House of Commons What role does the House of Commons play in ...
House of Commons What role does the House of Commons play in the election of governments? What happens when the House of Commons withdraws its confidence in the government? Why is the Burkean concept of the role of the MP outdated? The House of Commons has a number of functions. Which of these does it perform well? Which does it perform poorly? Give reasons for your answers. “In the parliamentary system, a party can lose an election and still wind up as the government.” Discuss the validity of this statement. How can political parties with no realistic expectation of ever winning an election and forming the government still exercise influence in a parliamentary democracy? What are the three concepts of the role of the MP? Which is the dominant concept and why? What are the perceived problems with the parliamentary system that Senate reform and free votes for MPs are supposed to solve? “Parliamentary government is not about giving citizens direct influence over the making of government decisions. Instead, it is about ensuring the public gets to express an opinion about those decisions after they have been made.” Discuss the validity of this statement. Stephen Harper won the May 2011 election when his party captured over 50% of the seats in the House of Commons. But he also won the 2006 and 2008 elections, even though his party failed to take 50% of the seats in each of those elections. Why? Explain the advantages and disadvantages of party discipline in the parliamentary system of government. In a democracy the people elect the government. Using this definition of democracy, to what extent is the parliamentary system of government democratic? To what extent does it fail to meet this definition of democracy? In the Canadian parliamentary democracy, our most important democratic institution is the House of Commons. Yet the effectiveness and legitimacy of the House of Commons is regularly questioned, by parliamentary reformers, rights advocates, and western Canadians. Why is the House of Commons vulnerable to criticism? In your opinion, are the critiques valid? Less than 50% of the seats in the House of Commons are held by Conservative MPs. Why then does Stephen Harper get to be Prime Minister? [this was pre-2011 election] How does party discipline affect the House of Commons’ representative function? “Without party discipline, responsible government would collapse.” Discuss the validity of this statement. How do small parties like the NDP still play a role in government even when they don’t actually win a federal election? How does party discipline affect the accountability function of the House of Commons? Parliamentary democracy in Canada is based on territorial representation. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this system of democratic representation? 1
Is it correct to say that if the Government loses a vote of confidence in the House of Commons, it must call an election? Explain your answer. “The parliamentary system of government is the right system for a country like Canada whose political culture legitimizes big government activism.” Discuss the validity of this statement. What happens when the House of Commons votes to reject the government’s budget? Why is it possible for a government to stay in office even when it has less than 50% of the seats in the House of Commons? Why is a Member of Parliament (MP) who is determined to follow the constituency role of the MP in the parliamentary system, likely to get into trouble with his/her party leader? Are free votes the solution for rigid imposition of party discipline by party leaders? How does the parliamentary system enable small parties such as the NDP to exercise influence over government policy, even though they never actually win a federal election? Role of GG “The Queen may be Canada’s head of state, but she does not govern.” Explain. “Even when the Governor General is exercising the reserve or personal prerogative powers, he/she is bound by the conventions of responsible government.” Explain. How does responsible government make the prerogative powers of the Crown accountable? “Paradoxically, the role of the non-elected Governor General is to protect democracy.” Discuss the validity of this statement. Why is it difficult to spell out precisely the conditions under which the Governor-General might choose to exercise the reserve powers of the Crown? Why are the reserve powers of the Crown, also known as the personal prerogatives, so rarely used? Why is a literal reading of the terms of the BNA Act the wrong way to understand the role played by Canada’s head of state? Why is it accurate to say that Canada’s constitution is both written and unwritten? Does the Governor General have to agree when the Prime Minister asks him/her to call an election? Explain your answer. On December 4, 2008, Prime Minister Harper, who at that time was the head of a minority government, met with Governor General Jean to discuss proroguing Parliament. Why did Liberal leader Stéphane Dion publicly release the terms of the proposed coalition with the NDP (which was supported by the Bloc Québécois), in the days before that meeting? Is the Prime Minister the head of government or the head of state? Why isn’t s/he both?
