POLI 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Constitutional Documents, Western Alienation In Canada, Legal Personality
Document Summary
Executive federalism - a government that gives loads of power to the prime minister and. Canada emerged and continues to be a colonial arrangement. Countries may be liberal in character, but not democratic. Democratic - every adult has an equal vote in choosing public officials. Canada went for a long time being liberal, but not democratic. The people rule, but they rule through representatives. The state has limited powers, operates through law, and is divided by function. Who got to vote changed to allow women and people who didn"t own property to vote as well. Outlines rights, which are in part restrictions on the state. Constitutions may be written or widely accepted customs. Laws that don"t sit in the constitution, but are still applied (for example, the law governing the supreme court) State purposes -----> state representation ----> state capacity -----> borders. All of these things combined tend to create a constitution that lasts.