POLI 101 Lecture Notes - Responsible Government, Minority Government, Jeffrey Simpson
Document Summary
Advice from the cabinet, is in fact a command for the crown. While discussion and differentiation can take place behind closed doors, once a decision is made, the cabinet stands as one. They need to be present in parliament to answer questions, and take responsibility for decision. Votes of confidence are ways of measuring if a government has the confidence of the house. These votes are more common in minority situations (not in majority as parties are usually able to secure the votes of its mps through party discipline (which is very strong in canada. The following are the 5 core elements that alter the formal altercation of power and parliamentary practice, creating responsible government (1) ministers are mps (2) confidence (3) advice (4) cabinet solidarity (5) non-confidence. A regime in which legislative and executive power are fused together in a cabinet which is accountable to an assembly of the people"s elected representatives.