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Culture According to the ‘formative event’ theory of political culture, what are the two most important ‘formative’ events shaping Canadian political culture? What is the point of studying political culture? In other words, what is it about our political system we hope to explain by studying the Canadian political culture? If political culture sets the outer boundaries of what is considered acceptable political behaviour, what does the continued existence of the NDP tell us about the Canadian political culture? What do the fragment and formative event theories of Canadian political culture try to explain? What do conservatism and socialism have in common, in the Canadian context? Why was the American Revolution a crucial event in the creation of Canada? Why do we discuss Canadian political culture, by making comparisons to American political culture? What are the basic features of the Canadian political culture? Which of these are also characteristic of other liberal democracies? Which are distinctively Canadian? Patriation Why did the Canada Act, 1982 have to be passed by the British Parliament before Canada could be legally sovereign? Why was the amendment of the Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly known as the British North America Act) a sensitive political issue in Canada before patriation of the constitution in 1982? Why is the constitutional process of 1981-82, culminating in the passage of the Constitution Act, 1982, known as the “patriation” of the constitution? Canada became a country in 1867. But the British government could still change Canada’s constitution until 1982. Why? What was the significance of the ceremony attended by the Queen on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 17, 1982? Confederation Bargain “Creating the Canadian federation in 1867 was as much about decentralization as it was about centralization.” Discuss. During the debates on Confederation, George-Etienne Cartier said that the idea of bringing the English and French together in a “unified” or single government was “impossible.” What did he mean? Why were the provinces in British North America in 1867 willing to support Confederation? “Confederation can be seen as a re-arrangement of the terms under which British North Americans were prepared to live together.” Discuss the validity of this statement.
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Why did Quebec’s political leaders agree to support Confederation? What were the features of the Confederation bargain which induced them to participate in the creation of the new country of Canada? Identify and explain the features of the British North America Act (also known as the Constitution Act, 1867) which were designed to give the federal government the powers deemed necessary to build the new country of Canada. Why were the provinces in British North America in 1867 willing to support Confederation? How does federalism support the aspirations of the Quebecois to preserve a French-speaking society in English-speaking North America? Confederation was not simply an exercise in bringing British North Americans together into one country. It was also an exercise in enabling British North Americans to live together while respecting each other’s differences.” Discuss the validity of this statement. Why did the Fathers of Confederation agree that federalism was necessary in order to bring the colonies of British North America together in one country? Why did Quebec’s political leaders at the time of Confederation insist that the new country of Canada should be a political nationality but not an ethnic or religious nationality? How does the Constitution Act, 1867 reflect their perspective? Why did George-Etienne Cartier declare that Canada was to be a new political nationality, but not an ethnic or religious nationality? “In 1867, the English and French in British North America agreed they could get along better with each other if they lived apart.” Discuss. Unwritten Constitution Why did the creators of the United States Constitution in the 18th century spell out in some detail how their new system of government should work, while the Fathers of Confederation did not do the same for the new Canadian system of government in the British North America Act in 1867? The Fathers of Confederation were experienced colonial politicians. How did their experience in pre-Confederation British North America shape the terms of the British North America Act? British North America did not break away from Britain, unlike the United States. What were the implications for Canada’s system of government? Why did the Fathers of Confederation use the phrase “similar in principle” in the preamble to the British North America Act (also known as the Constitution Act, 1867) to describe the Canadian political system? Why did they believe it was unnecessary to spell out how the political system would work in more detail? Why is there so much detail in the British North America Act (now known as the Constitution Act, 1867) about how Canadian federalism operates but so little on the powers of the prime minister and the cabinet? What did the Fathers of Confederation mean when they agreed that Canada would have a system of government “similar in principle” to that of Britain? 4
Why did the Fathers of Confederation not bother to explain the role of the Prime Minister and cabinet in the British North America Act (now known as the Constitution Act, 1867)? On election night in May 2011, the Conservatives won over 50% of the seats in the House of Commons. How did that result make Stephen Harper Prime Minister? Why can’t Stephen Harper govern Canada as a member of the Senate? Why does he have to be a MP? Cabinet Why do cabinet ministers have to resign from cabinet if they cannot support the policies of their government? What has been the impact of federalism on the operation of parliamentary democracy in Canada? Why are Conservative MPs elected in Quebec more likely to get into cabinet than Conservative MPs elected in Alberta? Why has PM Harper’s cabinet expanded, just like the cabinets of his Liberal predecessors? Why might the Prime Minister choose to appoint Senators to the cabinet? Why are PMs expected to keep such appointments to a minimum? What are some of the factors affecting a government MP’s