and the head of the government are one and
speaking people outside Quebec, has provided
the same. The president is both at once. Here,
French schools and an increasing range of
the Queen, ordinarily represented by the
services in French for Franco-Ontarians.
Governor General, is the head of state, and the
Several other provinces have taken steps in the
prime minister is the head of the government.
same direction.
Does that make any real diff erence? Yes: in
24
Canadian and American Government
Canada, the head of state can, in exceptional
for six (one-third of the Senate seats being
circumstances, protect Parliament and the
contested every two years), the members of the
people against a prime minister and ministers
House of Representatives for two. The only way
who may forget that ?minister? means ?servant,?
to get rid of a president before the end of the
and may try to make themselves masters. For
four-year term is for Congress to impeach and
example, the head of state could refuse to let
try him or her, which is very hard to do.
a cabinet dissolve a newly elected House of
Commons before it could even meet, or could
As the president, the senators and the
refuse to let ministers bludgeon the people into
representatives are elected for diff erent periods,
submission by a continuous series of general
it can happen, and often does, that the president
elections. The American head of state cannot
belongs to one party while the opposing party
restrain the American head of government
has a majority in either the Senate or the House
because they are the same person.
of Representatives or both. So for years on end,
the president may fi nd his or her legislation
For another thing, presidential-congressional
and policies blocked by an adverse majority
government is based on a separation of powers.
in one or both houses. The president cannot
The American president cannot be a member
appeal to the people by dissolving either house,
of either house of Congress. Neither can any
or both: he or she has no such power, and the
of the members of his or her cabinet. Neither
two houses are there for their fi xed terms, come
the president nor any member of the cabinet
what may, until the constitutionally fi xed hour
can appear in Congress to introduce a bill, or
strikes.
defend it, or answer questions, or rebut attacks
on policies. No member of either house can be
And even when the elections for the presidency,
president or a member of the cabinet.
the House of Representatives, and one-third
of the Senate take place on the same day (as
Parliamentary-cabinet government is based on
they do every four years), the result may be a
a concentration of powers. The prime minister
Republican president, a Democratic Senate
and every other minister must by custom
and a Republican House of Representatives or
(though not by law) be a member of one house
various other mixtures.
or the other, or get a seat in one house or the
other within a short time of appointment.
A president, accordingly, may have a coherent
All government bills must be introduced by
program to present to Congress, and may get
