6.3  Canadian Liberal Democracy

Are the values of liberalism viable?


Big Ideas:

  • Appreciate various perspectives regarding the viability of the values of liberalism.
  • Appreciate various perspectives regarding the promotion of liberalism within political and economic systems.
  • Explore the extent to which governments should promote individual and collective rights.

Canadian Democratic System

How Does the Political System of Canada Embrace Liberalism?


 

 

As a Canadian citizen, you may have noticed that you have some basic rights and freedoms that often do not exist in other countries. In Canada, some rights and freedoms include freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to support any political party, and the right to vote for various candidates from a multitude of political parties.

A democratic society is based on the belief that every citizen has a voice in the decision-making process. In Canada, this is how decisions are made. The people of Canada, or electorate, choose a political party on the basis of its values or political platform and their leadership abilities to represent Canadians in making important decisions.


Canada's Democratic Government

The elected Members of Parliament (MPs) are responsible for representing the people of Canada. This means that the MPs represent their constituents in the House of Commons. In this way, the voices of Canada's people are heard.

Canada's government is a parliamentary democracy based on the British form of government and adapted by Canada for its political decision making.


Separation of Powers

Canada's representative democracy is divided into three branches of government:

  • executive

  • legislative

  • judicial

This results in a separation of powers. This is so that no one branch of the government can have absolute power over everything in government. Examine the following diagram to find out how these branches work in Canada. Click on the green boxes for more information.




Please watch the following video explaining the 3 Branches of Canada's Federal Government:

 

 



Read "Liberal Democracy in Canada" on pages 338-346 of your textbook, Understandings of Ideology. These pages will further your understanding of the concept of promoting individual and collective rights in Canada.

You should make notes, either on paper or on your computer, about what you have read. You may want to read the tutorial How to Make Notes. When you are finished the tutorial, return here to continue this unit.