Canada belongs to a group of countries that are categorized as liberal democracies. This political system functions to exercise limited government involvement, the ideology of liberalism, the rule of law, individual liberty, and a democratic governing system based on the election of representatives (Pond, 2018). In a broader scope, the Canadian government is a liberal democracy which incorporates the parliamentary system from the British due to Canada’s historic interrelation with the United Kingdom (Pond, 2018). This essay will demonstrate that the Canadian government fails to reflect certain principles of liberal democracy adequately; furthermore, this essay will incorporate an outline of a liberal democracy, elaboration of the parliamentary system, and a counter-argument that demonstrates where Canada succeeds in reflecting a liberal democracy.
Chiefly, the following will give the reader a brief description of three of the eight necessary principles for a country to be considered a liberal democracy. The principles that will be displayed are: horizontal accountability, the elected government exercises supreme power within the national territory, and free and fair elections (Pond, 2018). The principles from course lecture that Canada’s parliamentary system fails to reflect adequately are horizontal accountability, and the elected government exercises supreme power within the national territory. Additionally, this essay will incorporate how Canada succeeds in reflecting a specific principle of liberal democracy. Canada succeeds in reflecting the following principle of free and fair elections although some may argue the electoral system may not reflect the accurate will of the people.
The following will discuss the Canadian parliamentary system; giving one an understanding of how this system of government and politics functions in Canada. Foremost, since Canada was founded under British rule, which developed the parliamentary system, the Canadian government was molded into a similar system. Canadian parliament consists of the monarch; which is represented by the governor general, the Senate; which is the upper house, and the lower House of Commons; which are the elected members of parliament (Forsey, 2012).
Moreover, the Canadian parliamentary system, which models the Westminster system, displays a close relation between executive and legislative branches; which further operate through the unwritten conventions of a responsible government (Mintz, Croci, and Close, 2012). The executive branch is made up of the Cabinet and Prime minister; their role is to propose bills and maintain the confidence of the House (Pond, 2018). The legislative branch includes the upper house; the Senate and elected members of parliament, which are the lower house; their role is to deliberate and pass bills given by the executive (Forsey, 2012). The authority of the acting elected head of government, the Prime Minister, must be able to maintain the confidence of the lower house, whether it to be from a majority or minority government to be able to effectively conduct the roles of the executive (Mintz, Croci, and Close, 2012). If the current Prime Minister cannot hold the confidence of the house, it must act according to the conventions of a responsible government which state; it must either resign from power or advise the governor general to dissolve government and call for an election (Pond, 2018). This brief explanation of the parliamentary system will give one an understanding of how this system of government operates within Canadian politics. Furthermore, this essay will prove how this system does and does not reflect certain principles of liberal democracy.
Firstly, the principle that Canada fails to reflect in the parliamentary system is horizontal accountability. This principle is designed to have a check in a balance between the executive and other bodies of government; essentially stating the executive is restrained by other government institutions (Pond, 2018). This principle fails in the aspect regarding the legislative branch of the upper house, the Senate. Senators are important in regards to passing bills, excluding bills that deal with the expenditure of public money or imposing taxes, because no legislation can be passed without their approval (Forsey, 2012). Once appointed senators serve their time until 75 years old and can only be removed if one commits such serious crimes (Pond, 2018). Prime-ministerial power can be noticed as too concentrated since the Prime Minister chooses the governor general and members of the Senate; which are vital bodies in approving legislature and holding the executive accountable (Pond, 2018). Since the Prime Minister appoints senators, this could result in a lack of horizontal accountability and a political bias between the Senate and the elected executive. This argument can be identified in Mulroney’s time in the office where the majority Liberal Senate proved to be more hostile and engaging in a confrontation with the progressive conservatives on the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement; displaying a biased in horizontal structures in government (Mintz, Croci, and Close, 2012). It is evident that the principle of horizontal accountability is not fully reflected in Canada’s system of politics and government.
Secondly, the Canadian parliamentary system fails to reflect the principle of the elected government exercises supreme power within the national territory. This principle states that no group should be able to challenge the authority of the government (Pond, 2018). The certain roles the Governor General and Senate posses can display that the parliamentary system fails to reflect this principle. Both Governor General and Senators are appointed, proving to be undemocratic, and both still possess certain powers to challenge the authority of an elected government (Pond, 2018). For example, the Governor General poses prerogative powers which allow the Governor General to use personal discretion in deciding how to act; consisting of the ability to dissolve government and prorogation of parliament (Mintz, Croci, and Close, 2012). This can be identified in the King-Byng crisis. Under a minority government, Prime Minister King was under threat from losing the confidence vote and wanted to avoid the non-confidence motion; subsequently, he went to governor general Byng over the weekend to request that he dissolve the house and ask for an election (Pond, 2018). Governor General Byng refused the request, displaying his prerogative powers. This challenge of authority towards the elected executive proves that the parliamentary system does not reflect that they are the supreme power over the territory.
Although, Canada does succeed on reflecting other key principles of liberal democracy. This counter-argument will consist of how the parliamentary system reflects the principle of free and fair elections. Elections Canada conduct non-partisan elections to determine which candidate will represent a given electoral district (Pond, 2018). The electoral system Elections Canada utilizes is the single member plurality system which some argue is undemocratic and does not capture the popular will of the people. Single member plurality displays that the candidate with the most amount of votes is elected no matter if the majority of voters did not vote for the elected candidate (Mintz, Croci, and Close, 2012). Furthermore, this principle states when the winning candidate is elected; the defeated government in the election must voluntarily resign (Pond, 2018). Canada’s system of governing and politics does reflect this principle of liberal democracy; even though some may argue that the electoral system is not honorable in capturing the will of the majority.
The statements above demonstrate to the reader a brief description of Canada’s parliamentary system and an outline of select principles that are reflected and are not reflected in Canada’s system of government and politics. The arguments given, display that the liberal democratic principles of horizontal accountability and the elected government exercise supreme power within the national territory are not fully reflected in Canada’s system of government and politics. In contrast, one can also identify the counter-argument stated above where Canada succeeds on reflecting a liberal democratic principle of free and fair elections.