The debate whether politicians or public servants control government is a debate that has endured for years and continues to do so. Although, politicians are elected by citizens to make beneficial decisions on behalf of the public, by analyzing the power dynamics in the government, we can see that it is in fact, public servants who ultimately hold monopoly over the government. In Canada’s parliamentary system, it is seen as vital for politicians and public servants to have a closely working relationship, in order to make decisions in favour of the public. Politicians and public servants have a relationship characterised by their independent responsibilities, however they act as a unit when executing their goals for the nation and for the people, based on their separate duties (Alesina &Tabellini, 2007). However, the role of politicians and public servants is a grey area due to the fact that most times public servants are very much involved in some of the work politicians accomplish. This paper will argue that public servants have a higher level of control over the government rather than politicians due to their specialized and expert skills, their politicized sector, as well as their accrued independence.
In order to explain the lack of control politicians have over government, it is essential to examine the range of responsibilities politicians carry out as an elected official. In a Democratic government, the fundamental role of politicians is to create and suggest laws that reflect the needs of the public. Since politicians are the face of government they are responsible for representing and responding to constituents. Politicians generally know how to incorporate the interests of large parts of society that h...
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... from http://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2013/sep/12/politicians-civil-servants-trust-fix
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Canada’s parliamentary system is designed to preclude the formation of absolute power. Critics and followers of Canadian politics argue that the Prime Minister of Canada stands alone from the rest of the government. The powers vested in the prime minister, along with the persistent media attention given to the position, reinforce the Prime Minister of Canada’s superior role both in the House of Commons and in the public. The result has led to concerns regarding the power of the prime minister. Hugh Mellon argues that the prime minister of Canada is indeed too powerful. Mellon refers to the prime minister’s control over Canada a prime-ministerial government, where the prime minister encounters few constraints on the usage of his powers. Contrary to Mellon’s view, Paul Barker disagrees with the idea of a prime-ministerial government in Canada. Both perspectives bring up solid points, but the idea of a prime-ministerial government leading to too much power in the hands of the prime minister is an exaggeration. Canada is a country that is too large and complex to be dominated by a single individual. The reality is, the Prime Minister of Canada has limitations from several venues. The Canadian Prime Minister is restricted internally by his other ministers, externally by the other levels of government, the media and globalization.
Often, when the discussion of American bureaucracy is broached in conversation, those holding these conversations often think of the many men and women who operate behind the scenes within the government. This same cross section of Americans is looked upon as the real power within the federal government and unlike the other branches of government, has little to no oversight. A search of EBSCO resulted in the following definition, an organization “structure with a rigid hierarchy of personnel, regulated by set rules and procedures” (Bureaucracy, 2007). Max Weber believed that a bureaucracy was technically the most efficient form of organization, one structured around official functions that are bound by rules, each function having its own specified competence (2007). This wide ranging group of Americans has operated within the gaps, behind the scenes, all under the three core branches of government: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The division of government into three branches and separate powers gives each branch both exclusive powers and some additional power...
Malcolmson, P., & Myers, R. (2009). The Canadian Regime: An Introduction to Parliamentary Government in Canada (4th ed.). Toronto, Ontario, Canada: University of Toronto Press.
INTRODUCTION The book aims at introducing political philosophy. To achieve this, the author Stephen Nathanson has focused on a particular issue that is relevant to everyone. He discusses the problem of developing a personal outlook toward government and political life. Instead of attempting to survey the entire field of political philosophy, or discussing in brief a large number of classical or contemporary authors, the writer focuses on one question, what’s our thought or feeling about government institutions?
Garner, R., Ferdinand, P., Lawson, S., & MacDonald, D. B. (2009). Introduction to politics. (Canadian ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press.
Trying to apply new reforms in the Canadian constitution has been no easy task. The mixture of the parliamentary/monarchy powers denies the citizens’ direct participation in the government’s decision-making process and does not allow the existence of a complete free democratic system. A true democracy simply cannot fully exist with a restricted monarch selecting type of government and any reforms must be applied to make Canadian constitutions’ laws be based on democratic principles.
