PSCI 2003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Clarity Act, Kewatinook, Phil Fontaine

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Political Science
• Course: PSCI 2003
• Professor: J Malloy

Document Summary

Constitutions the underlying rules of a political system: written: united states, unwritten: united kingdom, partly written: canada. Two approaches to constitution-making (peter russell, constitutional odyssey) British north america act (aka constitution act, (cid:1005)(cid:1012)(cid:1010)(cid:1011)(cid:895) = lo(cid:272)kea(cid:374) (cid:894)(cid:271)ut (cid:895) Ca(cid:374)ada"s (cid:1006)(cid:1004)th century problem: british north america act = act of the british parliament, can only be amended by the same body, no amending formula. Patriation and amendment: gradual legal equality with britain (p. 34) 1926 balfour declaration, 1931 statute of westminster. Established canada (and australia, nz, etc. as equal with britain: but still (cid:374)o ca(cid:374)adia(cid:374) a(cid:373)e(cid:374)di(cid:374)g fo(cid:396)(cid:373)ula (cid:894)p. (cid:1007)(cid:1013)(cid:1013)(cid:895) Usa amending formula: 2/3 of house and senate and of state legislatures, 27 amendments since 1789, notable failure: the equal rights amendment (1970s) A proposed amendment to the united states constitution designed to guarantee equal rights for women. Those speaking for the working class were strongly opposed, arguing that employed women needed special protections regarding working conditions and hours.