Some Points on the Canadian Constitution
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POLITICAL SCIENCE 100 FINAL EXAM REVIEW
2 CANADIAN CONSTITUIONAL DOCUMENTS * The Canadian Constitution includes constitution documents (THE Constitution Acts of 1867 and 1892), unwritten conventions and ordinary laws. * The Constitution (or BNA – British North American Act) Act, 1867 * An incomplete document (no entrenched bill of rights and no amending procedure) * A parliamentary government similar to that of Britain * A very centralized federal system (Articles 91 lists federal powers and Articles 92, 92A and 93 lists provincial powers) * The judicial Committee of the Privy Council * The 1982 Constitution Act * Patriation of the Constitution * Articles 1-34: The Charter of Rights and Freedoms * Articles 33: The notwithstanding clause * Article 52: The amending formula * Judicial review * Failed attempts at constitutional reform * The 1987-1990 Meech Lack Accord * The 1992 Charlottetown Accord
AMERICAN CONGRESS
BICAMERAL versus UNICAMERAL LEGISLATURES * Bicameral: * Congress is a bicameral legislature that includes the House of Representatives (435 members representing the population) and the Senate (100 members representing the states) * Current party standings: * House of Representatives: 192 D; 242 R; 1 vacant * Senate: 51 D; 47 R; 2 independents * The Republicans control the House while the Democrats control the Senate
DECLINE OF PARTY THESIS * First put forward by American political scientists in response to new developments in the 1960s, namely, what they see as the decline of parties and the proliferation of interest groups * As parties become less ideological and more brokerage (or catch-all) parties * They lose faithful voters and activists (meaning that voter turnout decreases, voter volatility increases, and activists leave) hence the argument that they are in decline * Disenchanted
POLITICAL SCIENCE 100 FINAL EXAM REVIEW
2 CANADIAN CONSTITUIONAL DOCUMENTS * The Canadian Constitution includes constitution documents (THE Constitution Acts of 1867 and 1892), unwritten conventions and ordinary laws. * The Constitution (or BNA – British North American Act) Act, 1867 * An incomplete document (no entrenched bill of rights and no amending procedure) * A parliamentary government similar to that of Britain * A very centralized federal system (Articles 91 lists federal powers and Articles 92, 92A and 93 lists provincial powers) * The judicial Committee of the Privy Council * The 1982 Constitution Act * Patriation of the Constitution * Articles 1-34: The Charter of Rights and Freedoms * Articles 33: The notwithstanding clause * Article 52: The amending formula * Judicial review * Failed attempts at constitutional reform * The 1987-1990 Meech Lack Accord * The 1992 Charlottetown Accord
AMERICAN CONGRESS
BICAMERAL versus UNICAMERAL LEGISLATURES * Bicameral: * Congress is a bicameral legislature that includes the House of Representatives (435 members representing the population) and the Senate (100 members representing the states) * Current party standings: * House of Representatives: 192 D; 242 R; 1 vacant * Senate: 51 D; 47 R; 2 independents * The Republicans control the House while the Democrats control the Senate
DECLINE OF PARTY THESIS * First put forward by American political scientists in response to new developments in the 1960s, namely, what they see as the decline of parties and the proliferation of interest groups * As parties become less ideological and more brokerage (or catch-all) parties * They lose faithful voters and activists (meaning that voter turnout decreases, voter volatility increases, and activists leave) hence the argument that they are in decline * Disenchanted