chances of getting into cabinet? In the parliamentary system, the executive and legislative branches are not separate, but fused or integrated. How does this promote the accountability of government? What is the impact of federalism on how Prime Ministers choose cabinet ministers? If one of Prime Minister Harper’s cabinet ministers criticizes a government policy in public, he or she can expect to be asked by the Prime Minister to resign from cabinet. Why? Who does a weak cabinet minister have to fear more: the opposition in the House of Commons, or the Prime Minister? Give reasons for your answer. How does the federal and regionalist nature of Canada affect a government backbencher’s chances of getting into cabinet? Does the concept of intrastate federalism help to explain how the Prime Minister chooses the members of the cabinet? Why? Cabinet ministers run government departments which employ thousands of people and spend millions of dollars. Yet lack of management experience, and even downright incompetence, have never been barriers to service in the cabinet. Does this matter? “If the Canadian Prime Minister chose cabinet ministers purely on the basis of their managerial competence and administrative skills, very few of the existing members of cabinet would keep their jobs.” Discuss the validity of this statement. Why do cabinet ministers have to be Members of Parliament? Under what conditions is it acceptable for people who are not Members of Parliament (MPs) to be cabinet ministers? Is it correct to say that all cabinet ministers must be MPs? Explain your answer. 5
Why do the conventions of responsible government require that the political executive be members of the House of Commons? What are the factors influencing the likelihood of a government backbencher getting into cabinet? How does the convention of collective cabinet responsibility promote the accountability of government? What is intrastate federalism? Give examples of the influence of this concept on Canadian government and politics. Why have Canadian cabinets steadily increased in size since World War Two? Why was it a mistake for Stephen Harper to boast about how small his cabinet was when he first formed a government in 2006? “Albertans don’t get the representation in the Harper cabinet they deserve.” Discuss. In this class, we have talked about changing concepts of representation. How have Prime Ministers attempted to address Canadians’ evolving views of representation in government and politics? Bureaucracy What’s the difference between the Queen’s Privy Council and the Privy Council Office? Why are politicians not allowed to meddle in the hiring and promotion of civil servants below the level of Deputy Minister and Assistant Deputy Minister? “When nonpartisan career public servants are doing their job properly, they are helping the party in power to get re-elected.” Discuss the validity of this statement. Why did the Gomery Commission argue that the nonpartisan bureaucracy needed to be protected from the elected politicians? Why is the policy-administration dichotomy not an adequate guide to the contemporary operation of Canadian government? “Civil service anonymity does not facilitate the accountability of the executive to Parliament, but impedes it.” Discuss the validity of this statement. “The conventions of responsible government promote the accountability of elected politicians, not non-elected civil servants.” Discuss the validity of this statement. What is the significance of the Gomery Commission Report? How do central agencies support Prime Ministerial power? Under the conventions of ministerial accountability, ministers are accountable to the House of Commons for the operation of government departments. Why does this convention fail to explain the reality of how government actually works in Canada? What is the difference between the PMO and the PCO? Explain the “policy-administration” distinction. To what extent does this distinction fail to explain the reality of how government actually works in Canada? 6
Senate Currently, Senators serve until they turn 75. Why is Prime Minister Harper currently proposing that instead, Senators get a single 9-year term? Is an elected Senate compatible with responsible government? Why is the West the only region in Canada seriously interested in Senate reform? “Senate reform as practised by the Harper government challenges the foundations of parliamentary democracy in Canada.” Discuss the validity of this statement. How has the Harper government attempted to reduce western alienation? Why is Senate reform regarded as one solution to western alienation? What do Prime Minister Harper’s Senate appointments have in common with the appointments made by previous Prime Ministers? What is different about his Senate appointments? Since the 1980s, Senate reform has emerged as a hot topic. What are the problems with our political system that recent proposals for Senate reform are supposed to solve? How would these proposals solve them? Senate reform is Prime Minister Harper’s personal project. Introducing a Charter of Rights was Prime Minister Trudeau’s personal project. What do these projects have in common? “Even an elected Senate would not be legitimate under our system of responsible government.” Discuss the validity of this statement. Charter of Rights/Judiciary Why do interest groups in contemporary Canada compete to frame their issues as questions of rights? Identify two features of the Canadian system of government that give power to the judiciary. How does the Charter of Rights reinforce and strengthen Canada’s liberal political culture? What is the argument in favour of judicial power in the age of the Charter of Rights? What is the argument against? How is judicial independence protected in Canada? How does the Charter of Rights challenge the politicians’ control over the policy agenda? Why did many premiers support the inclusion of s. 33, the over-ride clause, in the Charter of Rights? Why does a written constitution give power to the judiciary? Illustrate your answer with examples discussed in the readings and/or in class. Who benefits when political controversies are defined as human rights issues? Who loses? “Under the Charter of Rights, elected politicians now have to share control over the policy agenda with the courts.” Discuss the validity of this statement.
