Canadian Government

Introduction / Studying the Canadian

Government
Ian Roberge
January 10, 2024
Agenda

• A few words about me

• Presentation of the course and syllabus

• The state of Canadian democracy

• The field of study
− Politics
− Public administration
• Why does the study of government matter?
• Key characteristics of the Canadian government
• Food for thought
Ian Roberge, PhD

3
Course presentation and syllabus
The State of Canadian Democracy

The state of Canadian demo

cracy

Hayden King is an
Assistant Professor at
TMU and the
The Haudenosaunee C Before Confederation
Executive Director of onfederacy
the Yellowhead
Institute
The Field of Study – Politics
• The study of power as balanced by justice
− Who exercises power?
− How is power exercised?
− To what ends?
− How is power contained?

− How does justice contain power?

− How is justice obtained?

− How is conflict managed?

• Politics / political studies / political science

− The study of politics as a social phenomenon

• Politics / political management

− The practice of politics / political analysis

• Everything is political?
The Field of Study – Public Administration

• How does government work?

• The four functions of government

− Governing/Decision-Making (Elected Executive)
− Legislating (Parliament)
− Implementing (Executive – Public Service)
− Judicial Decision-Making (Justice – Courts)

• The study of how, collectively, we govern ourselves

• Public administration draws from political science and many other

disciplines such as management, sociology and law.
Why does the study of government matter?

• Government have long been heavily contested, yet it

remains a central actor in everyday life

• Wicked policy problems

− The environment, financial and social exclusion, etc.

• History / Hyper-modernity / Technology

− Ability to progress and/or self-destruct
Key Characteristics of the Canadian
Government
• Constitutional monarchy

• Parliamentary democracy / Representative democracy /

Indirect democracy

• Liberal democracy / Liberty / Rights and freedoms

• The rule of law

• Citizenship / consent / legitimacy

Food for Thought

• What are your own thoughts about the state of Canadian

democracy? About the state of our institutions? What
works? What does not? What changes might be required?
How are these changes to be obtained? What is your role
in such a conversation? Do you have a voice? How do
you use it? How should you use it?
 Questions/Comments

Contact information: iroberge@yorku.ca