Canada
Canada was established in 1867 with the creation of the constitution. This document defines Canada's parliamentary system of government that contains three distinct parts. The Queen, the House of Commons and the Senate.
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, The Queen of England, is Canada's head of state. The Governor General represents The Queen in Canada and must sign all federal laws. This makes Canada a constitutional monarchy.
Federal laws are created in Ottawa (the Capital city of Canada) in the House of Commons also called the "lower house". The House of Commons is made up of 308 Members of Parliament (MPs) that are usually members of political parties.
Canadian citizens elect MP's during federal elections that are held every five years.
The Governor General appoints members of the Senate upon recommendation by the Prime Minister. The Senate is the "upper house" of Parliament but does not have power over the "lower house".
The Governor General, House of Commons and the Senate must approve all laws in Canada with some exceptions.
The political party with the most MPs in the House of Commons takes a leading role in forming the Government of Canada. The Prime Minister leads the government.
The Cabinet is formed by the Prime Minister from members of the leading party. Cabinet Ministers are responsible for one or more departments in the federal government. Deputy Ministers are the top officials in each department.