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“The popularity of Charter liberalism poses a potential threat to national unity.” Discuss the validity of this statement. How does the Charter of Rights check the power of politicians? What has been the impact of the Charter on the operation and practice of parliamentary democracy in Canada? Why does the judiciary play an important role in a federal state? “The Charter of Rights is a liberal document. But it is a distinctively Canadian liberal document.” Discuss the validity of this statement. “Pierre Trudeau’s lasting accomplishment was the creation of a new Canadian political nationality.” Discuss the validity of this statement. Senate reform is Prime Minister Harper’s personal project. Introducing a Charter of Rights was Prime Minister Trudeau’s personal project. What do these projects have in common? To what extent does the Charter of Rights and Freedoms reinforce and strengthen the liberal elements in the Canadian political culture? Ideology Why are liberal ideologies the most influential ideologies in Canada? Stephen Harper claims his Conservative government is a “centre-right” party. What does he mean? Why are liberal ideologies the most influential ideologies in Canadian politics, even with a Conservative party in power? What is the difference between political culture and political ideology? Elections What are the two reasons why our system of electoral representation does not fully implement the liberal principle of voter equality? How does the ‘First Past The Post’ electoral system make it harder for political parties in Canada to perform the brokerage party function? How does the ‘First Past The Post’ electoral system affect the role and performance of political parties in Canadian democracy? Why do the NDP and the Green Party support electoral reform? Between 1993 and 2006, the Liberals appeared to be the dominant party in Canadian politics. Why did the Liberals’ success in forming the federal government during this period give a false impression of the actual strength of the Liberal party among Canadians? Why can it be argued that voters in the large provinces get less representation in the House of Commons than other Canadians? Why is Ontario so important in deciding the outcome of federal elections? 8
The Canadian electoral system is based on the democratic principle of “representation by population.” What other principles are reflected in the electoral system? “Effective democratic representation in Canada requires deviations from the basic democratic principle of ‘one person, one vote.’ ” Discuss the validity of this statement. Federalism Why does a federal state require a written constitution? What has been the impact of federalism on the operation of parliamentary democracy in Canada? What has been the impact of the principle of intrastate federalism on the operation of the Canadian government and the parliamentary system? Why would a supporter of welfare-state liberalism advocate a strong central government for Canada? Canada is a federal state with powerful provinces and strong regional identities. How do these features of the country affect the operation and conduct of parliamentary government? How does federalism affect the practice of welfare state liberalism in Canada? An important principle of parliamentary democracy is government accountability. How does the practice of Canadian federalism affect the operation of this principle? Why are the Canadian provinces considerably more powerful than the Fathers of Confederation anticipated in the 19th century? What is the impact of executive federalism on the conventions of responsible government? What has been the impact of federalism on the operation and practice of parliamentary democracy in Canada? What is intrastate federalism? Give examples of the influence of this concept on Canadian government and politics. In recent decades the influence of business liberalism (also known as neo-liberalism) has increased and the influence of welfare-state liberalism has declined. How has this affected the operation of Canadian federalism? When the existing societies of British North America agreed to unite together in 1867, why did they adopt federalism? Canada is a parliamentary democracy, and a federal state. In this class, we have talked about how these two features of our system of government interact. Explain how the two features interact, with examples. Why are advocates of welfare-state liberalism in Canada usually also supporters of a strong federal government, while business liberals (also known as neo-liberals) usually are not? Parties What are the obstacles to the successful practice of brokerage party politics in contemporary Canada? 9
One of the most significant developments in Canadian politics in recent years has been the creation of a new Conservative party under Stephen Harper which has successfully challenged the previously dominant Liberal party. How has Harper succeeded at this task? What are the biggest obstacles to the successful practice of brokerage party politics in Canada today? The Harper Conservative party is now the dominant party in English Canada. How did the Harper Conservatives achieve this? Why is the NDP not a brokerage party? “A party leader in Canada can choose to be a brokerage politician, or the champion of an ideology or region. But he or she cannot be both at the same time.” Discuss the validity of this statement. What are the obstacles to the successful practice of brokerage politics in Canada? Quebec What was the significance of the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Ford v Quebec (1988)? Why is Bill 101 (popularly known as the ‘language law’) so popular in Quebec? Why is Quebec nationalism a challenge for Trudeau’s liberal vision of Canada? Why did the Trudeau strategy for countering Quebec separatism fail to stop the popularity of the nationalist movement in Quebec? How does Prime Minister Trudeau’s official bilingualism policy reflect liberal values? Aboriginal Politics What is the difference between comprehensive and specific land claims, in negotiations between Aboriginal First Nations and the government of Canada? Why is the Constitution Act, 1982 regarded as a victory for Canada’s First Nations?
