Why is Canada a democracy?

Answer 1

Canada is a parliamentary democracy. The head of state is technically the Queen of England, who is represented in Canada by the Governor General, who acts as head of state on the Queen's behalf--thus, Canada is a kingdom. However, the Governor General/Queen have no true political power, which rests entirely with the legislature (parliament). Parliament has a lower house called the House of Commons; the prime minister and cabinet are all members of this house. The upper house of Parliament is the Senate, which is minimal political power, and its members are appointed for life by the Governor General/Queen.

Each province of Canada is also a kind of mini-kingdom/parliamentary democracy: the Queen's official representative and acting head of state of each province is the Lieutenant Governor, and then each province has a parliament, structured very much like the federal parliament except that the political head of a province is not a prime minister but a "premier."

Canada has an politically separate court system as well, headed by the Supreme Court.

Answer 2

Democracy; the Greek word for power vested in the people to rule or to sway.

But in Canada, it has a serious flaw identified repeatedly by those spanning all-party lines -- our parliamentary democracy has morphed into a system of one-party, one-leader domination.

From the timing of the election call, the crafting of a legislative agenda and its directed approval, unfettered power rests with Canada's imperial prime minister.

Complicating matters, the ability to fix the situation is held by the one person with a vested interest in maintaining the all-powerful status quo: the prime minister.

"The problem with Parliament is that it has ceased to be a legislative body,'' said Stephen Harper back in 2004. ``It provides a public forum for venting reaction or venting ideas, but doesn't have much to do with governing the country. All it really does in the democratic sense is confirm the choices of the prime minister. We make noise. We bring pressure to bear, but we don't have much of a role in legislating.''

Internationally, Canada lags behind supposedly similar democracies. Britain and Australia's prime minister faces an elected senate and can be tossed out by a vote of caucus non-confidence.

Answer 3

The democratic rights of Canadians are set out in sections 3 to 5 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (of the Constitution Act, 1982). These include the right to vote in and run for elections, the maximum duration of legislatures, and frequency of legislature meetings.

Right to Vote in and Run for Elections

Section 3 of the Charter sets out that every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in House of Commons elections, and to run for seats in the House of Commons. Sections 3 of the Canada Elections Act prescribes eighteen (18) years as the minimum age to vote for, or run for election to, the House of Commons. (Note that, despite this, the Chief Returning Officer and the Assistant Chief Electoral Officer cannot vote.)

Section 65 of the Canada Elections Act sets out, however, that the following persons cannot run for election to the House of Commons: current members of provincial or territorial legislatures; anyone who is banned from elections due to unlawful or corrupt electoral conduct (as per section 502(3)(a) of the Act); Crown attorneys; judges appointed by the Governor General-in-Council, other than citizenship judges; election officers; and anyone who has not completed any submissions requested by Elections Canada for candidacy in a previous election.

Maximum Duration of Legislatures

Section 4(1) of the Charter sets out that a House of Commons cannot exist for more than 5 years before dissolution for general elections (and the same is true for provincial legislatures). This is set out as a democratic right for Canadian citizens, so as to ensure that citizens are not unreasonably obstructed or delayed in being able to reshape, from time to time, the elected membership of the House.

Section 4(2) does, however, set out a procedure whereby the House of Commons (or a provincial legislature) can be extended beyond 5 years. A resolution to approve the extension of the House of Commons (or provincial legislature) must not be opposed by more than one-third of the House's (or legislature's) members.

Frequency of Legislature Meetings

Section 5 of the Charter sets out that the Parliament of Canada, and each of the provincial legislatures, must meet at least once per year. This protects the democratic rights of Canadian citizens by ensuring that there are opportunities for members of the House of Commons (or the provincial legislature) to ask questions and to hold the government accountable.

Answer 4

Generally speaking Canada is a democracy. The people have governments on the local, provincial, and federal level, and they are freed to elect the leaders they want.

At the same time, Canadians are still under the ceremonial rule of the Queen of England, and they are not allowed to vote democratically for the Governor-General, who serves as the Queen's representative as head of state in the country.

So Canada is not officially a democracy. It is a constitutional monarchy.

Answer 5

Canada became a country 1867. It has been a democratic country since it's beginnings.

Answer 6

as in any democratic society, the government is elected by the people for the people, government by all classes for the benefit of all classes.

Answer 7

Canada is governed as a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state.