The Canadian Parliamentary System

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Prior to nearly halfway through the 19th century, what is known as Canada today was merely a collection of territories owned by European colonizers. The area along the Atlantic coast and the St. Lawrence was first colonized by the French but was later taken over by the British. The presence of French speaking colonizers, then English colonizers, combined with Canada's native colonies made multiculturalism a prominent feature of early Canadian way of life. The diversity that grew from Canada's multiple languages, cultures, and religions, caused a spur of conflict in Canada prior to confederation. Most importantly, the north-south rebellions of 1837 posed a threat to the diverse Canadian culture as external factors tried to impose their influence…show more content…
Canadian federalism is a political system in which the powers of the country are divided between the federal government and the provincial government. This was mainly to diffuse historical tensions between the French and English citizens and to create a system that limits the misuse of authority within government. The Canadian Parliament was originally designed identically like that of the British Westminster. However, due to unique circumstances in which Canada experienced prior to confederation, the Canadian political system has evolved to fit Canada's unique…show more content…
In the United States, they have also adopted systems to ensure limits of the abuse of power. However, the system of checks and balances in the United States is often based on mistrust and suspicion of other branches of government. In Canada, the different branches of government work together (almost as a team) towards the common goal of upmost equality and liberty for all citizens. The Canadian political system is also much more welfare-state oriented compared to the United States' individualist and capitalist tendencies. Regardless of whether a Conservative or a Liberal is in executive power, the needs of minority groups are always clearly represented in the passing of legislation. Ever since colonization, American interests have been evident within Canada due to the abundance of natural resources. However, the history of Canada has been mainly shaped around efforts to keep the United States away without producing bad
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