Reference no: EM133493499
Question A: Answer each of the following four questions:
What is responsible government? Give a recent example of when a government of the day lost the confidence of the House of Commons and explain the circumstances under which this happened.
What powers are assigned to the Prime Minister? Why is Canada's Prime Minister in an unusually powerful position within the government?
Why did the Fathers of Confederation choose a federal system of government instead of a unitary system, as John A. Macdonald and other Anglophone Fathers of Confederation would have preferred? What was the position of French-Canadian and Maritime politicians in this arrangement?
How has the Charter of Rights and Freedoms affected the distribution of power within the system of government?
Question B : Answer two of the following questions:
In "Unit 1: The Canadian State and Structures of Governance," we reviewed class analysis, feminism, post-modernism, and pluralism. Give examples of political events or structures to which it would be appropriate to apply each of these perspectives and explain why (give one example per perspective).
What is the difference between representative and direct democracy? What are the specific formats in which direct democracy is exercised in Canada? Why is representative democracy prominent in the modern world?
The written Constitution can create confusion over who governs Canada and what the actual sources of power are. Explain the difference between the written Constitution and constitutional conventions, and why both are important to understanding Canadian politics. Use one or two examples to illustrate your answers.
What is the significance of the failed Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords after the passing of the Constitution Act, 1982? How are the 1995 Quebec Referendum and the 1998 Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of Quebec's secession relevant in this story?
The Canadian House of Commons is criticized because it is said that Members of Parliament (MPs) are more receptive to directives from the Prime Minister than to the needs and demands of the constituencies they represent. Explain why this criticism is so persistent; be sure to refer to issues of party discipline, and also to the functions of caucus meetings, parliamentary committees, Cabinet committees, and Question Period.
Many critics believe that the Senate of Canada should be abolished, while some others think it should be reformed. Review one or two ways in which the reformation of the Senate has been proposed and discuss whether it would be best for Canada to abolish, reform, or leave the Senate working as it is.
In what way was Canadian bureaucracy transformed in the early 20th century? Why is it important to have a professional public service in modern democracies?