Government

We hear the word ‘government’ often mentioned in books, on the news and on the Internet. But what is a government?

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What is a Government?

A government is a group of people who rule a country. They decide how a country should be run. In a few cases, it is just one person who rules a country.

The word government comes from several words: the Old French words governement, meaning control and direction and governer meaning to steer (like being in command of a ship). These words come from the Latin word gubernare which means to rule and guide or to pilot.

When groups of people live together in a country, city, or local community they usually agree to live by rules to keep everyone safe. Those rules and the people who make and administer the rules are called the government.

Types of Government

• Autocracy – one unelected person governs the country. �This might be a monarch (a king or queen) or a �dictator (someone who has seized power in some way).

• Oligarchy – a country is governed by a small group of unelected people. They are often wealthy or are members of the �aristocracy (people who have titles such as ‘Lord’ or ‘Lady’).

There are different types of government. Some of these include a/an:

• Democracy – people, who live in a country, vote in elections for who they want to run that country.

Canada

Canada is also a Constitutional Monarchy. This means Canada has a monarch (King or Queen) who makes no political decisions. These decisions are instead made by an elected government.

Canada has a parliamentary democracy system. A parliamentary democracy is a system of government where representatives are elected to a legislative by its citizens. The representatives make laws and decisions for the country. The parliamentary democracy is led by a Prime Minister.

In a parliamentary democracy, a Prime Minister is elected as a member of parliament. That means the people in a country vote for candidates that belong to different political parties. Each party elects a leader. During a federal election, the party that has the most vote wins, with their leader becoming the Prime Minister of the country.

What Are the Different Levels of Government in Canada?

The Provincial Government

The provincial government makes laws and provides services for each of the 10 Canadian provinces. The three territories have their own governments.

The Federal Government

The federal government makes laws and decisions that affect the entire country.

The Municipal Government

The municipal government is also called the local government. It’s responsibility is to make laws and provide services for a city, town or district (municipalities).

Governments can be run in a variety of ways. There are three different levels of government in Canada.

Local Governments

• Different local governments provide different services with the taxes they collect.

• There are differences in the services different governments provide because of their size in physical area and population.

• In an urban community, there are ten general services the local government provides. The school board is also one of these services, but is often considered separate.

The Levels of Government

Click on a circle to find out about the duties of each level of government.

Provincial Government

Municipal Government

Federal �Government

Local Government

The local government works in cooperation with the provincial government. It provides services such as the ones below. Some services may vary with each municipality.

• Parks and Recreation
• Police and Fire Services
• Housing
• Bylaws
• Public Transit
• Roads
• Garbage Removal

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• Garbage Removal
• Libraries
• Ambulance services
• Water and Waste Removal
• Senior’s Facilities
• Streets and Roads
• Animal Control

Provincial Government

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The provincial government is responsible for taking care of the people in each province and protecting their interests. The provincial government works in cooperation with the local governments and the federal government to provide services and make laws.

• Children’s services
• Tourism and parks
• Education
• Energy
• Health and wellness

• Indigenous relations
• Agriculture and food
• Sustainable resources
• Seniors and Community Support

Provincial Government Facts

Provincial governments…

• provide the curriculum (what you need to learn in school).
• manages resources such as oil and gas.
• Provides healthcare - Canadians do not directly pay for their healthcare like some Americans do. Our healthcare is paid for when we pay our taxes, so you don’t have to pay to visit the emergency room, for example.
• The premier is the leader of the provincial government.
• A Cabinet Minister is an elected representative who is in charge of a government department.
• MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) are representatives elected from each political party. They serve the needs of the people in their constituency (voting area) and participate in government committees.
• Make laws.

How a Bill Becomes Law

• An MLA introduces the bill (proposed or suggested law) in the Legislative assembly of each province. This is the first reading.
• Members of the Legislative Assembly and the public can study the bill. They might contact their MLA or Cabinet Minister to give their opinions. They might petition, write letters to an editor of a newspaper or hold public meetings.
• The bill gets a second reading in the Legislative Assembly. MLAs are able to debate the bill and then vote on it. If most MLAs support the bill, it is sent to a committee for further study. If there are any changes to be made, it can be made at this point.
• In the third reading in the Legislative Assembly, members can discuss and ask questions. The MLAs will vote again on the bill.
• If the majority of the MLAs support the bill it is sent to the Lieutenant Governor of their province to be signed. It then becomes an act or a law.

Federal Government

The federal government is responsible for issues that affect the entire country. They provide services such as:

• Relations with other countries
• National defence
• Import and export
• Citizenship and immigration
• The environment
• Income tax
• Fisheries and forestry

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Federal Government Facts

Federal governments…

• Are made up of representatives from all of the provinces and territories in Canada. They are called MPs (Members of Parliament).
• The head of the government is called the Prime Minister.
• The government meets in Parliament, on Parliament Hill, located in Ottawa.
• A cabinet Minister is appointed by the Prime Minister to run government ministries such as the Ministry of Health. The Prime Minister is the head of all of the ministries.
• The parliamentary system is broken into three parts:

1. The Head of State -The Queen of Great Britain, usually represented by the Governor-General in Canada.

2. The House of Commons - A chamber in the Parliament Building where Members of Parliament meet to discuss laws.

3. The Senate - Meets in a chamber in the Parliament Building. Senators are appointed by the Prime Minister. Their job is to vote on bills that have already been approved by the House of Commons.

School Boards

School boards are another type of local government. They work with the provincial government to ensure education needs are met.

• Superintendents are responsible for running schools in a jurisdiction (area).
• School board trustees serve on a school board and make decisions about education, such as:
• Where and what to name new school buildings
• Listening to people’s complaints and making fair decisions
• Ensure the curriculum from the province is taught
• Spend the budget (money) collected from taxes
• Listen to the views of the public about student education
• Make rules and policies for schools
• Make decisions about services and programming

How Can you Get Involved?

• When you are old enough, you can vote!
• When you are old enough, you can run for office.
• You can write letters to your representatives of any government.
• You can start petitions.
• You can protest peacefully on the street.
• You can attend town halls or community meetings.
• You can call your local or provincial representative.
• You can attend a local council meeting.
• You can volunteer for candidates during election years.
• When you are old enough, you can participate in a referendum.

The current voting age is 18. Some have argued �the age should be lowered to 16. Do you agree or �disagree? Explain your thinking.

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