Lesson 1 — Activity 1: A Constitutional Monarchy



Warm Up


When you hear the words "federal government", what comes to mind? Most Canadians know that Canada's Parliament is located in Ottawa, our nation's capital, and can name the current prime minister. However, you need so much more information to understand how our government works for the people of Canada. The more you know, the more you will appreciate what Canada has to offer to its citizens.






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When the Fathers of Confederation (the men who founded Canada as a nation) were deciding how this new nation would be managed, they selected elements from both the British and the American systems and combined them into our own type of government. The result is a system of government referred to as a constitutional monarchy. This system has the monarch, a king or a queen, as the head of state, in addition to an elected government.

The diagram below shows the basic organization of Canada's federal government.


Canada has three branches of government:

  • legislative branch
  • executive branch
  • judicial branch


The diagram below shows the structure of the three branches of Canada's government.


     


The legislative branch of the federal government is referred to as Parliament and consists of two parts:

  • House of Commons
  • Senate


The executive branch is made up of five parts:

  • sovereign — queen (or king) of England (who is the monarch of Canada)
  • governor general (the representative of the monarch)
  • prime minister
  • cabinet
  • ministries and civil service


The judicial branch is made up of three parts:

  • supreme court
  • federal court
  • provincial courts


You will learn more about all three branches of government in the upcoming lessons and activities.

A Constitutional Monarchy


Canada is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the powers of the monarchy (the king or queen) in Canada are limited by the constitution. The constitution is a set of basic principles, laws, and rules that explain the powers and duties of the government and the rights and freedoms of the citizens.


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Our formal head of state is a monarch.  Elizabeth II, who is also the queen of the England, is the monarch of Canada. As our queen does not live in Canada, she appoints, under the advice of our prime minister, a governor general to represent her authority in Canada. The governor general is usually appointed for a five-year term. 

Self-check!

Try This!

Try the questions below on your own first, and then click on the tab to check your answers! You may look back at the lesson to find the answers.


  1. What are the three branches of government in Canada?
  2. What are the two parts that make up Parliament?
  3. The executive branch is made up of how many parts?
  4. The judicial branch is made up of how many parts?



  1. The three branches of government in Canada are the legislative, executive, and judicial.
  2. Parliament is made up of the House of Commons and the Senate.
  3. The executive branch is made up of five parts: the sovereign (the King or Queen of England), the governor general, the prime minister, the cabinet, the ministries and civil service.
  4. The Judicial Branch is made up of three parts: supreme court, federal court, and provincial courts.



Digging Deeper!


Click on the Play button below to watch a video on Canada's parliamentary system.