PSCI 2003 Lecture Notes - Lower Canada, John Locke, Patriation
Document Summary
Universities = provincial, canals = federal: the partly written constitution. Constitution: the underlying rules and norms or a society or organization. Two types of constitution-making styles (p. russel chapter 54 in essential readings) Lockean contractual and agreed upon (america) Burkean -traditional, organic, evolving, lots of unwritten agreements (britain) Constitutions may be written, unwritten, or partly written (canada) Constitution is venerated, often brought up in rhetoric (video of senator robert byrd on why the us shouldn"t go to war with iran) Partly written constitution of canada p. 424 dyck. Constitution act 1867 (british north america act) Constitution act 1982 (charter of rights and freedoms included) Unwritten conventions: eg. formation of government (are coalition governments legitimate?, prime minister no job description, interpreted by the judiciary branch. Oct. 2008 general election, results in second harper minority. Nov. 2008 economic update, sudden and controversial proposals, austerity program, wage freezes for public servants, get rid of subsidies to political parties.