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Is it correct to say that if the Government loses a vote of confidence in the House of Commons, it must call an election? Explain your answer. “The parliamentary system of government is the right system for a country like Canada whose political culture legitimizes big government activism.” Discuss the validity of this statement. What happens when the House of Commons votes to reject the government’s budget? Why is it possible for a government to stay in office even when it has less than 50% of the seats in the House of Commons? Why is a Member of Parliament (MP) who is determined to follow the constituency role of the MP in the parliamentary system, likely to get into trouble with his/her party leader? Are free votes the solution for rigid imposition of party discipline by party leaders? How does the parliamentary system enable small parties such as the NDP to exercise influence over government policy, even though they never actually win a federal election? Role of GG “The Queen may be Canada’s head of state, but she does not govern.” Explain. “Even when the Governor General is exercising the reserve or personal prerogative powers, he/she is bound by the conventions of responsible government.” Explain. How does responsible government make the prerogative powers of the Crown accountable? “Paradoxically, the role of the non-elected Governor General is to protect democracy.” Discuss the validity of this statement. Why is it difficult to spell out precisely the conditions under which the Governor-General might choose to exercise the reserve powers of the Crown? Why are the reserve powers of the Crown, also known as the personal prerogatives, so rarely used? Why is a literal reading of the terms of the BNA Act the wrong way to understand the role played by Canada’s head of state? Why is it accurate to say that Canada’s constitution is both written and unwritten? Does the Governor General have to agree when the Prime Minister asks him/her to call an election? Explain your answer. On December 4, 2008, Prime Minister Harper, who at that time was the head of a minority government, met with Governor General Jean to discuss proroguing Parliament. Why did Liberal leader Stéphane Dion publicly release the terms of the proposed coalition with the NDP (which was supported by the Bloc Québécois), in the days before that meeting? Is the Prime Minister the head of government or the head of state? Why isn’t s/he both?
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Culture According to the ‘formative event’ theory of political culture, what are the two most important ‘formative’ events shaping Canadian political culture? What is the point of studying political culture? In other words, what is it about our political system we hope to explain by studying the Canadian political culture? If political culture sets the outer boundaries of what is considered acceptable political behaviour, what does the continued existence of the NDP tell us about the Canadian political culture? What do the fragment and formative event theories of Canadian political culture try to explain? What do conservatism and socialism have in common, in the Canadian context? Why was the American Revolution a crucial event in the creation of Canada? Why do we discuss Canadian political culture, by making comparisons to American political culture? What are the basic features of the Canadian political culture? Which of these are also characteristic of other liberal democracies? Which are distinctively Canadian? Patriation Why did the Canada Act, 1982 have to be passed by the British Parliament before Canada could be legally sovereign? Why was the amendment of the Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly known as the British North America Act) a sensitive political issue in Canada before patriation of the constitution in 1982? Why is the constitutional process of 1981-82, culminating in the passage of the Constitution Act, 1982, known as the “patriation” of the constitution? Canada became a country in 1867. But the British government could still change Canada’s constitution until 1982. Why? What was the significance of the ceremony attended by the Queen on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 17, 1982? Confederation Bargain “Creating the Canadian federation in 1867 was as much about decentralization as it was about centralization.” Discuss. During the debates on Confederation, George-Etienne Cartier said that the idea of bringing the English and French together in a “unified” or single government was “impossible.” What did he mean? Why were the provinces in British North America in 1867 willing to support Confederation? “Confederation can be seen as a re-arrangement of the terms under which British North Americans were prepared to live together.” Discuss the validity of this statement.
