BRANCHES

OF GOVERNMENT

BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

• governments do three basic things:

•Make laws• Ensure laws are followed• Judge laws

• All are directly related to government’s central purpose - LAWS

BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT• In democracies no one person [or group of

persons] performs all three functions

• In autocratic states, one individual [or a small group] is in control of all three functions • he/she plays the role of maker, enforcer

and judge of laws

Legislative Branch of Government

• Powers: • Create, change and repeal

laws and regulations

• Members: • Parliament• Senators • Members of the House of

Commons (MPs)

• Example: • Change the laws defining

marriage in Canada.

Executive Branch of Government

• Powers: • Administer and carry out

(enforce) laws and plans of the government

• Members: • Monarch• Prime Minister• Cabinet• Bureaucrats (or Civil Servants)

• Example: • Prime Minister declares a state

of emergency and directs the Canadian Armed Forces to assist in snow removal.

Judicial Branch of Government• Powers: • Interpret the laws • decide who has broken the law • assign appropriate penalties

• Members: • Courts (Supreme, Provincial,

Small Claims, Family, etc.) • Judges

• Example: Should Hutterites in Alberta be required to have photos on their drivers’ licenses?

BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

• NOTE: The Queen of Canada, through the Governor-General, plays a key role within ALL three branches of Canadian government

Canada's Parliamentary System

Branches of Government Diagram Queen

Governor General

Prime Minister

Cabinet

House of Commons

Senate

Supreme Court of Canada

Federal Courts

Provincial Courts

Courts

Executive Branch Judicial BranchLegislative Branch

Parliament

Prime Minister and Governor General

•Use the Text Book (38-45) and Yellow Book (20-23) to answer the following for each role:•What are the job requirements?•What are the job responsibilities?•How are they compensated?

BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

Sourceswww2.clarku.edu/research/images/government/cansupct.jpgwww.nationmaster.com/wikimir/images/upload.wikimedia.org/

wikpedia/en/thumb/7/78/250px-Queen_of_canada.jpgwww.stephentaylor.ca/archives/parliament-hill-protest.jpgwww.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/12/images/20041201-

4_w9w7821-515h.jpghttp://206.47.170.43/channels/images/harper-obama-456-

sept16.jpg