Background: Constitutional Vocabulary

Constitution:A set of regulations or laws, individual, through inheritance and heredity, often written in a document that establishes the has supreme power in the running of a coun- rules or principals of government in an try. In most cases, the monarch is the head of autonomous nation. (Can be found in Canada, state for life or until abdication (meaning giv- Australia and the United States) ing up the position to someone else for politi- Constitutional Monarchy: A nation ruled cal or personal reasons). under a monarchy whose powers are limited Prime Minister: Is the head of the govern- and determined by the nation’s constitution and ment and is responsible for ensuring that the laws. government is running properly. Executive Branch: A branch of the govern- Royal Assent: Because Canada is a constitu- ment that is responsible for the everyday work- tional monarchy, a bill or law must get approval ing of the government, including processing of from the queen’s representative, the Governor laws and bills. The Governor General, Prime General. The signing of a bill or law by the Gov- Minister, Cabinet, and civil services make up the ernor General is known as Royal Assent. Bills and executive branch. (A good way to explain the laws are not valid until given Royal Assent. The executive branch is by describing to students that Governor General may withhold or reserve Roy- an executive is the head of a company or corpo- al Assent at any time if he or she feels the law is ration. He or she runs the company. That is what unjust. the executive branch of the government does.) Republic: A political system in which the Concentration of Power: Power given to the supreme power of government lies in a body of government is centralized. In Canada this cen- citizens who can elect people to represent them. tralized power is given to the federal govern- Example: the United States. ment and not the individual provinces. Responsible Government:A type of govern- Governor General: The Queen’s representa- ment where the elected leaders are responsible tive in a constitutional monarchy. The Governor to the people that elected them. They make General is appointed by the Queen on the rec- decisions for the benefit of the people they rep- ommendation of the Prime Minister. This is a resent. figurehead position. The Governor General goes Separation of Powers: The separation of the to openings and major events on behalf of the government into three distinct branches - exec- Canadian government. He or she also signs off utive, legislative and judicial. Each branch has on bills or laws passed by both the House of roles and responsibilities in the governing of a Commons and the Senate. (This is known as country. The executive branch is the head of the Royal Assent.) government and runs the country; this includes Head of State: The chief public representative the Governor General, the Prime Minster, the of a nation having duties, privileges and respon- Cabinet and the public or civil service. The leg- sibilities of the nation varying greatly depend- islative branches bring forth laws and bills for ing on the constitutional rules; a monarch in a debate and are the representatives of the peo- monarchy system and often a president in a ple; these include the House of Commons, the republic. Senate, the Members of Parliament and the Legislative Branch: A branch of the govern- Senators. The Judicial Branch of the government ment that is responsible for passing laws and applies and interprets the laws; this branch bills and representing the interest of the people includes the courts and judges. of that country in the form of Members of Par- Sovereign: An autonomous or independent liament. nation run by its own set of laws and govern- Monarchy: A form of government where one ment.