The Canadian Regime

An Introduction to Parliamentary Government in Canada, Fourth Edition

Table des matières

Preface

Map: Parliamentary Representation by Province

Part One: Introduction

Chapter One: Canada's Regime Principles

1. 1 Political Regimes
1. 2 Equality
1. 3 Liberty
1. 4 The Canadian Regime

Chapter Two: The Constitution

2. 1 Constitutions and Their Functions
2. 2 Constitutional Forms
2. 3 The Canadian Constitution
2. 4 Amending Canada's Constitution
2. 5 Judicial Review of the Constitution
2. 6 Constitutional Politics Since 1982

Part Two: Basic Principles of the Canadian Constitution

Chapter Three: Responsible Government

3. 1 The Emergence of Responsible Government
3. 2 The Conventions of Responsible Government
3. 3 Responsible Government as "Cabinet Government"
3. 4 Forming a Government
3. 5 Majority and Minority Government
3. 6 Institutional Implications of Responsible Government
3. 7 Responsible Government and Separation of Powers Compared

Chapter Four: Federalism

4. 1 What is Federalism?
4. 2 Why a Federal Union?
4. 3 The Original Design of the Federal Union
4. 4 The Historical Development of Federalism in Canada
4. 5 Financing Government and Federal-Provincial Relations
4. 6 The Challenge of Canadian Federalism
4. 7 Current Controversies: The Pressure to Decentralize

Chapter Five: The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

5. 1 What is a Charter of Rights?
5. 2 How the Charter Works: Hunter v. Southam
5. 3 Remedies
5. 4 The Adoption of the Charter
5. 5 Opposition to the Charter
5. 6 The Notwithstanding Clause
5. 7 Section 1
5. 8 The Political Impact of the Charter

Part Three: Institutions

Chapter Six: The Crown and its Servants

6. 1 The Crown
6. 2 The Governor General
6. 3 The Functions of the Governor General
6. 4 The Cabinet
6. 5 The Cabinet Committee System
6. 6 The Prime Minister
6. 7 Prime Ministerial Government?
6. 8 The Civil Service

Chapter Seven: Parliament

7. 1 The Role of Parliament
7. 2 The Parliamentary Calendar
7. 3 The House of Commons: Membership and Officers
7. 4 The Business of the House of Commons
7. 5 The Rules of Procedure of the House of Commons
7. 6 The Backbencher
7. 7 House of Commons Reform
7. 8 The Senate
7. 9 Senate Reform

Chapter Eight: The Judiciary

8. 1 The Role of the Judiciary
8. 2 The Fundamental Principles of the Canadian Judiciary
8. 3 Canada's Courts
8. 4 The Supreme Court of Canada
8. 5 The Politics of Judicial Appointments
8. 6 The "Court Party" Thesis

Part Four: Participation

Chapter Nine: Elections

9. 1 Elections and Representation
9. 2 Canada's Electoral System
9. 3 The Effects of SMP
9. 4 Proportional Representation
9. 5 Single Transferable Vote
9. 6 Voting in Canada

Chapter Ten: Political Parties

10. 1 Political Parties in the Canadian Regime
10. 2 The Five Functions of Political Parties
10. 3 Parties and Ideology
10. 4 Canada's Major Parties
10. 5 The Canadian Party System
10. 6 The Organization of Political Parties
10. 7 Financing Political Parties
10. 8 Party Government and Party Politics

Chapter Eleven: Interest Groups, Public Opinion, and Democratic Citizenship

11. 1 Forms of Political Participation
11. 2 Interest Groups
11. 3 Women in Politics
11. 4 Public Opinion
11. 5 The Media
11. 6 The Question of Public Opinion Polls
11. 7 Civic Education and Democratic Citizenship

Appendix:

The Constitution Acts 1867 and 1982
Index

La description

Lucid and readable, The Canadian Regime is a well-established, well-known introduction to Canadian government. By explaining the inner logic of parliamentary government, as well as the underlying rationale for its institutions and processes, the authors demystify what might appear to be a relatively complex political system. Urging readers to consider the organic nature of the political system—in which change in one area inevitably ripples through the rest of the system—the authors provide much more than just a description of the features of government. The fourth edition has been updated to include analysis of the 2008 Canadian federal election. Discussions of responsible government and the role of the Governor General have been revised and expanded. Coalition government, the Single Transferable Vote, and the emergence of the Green Party are explained and new developments in Senate reform and Supreme Court appointments are also covered.