精品文档精品文档CanadianPoliticalSystemIntroduction：Canadaisaconstitutionalmonarchywithafederalsystemofparliamentarygovernmentandstrongdemocratictraditions.ItspoliticalsystemunderwhichmodernCanadaoperatesisknownastheWestminstersystem.SinceCanada'spoliticalstructureismodeledafterthoseofBritainandtheUnitedStates,itcanbedescribedasbothafederationliketheUSandaconstitutionalmonarchylikeBritain.Westminstersystem:TheWestminstersystemisademocraticparliamentarysystemofgovernmentmodeledafterthepoliticsoftheUnitedKingdom.ThistermcomesfromthePalaceofWestminster,theseatoftheParliamentoftheUnitedKingdom.TheessentialfeaturesoftheWestminstersystemare:.TheGovernmentischosenbythedemocraticallyelectedlowerhouse.Thegovernmentrequiresthecontinuingsupportofamajorityofmembersofthatchambertostayinoffice..TheheadofgovernmentisthePrimeMinister,wholeadsaCabinetwhichisresponsibletothelowerhouse.•AloyalOppositionexists,ledbytheleaderofthepartyorpartieswiththesecondlargestnumberofseatsinthelowerhouse.精品文档精品文档精品文档精品文档•ItplaysaspecialroleasadvisertothefederalgovernmentonquestionsconcerningtheConstitutionandcontroversialcomplicatedareasofprivateandpubliclaw.Level2:TheFederalCourtofAppealandthevariousprovincialcourtsofappeals.Level3:TheFederalCourt,TheTaxCourtofCanada,Theprovincialandtheterritorialsuperiorcourtsofgeneraljurisdiction.Level4:Provincialcourts.PoliticalParties政党TherearethreemainpoliticalpartiesinCanada..TheLiberalParty:ThemostfavoredandinfluentialpoliticalpartyinCanada,foundedin1867,andhasoftenovertheyearsheldamajorityintheCanadianHouseofCommons,andatothertimesstillremainedasubstantialamountofseats.Thispartycombinesaliberalsocialpolicywithamoderateeconomicpolicy..TheConservativeParty:Theright-wingpoliticalpartyinCanadawasformedbythemergeroftheCanadianAllianceandtheProgressiveConservativePartyinDecember2003.TheReformPartyhadbeenthechiefpoliticalpartytoopposetheLiberalpartyforanumberofyears.In2006,thepartyachievedamajorvictorywiththeelectionofitscandidateforPrimeminister,StephenHarper.精品文档精品文档.TheNewDemocraticParty:ItisasocialdemocraticpartyinCanada,foundedin1961,incorporatingtwootherCanadianparties,theCooperativeCommonwealthFederationandtheCanadianLaborCongress.Thepartyrepresentstheleft-wingpositionandretainsasmallnumberofseatsintheHouseofCommons.Election选举•Eachprovince：Itsownelectoralsystem.ThefederalParliament:Anationalelectoralsystem.Differentsystemssharemanysimilaritiesaswellasdifferences.•Atthetimeofconfederation,therighttovotewasseverelylimited:★Onlywhitemencouldvoteandtheyhadtomeetcertainpropertyqualifications.★Womenweregiventherighttovotein1918;★AboriginalCanadalivingonreservesin1960;•Nowadays,citizensaged18orolderhavetherighttovote.精品文档精品文档•Twocitizenscannotvote:★TheChiefElectoralOfficer（总选举事务主任）★TheDeputyChiefElectoralOfficer（副首席选举事务主任）•Constitutionally,electionsmustbeheldeveryfiveyears.Bytradition,theyareusuallyheldatapproximatelyfour-yearintervals.