The Prime Minister of Canada is given much power and much responsibility. This could potentially create a dangerous situation if the government held a majority and was able to pass any legislation, luckily this is not the case. This paper will argue that there are many limitations, which the power of the prime minister is subject too. Three of the main limitations, which the Prime Minister is affected by, are; first, federalism, second the governor general and third, the charter of rights and freedoms. I will support this argument by analyzing two different types of federalism and how they impact the power of the Prime Minister. Next I will look at three of the Governor Generals Powers and further analyze one of them. Last I will look at the impact of the charter from the larger participation the public can have in government, and how it increased the power of the courts.
As a nation that identifies as a constituency, Canada is divided into 3 levels of government – each having to abide by the objectives of a responsible government (Brooks, p.169, 2015). As a citizen, it is normal to hold high standards and expectations inside the Canadian government; with these standards in mind, it is well as important to understand how our everyday lives are impacted by the three levels of government – federal, provincial, and municipal. The Canadian government has various responsibilities that must be satisfied through each branch. With these various duties, I not only expect the branches to honor the way decisions are made, created and/or interpreted/applied, but I as well expect them to comply with their assigned roles. I expect the federal level to implement plans to ensure public safety is in order, the provincial level to be accountable for health care and education, and the
Canadian politics has a tendency to be defined by the respective political parties and the different patterns of the party's competition. Carty et. al says, in order to make sense of Canada, you must first make sense of its party politics. At the same time, though, Jane Jenson and her colleague Janine Brodie have stated that the political parties are known to be the main actors when it comes to Canadian politics. Of course, there is some sort of doubt that these political parties of Canada run a central role when it comes to discourse. Therefore, the only way to have a better understanding of present-day Canadian politics, it is necessary to look towards Canada’s political systems of parties, the definition and structure of it, how each party system grew over the years, as well as its functions for the answers that could possibly be valid to this.
Individuals in positions of power are elected to represent the public and to serve the people’s best interest, not to serve or benefit
The executive branch is in charge in making many major decisions in daily government; by implementing the idea of leadership reviews it forces the head of parties to keep their policies in check and keep with their promises. This essay will argue that leadership reviews help to keep the government in check and hold them to their principles. Shown though the use of responsible government and voting checks this allows the public to be reassured that their elected officials are following through with promises that they made. In other words, leadership reviews are a useful way of assuring the public that the leaders of parties are not doing something that will negatively affect the economy and being held accountable to their words.
Stevenson, Garth. "Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations." Canadian Politics in the 21st Century. Ed. Michael S. Whittington and Glen Williams. Scarborough, Ont.: Nelson Thomson Learning, 2000. 85-1
The Public Service alliance of Canada is one of Canada's largest unions. The Public Service alliance is also known as the "PSAC" in short-form. The PSAC represents over 170,000 workers across Canada, and also in other parts of the world. The PSAC's desires are to ensure that there are fair wages, along with fair employment operations, and much more. The PSSO originated back in 1966. The PSAC's headquarters is located in Ottawa, Ontario and currently has 23 regional offices across Canada. The PSAC's current president is, Robyn Benson.
This paper will begin by highlighting aspects of citizen participation showing the advantages and disadvantages it has on the policy process and discuss how citizen participation in the policy making pro...
What Is Politics On hearing the word politics, what usually springs to mind are images of government, politicians and their policies or more negatively the idea of corruption and dirty tricks. The actual definition seems to have been obscured and almost lost by such representations and clichés that tend not to pinpoint the true essence, which defines this thing, called politics. In order to make an attempt at a definition of politics a systematic approach is required. To begin with, a brief historical overview will be considered, to understand the origins of politics. Following this, different core concepts, which are imperative to a definition of politics, will be discussed, in the hope to discover a true and fair interpretation of the word politics.