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Why did Quebec’s political leaders agree to support Confederation? What were the features of the Confederation bargain which induced them to participate in the creation of the new country of Canada? Identify and explain the features of the British North America Act (also known as the Constitution Act, 1867) which were designed to give the federal government the powers deemed necessary to build the new country of Canada. Why were the provinces in British North America in 1867 willing to support Confederation? How does federalism support the aspirations of the Quebecois to preserve a French-speaking society in English-speaking North America? Confederation was not simply an exercise in bringing British North Americans together into one country. It was also an exercise in enabling British North Americans to live together while respecting each other’s differences.” Discuss the validity of this statement. Why did the Fathers of Confederation agree that federalism was necessary in order to bring the colonies of British North America together in one country? Why did Quebec’s political leaders at the time of Confederation insist that the new country of Canada should be a political nationality but not an ethnic or religious nationality? How does the Constitution Act, 1867 reflect their perspective? Why did George-Etienne Cartier declare that Canada was to be a new political nationality, but not an ethnic or religious nationality? “In 1867, the English and French in British North America agreed they could get along better with each other if they lived apart.” Discuss. Unwritten Constitution Why did the creators of the United States Constitution in the 18th century spell out in some detail how their new system of government should work, while the Fathers of Confederation did not do the same for the new Canadian system of government in the British North America Act in 1867? The Fathers of Confederation were experienced colonial politicians. How did their experience in pre-Confederation British North America shape the terms of the British North America Act? British North America did not break away from Britain, unlike the United States. What were the implications for Canada’s system of government? Why did the Fathers of Confederation use the phrase “similar in principle” in the preamble to the British North America Act (also known as the Constitution Act, 1867) to describe the Canadian political system? Why did they believe it was unnecessary to spell out how the political system would work in more detail? Why is there so much detail in the British North America Act (now known as the Constitution Act, 1867) about how Canadian federalism operates but so little on the powers of the prime minister and the cabinet? What did the Fathers of Confederation mean when they agreed that Canada would have a system of government “similar in principle” to that of Britain? 4
Why did the Fathers of Confederation not bother to explain the role of the Prime Minister and cabinet in the British North America Act (now known as the Constitution Act, 1867)? On election night in May 2011, the Conservatives won over 50% of the seats in the House of Commons. How did that result make Stephen Harper Prime Minister? Why can’t Stephen Harper govern Canada as a member of the Senate? Why does he have to be a MP? Cabinet Why do cabinet ministers have to resign from cabinet if they cannot support the policies of their government? What has been the impact of federalism on the operation of parliamentary democracy in Canada? Why are Conservative MPs elected in Quebec more likely to get into cabinet than Conservative MPs elected in Alberta? Why has PM Harper’s cabinet expanded, just like the cabinets of his Liberal predecessors? Why might the Prime Minister choose to appoint Senators to the cabinet? Why are PMs expected to keep such appointments to a minimum? What are some of the factors affecting a government MP’s chances of getting into cabinet? In the parliamentary system, the executive and legislative branches are not separate, but fused or integrated. How does this promote the accountability of government? What is the impact of federalism on how Prime Ministers choose cabinet ministers? If one of Prime Minister Harper’s cabinet ministers criticizes a government policy in public, he or she can expect to be asked by the Prime Minister to resign from cabinet. Why? Who does a weak cabinet minister have to fear more: the opposition in the House of Commons, or the Prime Minister? Give reasons for your answer. How does the federal and regionalist nature of Canada affect a government backbencher’s chances of getting into cabinet? Does the concept of intrastate federalism help to explain how the Prime Minister chooses the members of the cabinet? Why? Cabinet ministers run government departments which employ thousands of people and spend millions of dollars. Yet lack of management experience, and even downright incompetence, have never been barriers to service in the cabinet. Does this matter? “If the Canadian Prime Minister chose cabinet ministers purely on the basis of their managerial competence and administrative skills, very few of the existing members of cabinet would keep their jobs.” Discuss the validity of this statement. Why do cabinet ministers have to be Members of Parliament? Under what conditions is it acceptable for people who are not Members of Parliament (MPs) to be cabinet ministers? Is it correct to say that all cabinet ministers must be MPs? Explain your answer. 5
