Case Study POLI

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Sheridan College *

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16367G

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Political Science

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Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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1 The Prime Minister In The Canadian Parliamentary System Has Too Much Or Too Little Power Sheridan College POLI 16367G: Understanding Politics and Society Ajay Sharma August 17, 2023

2 The Prime Minister In The Canadian Parliamentary System Has Too Much Or Too Little Power In the Canadian parliamentary system setting, a crucial question arises regarding the extent of power the Prime Minister holds, whether it leans towards an excess or a deficiency. This paper tackles this question by focusing on the Prime Minister's role in the legislative, party, and executive branches, finally evaluating the balance of power within the system. 1. The Prime Minister in the Canadian parliamentary system holds excessive power, as evidenced by their control over the executive branch, dominance in party politics, and influence over the legislative agenda. 2. (a) The Prime Minister, who serves as head of the executive branch, and the Members of Parliament (MPs), elected to represent different constituencies in Canada's parliamentary system, are the main political actors. The discussion focuses on Canada's democratic government and decision-making procedures (Flanagan, 2016). (b) The fundamental idea of "power" refers to the Prime Minister's ability to control the executive branch, formulate policy, and impact legislative processes. This study's three main areas of inquiry are the extent of executive authority, the Prime Minister's influence over party strategy, and their control over legislative processes (Smith, 2020).

3 3. (i) The Prime Minister's massive influence can be seen by their ability to direct and influence the direction of their political party. The Prime Minister is the official party leader, with power over choosing candidates, creating the party platform, and directing party policy. According to research by Banting and Simeon’s work (1985), Prime Ministers can use this authority to silence dissenting opinions and increase their influence within the party. For example, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper's strict control over the Conservative Party allowed him to maintain a unifying party attitude and limit internal problems, emphasizing the significant power vested in the office (Flanagan, 2016). (ii) The Prime Minister has disproportionate power over the legislative process since they can determine the government's legislative agenda and the order of importance of bills. According to Aucoin (2008), this authority allows Prime Ministers to focus legislative attention on their favorite policies and initiatives, allowing them to further their political goals. This control may result in restrictions on free speech and in-depth analysis of proposed legislation, weakening the democratic value of extensive deliberation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's strategic management of the legislative agenda to highlight important campaign promises is an example, demonstrating the Prime Minister's ability to control the parliamentary calendar (Smith, 2020). In conclusion, the excessive power of the Prime Minister within the Canadian parliamentary system is demonstrated by their significant influence over the executive

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4 branch, party politics, and legislative agenda, raising significant concerns about the proper balance of power and democratic representation in the nation's governance.

5 References Aucoin, P. (2008). New Political Governance in Westminster Systems: Impartial Public Administration and Management Performance at Risk Banting, K. G., & Simeon, R. (1985). And no one cheered: Federalism, democracy, and the Constitution Act. University of Toronto Press. Flanagan, T. (2016). Harper's Team: Behind the Scenes in the Conservative Rise to Power. McGill-Queen's Press-MQUP.

Case Study POLI

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