracy |
a system in which citizens elect officials to make political decisions on their behalf |
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direct democracy |
a system in which citizens make political decisions by voting on individual issues |
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constitutional monarchy |
a system in which the sovereignty of the Crown is maintained, but exercised by elected officials according to prescribed rules |
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responsible government |
the constitutional principle whereby the executive (cabinet) must be supported by a majority of elected members of the legislature |
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fusion of powers |
an intimate connection bt the authority of the executive and the authority of the legislature |
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cabinet solidarity |
the understanding that members of the exec remain cohesive and jointly responsible for the government's undertakings |
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ministerial responsibility |
the understanding that ministers remain individually responsible for the activities undertaken by staff in their respective departments |
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Royal Proclamation 1763 |
A British document setting out the terms of European settlement in North America following the 7 Years War |
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treaties |
agreements between the Crown and Ab ppls establishing mutual duties and obligations |
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two-row wampum |
a ceremonial beaded belt symbolizing the parallel paths and equal order relationship bt the Crown and First Nations ppl |
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self-govt |
the inherent right of a ppl to sovereignty (or self determination) over their own affairs |
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constitutional order |
the body of unwritten rules that govern all laws in Canada |
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constitutional convention |
an unwritten rule based on custom that binds political actors to adhere to the traditions of the constitutional order |
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sovereignty-association |
a legal arrangement whereby QB would be politically independent but maintain economic ties with Canada |
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Gang of Eight |
the group of provs united in opposing the fed govts plans to patriate and centralize the Canadian constitution |
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7/50 amending formula |
a rule for passing most amendments to the constitution, requiring the consent of Parliament and the legislatures of 7 provs representing 50% of Canada's pop |
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Night of the Long Knives |
An incident in November 1981 in which the fed govt and 9 of 10 prov govts reached a deal to patriate the constitution, without the presence of QB govt officials |
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Meech Lake Accord |
A failed constitutional amendment package in the late 1980s that would have recognized QB as a distinct society |
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Charlottetown Accord |
A failed accord in the early 1990s that proposed to renew the constitution, but was defeated in a national referendum |
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rights |
legal claims or entitlements to have something or to act in a particular manner |
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freedoms |
the autonomy to live and act without external restraint |
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parliamentary supremacy |
a doctrine under which legislatures and execs, not courts, define key elements of public policy |
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notwithstanding clause |
Section 33 of the Constitution Act, 1982, which permits legislatures to pass laws that breach certain rights and freedoms |
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reasonable limits clause |
Section 1 of the charter, which allows govts to pass laws that would otherwise contravene rights and freedoms but which are deemed necessary to protect other democratic norms |
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Oakes test |
a model employed by the court to weigh the democratic benefits and assess the constitutionality of a law that breaches certain Charter rights |
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unitary system |
a poitical system featuring a central govt that choose what pwrs to devolve to regional bodies |
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devolution |
the act of transferring (devolving) powers from a central govt to regional or local govts that remain under its constitutional purview |
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federalism |
a constitution-based division of powers bt 2 or more orders of govt |
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sovereignty |
the power to exercise govt authority over a polity within a defined geographical area |
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divided crown |
a monarchy whose sovereignty is split among different order of govt |
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decentralized federalism |
a federal system of govt where the regional units have considerable power |
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centralized federalism |
a federal system of govt where the national govt has considerable power |
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reservation |
the constitutional power of the fed govt to withhold the passage of prov legislation, so as to cause short term or permanent delay |
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What key principles are at the heart of the Canadian constitution? |
Ab self-govt Parliamentary democracy Federalism |
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What are the 4 pillars of Canada's parliamentary democracy? |
1. Liberal democracy 2. Representative democracy 3. Constitutional monarchy 4. Responsible govt |