Why do the conventions of responsible government require that the political executive be members of the House of Commons? What are the factors influencing the likelihood of a government backbencher getting into cabinet? How does the convention of collective cabinet responsibility promote the accountability of government? What is intrastate federalism? Give examples of the influence of this concept on Canadian government and politics. Why have Canadian cabinets steadily increased in size since World War Two? Why was it a mistake for Stephen Harper to boast about how small his cabinet was when he first formed a government in 2006? “Albertans don’t get the representation in the Harper cabinet they deserve.” Discuss. In this class, we have talked about changing concepts of representation. How have Prime Ministers attempted to address Canadians’ evolving views of representation in government and politics? Bureaucracy What’s the difference between the Queen’s Privy Council and the Privy Council Office? Why are politicians not allowed to meddle in the hiring and promotion of civil servants below the level of Deputy Minister and Assistant Deputy Minister? “When nonpartisan career public servants are doing their job properly, they are helping the party in power to get re-elected.” Discuss the validity of this statement. Why did the Gomery Commission argue that the nonpartisan bureaucracy needed to be protected from the elected politicians? Why is the policy-administration dichotomy not an adequate guide to the contemporary operation of Canadian government? “Civil service anonymity does not facilitate the accountability of the executive to Parliament, but impedes it.” Discuss the validity of this statement. “The conventions of responsible government promote the accountability of elected politicians, not non-elected civil servants.” Discuss the validity of this statement. What is the significance of the Gomery Commission Report? How do central agencies support Prime Ministerial power? Under the conventions of ministerial accountability, ministers are accountable to the House of Commons for the operation of government departments. Why does this convention fail to explain the reality of how government actually works in Canada? What is the difference between the PMO and the PCO? Explain the “policy-administration” distinction. To what extent does this distinction fail to explain the reality of how government actually works in Canada? 6
Senate Currently, Senators serve until they turn 75. Why is Prime Minister Harper currently proposing that instead, Senators get a single 9-year term? Is an elected Senate compatible with responsible government? Why is the West the only region in Canada seriously interested in Senate reform? “Senate reform as practised by the Harper government challenges the foundations of parliamentary democracy in Canada.” Discuss the validity of this statement. How has the Harper government attempted to reduce western alienation? Why is Senate reform regarded as one solution to western alienation? What do Prime Minister Harper’s Senate appointments have in common with the appointments made by previous Prime Ministers? What is different about his Senate appointments? Since the 1980s, Senate reform has emerged as a hot topic. What are the problems with our political system that recent proposals for Senate reform are supposed to solve? How would these proposals solve them? Senate reform is Prime Minister Harper’s personal project. Introducing a Charter of Rights was Prime Minister Trudeau’s personal project. What do these projects have in common? “Even an elected Senate would not be legitimate under our system of responsible government.” Discuss the validity of this statement. Charter of Rights/Judiciary Why do interest groups in contemporary Canada compete to frame their issues as questions of rights? Identify two features of the Canadian system of government that give power to the judiciary. How does the Charter of Rights reinforce and strengthen Canada’s liberal political culture? What is the argument in favour of judicial power in the age of the Charter of Rights? What is the argument against? How is judicial independence protected in Canada? How does the Charter of Rights challenge the politicians’ control over the policy agenda? Why did many premiers support the inclusion of s. 33, the over-ride clause, in the Charter of Rights? Why does a written constitution give power to the judiciary? Illustrate your answer with examples discussed in the readings and/or in class. Who benefits when political controversies are defined as human rights issues? Who loses? “Under the Charter of Rights, elected politicians now have to share control over the policy agenda with the courts.” Discuss the validity of this statement.
