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Canada and the United States: Two different forms of government

© Rhonda Parkinson

Recently, a visitor to the Canadian Politics forum asked about the differences between the Canadian and American political systems. If you posed this question to someone on the street, they would likely answer that Canada has a parliamentary system of government, while the Americans have a presidential system. But what does this mean? One obvious difference is that Americans directly elect their president, while in Canada the Prime Minister is merely the leader of the party that gains the most votes. But the differences between the two systems extend much further. In large part it comes down to the structure of the executive and the relationship between the executive and the legislature.

Let us begin with the American presidential system. It is based on the concepts of separation of powers, and checks and balances. The idea of separation of powers was first developed by Montesque in The Spirit of the Laws. Originally published in 1748, this is an enormous work that covers numerous aspects of how governments function. In it Montesque argues that concentrating all executive, legislative, and judicial power in one office is the very definition of tyranny.

Fresh from their fight for independence from Britain, it is clear that the founding fathers were very concerned about the tyranny and abuse of power that can occur when one branch of government gains too much political power. As a result, in the American system power is separated among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. A system of checks and balances is in place through the powers given to each branch in the United States Constitution. One example is the presidential veto, outlined in Article I, Section 7. The President can veto legislation that has already passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate, thus giving the executive a role in the legislative process. Congress can override the veto, but it needs a two-thirds majority in both houses to do so.

As a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, the Canadian system is quite different. To begin with, there is no mention of the Prime Minister in the 1867 Constitution Act. Instead, executive power lies in the Queen, with the Governor General “…carrying on the Government of Canada on behalf and in the Name of the Queen, by whatever Title he is designated.” This reflects the fact that in Canada there is a split between the formal and legislative roles of the Executive. Today the Governor General’s role is primarily symbolic and ceremonial. As the Queen’s representative he or she reads the speech from the throne, opens and ends sessions of Parliament, and gives Royal Assent to bills. The Governor General also attends numerous public functions and hands out several awards, including the Order of Canada. As for the political power of the executive, this lies with both the prime minister and, since Canada has a federal system of government, the ten provincial Premiers. While the Queen is the Head of State, the Prime Minister is the Head of Government.