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“The popularity of Charter liberalism poses a potential threat to national unity.” Discuss the validity of this statement. How does the Charter of Rights check the power of politicians? What has been the impact of the Charter on the operation and practice of parliamentary democracy in Canada? Why does the judiciary play an important role in a federal state? “The Charter of Rights is a liberal document. But it is a distinctively Canadian liberal document.” Discuss the validity of this statement. “Pierre Trudeau’s lasting accomplishment was the creation of a new Canadian political nationality.” Discuss the validity of this statement. Senate reform is Prime Minister Harper’s personal project. Introducing a Charter of Rights was Prime Minister Trudeau’s personal project. What do these projects have in common? To what extent does the Charter of Rights and Freedoms reinforce and strengthen the liberal elements in the Canadian political culture? Ideology Why are liberal ideologies the most influential ideologies in Canada? Stephen Harper claims his Conservative government is a “centre-right” party. What does he mean? Why are liberal ideologies the most influential ideologies in Canadian politics, even with a Conservative party in power? What is the difference between political culture and political ideology? Elections What are the two reasons why our system of electoral representation does not fully implement the liberal principle of voter equality? How does the ‘First Past The Post’ electoral system make it harder for political parties in Canada to perform the brokerage party function? How does the ‘First Past The Post’ electoral system affect the role and performance of political parties in Canadian democracy? Why do the NDP and the Green Party support electoral reform? Between 1993 and 2006, the Liberals appeared to be the dominant party in Canadian politics. Why did the Liberals’ success in forming the federal government during this period give a false impression of the actual strength of the Liberal party among Canadians? Why can it be argued that voters in the large provinces get less representation in the House of Commons than other Canadians? Why is Ontario so important in deciding the outcome of federal elections? 8
The Canadian electoral system is based on the democratic principle of “representation by population.” What other principles are reflected in the electoral system? “Effective democratic representation in Canada requires deviations from the basic democratic principle of ‘one person, one vote.’ ” Discuss the validity of this statement. Federalism Why does a federal state require a written constitution? What has been the impact of federalism on the operation of parliamentary democracy in Canada? What has been the impact of the principle of intrastate federalism on the operation of the Canadian government and the parliamentary system? Why would a supporter of welfare-state liberalism advocate a strong central government for Canada? Canada is a federal state with powerful provinces and strong regional identities. How do these features of the country affect the operation and conduct of parliamentary government? How does federalism affect the practice of welfare state liberalism in Canada? An important principle of parliamentary democracy is government accountability. How does the practice of Canadian federalism affect the operation of this principle? Why are the Canadian provinces considerably more powerful than the Fathers of Confederation anticipated in the 19th century? What is the impact of executive federalism on the conventions of responsible government? What has been the impact of federalism on the operation and practice of parliamentary democracy in Canada? What is intrastate federalism? Give examples of the influence of this concept on Canadian government and politics. In recent decades the influence of business liberalism (also known as neo-liberalism) has increased and the influence of welfare-state liberalism has declined. How has this affected the operation of Canadian federalism? When the existing societies of British North America agreed to unite together in 1867, why did they adopt federalism? Canada is a parliamentary democracy, and a federal state. In this class, we have talked about how these two features of our system of government interact. Explain how the two features interact, with examples. Why are advocates of welfare-state liberalism in Canada usually also supporters of a strong federal government, while business liberals (also known as neo-liberals) usually are not? Parties What are the obstacles to the successful practice of brokerage party politics in contemporary Canada? 9
One of the most significant developments in Canadian politics in recent years has been the creation of a new Conservative party under Stephen Harper which has successfully challenged the previously dominant Liberal party. How has Harper succeeded at this task? What are the biggest obstacles to the successful practice of brokerage party politics in Canada today? The Harper Conservative party is now the dominant party in English Canada. How did the Harper Conservatives achieve this? Why is the NDP not a brokerage party? “A party leader in Canada can choose to be a brokerage politician, or the champion of an ideology or region. But he or she cannot be both at the same time.” Discuss the validity of this statement. What are the obstacles to the successful practice of brokerage politics in Canada? Quebec What was the significance of the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Ford v Quebec (1988)? Why is Bill 101 (popularly known as the ‘language law’) so popular in Quebec? Why is Quebec nationalism a challenge for Trudeau’s liberal vision of Canada? Why did the Trudeau strategy for countering Quebec separatism fail to stop the popularity of the nationalist movement in Quebec? How does Prime Minister Trudeau’s official bilingualism policy reflect liberal values? Aboriginal Politics What is the difference between comprehensive and specific land claims, in negotiations between Aboriginal First Nations and the government of Canada? Why is the Constitution Act, 1982 regarded as a victory for Canada’s First Nations?
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