What type of government does Canada have?

“What type of government does Canada have?” is one of the most frequently asked questions about Canada. The government kind in Canada is a constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation. Let’s review each part of the Canadian government definition.

Canada is a constitutional monarchy, which is a form of constitutional government in which a monarch is the head of state, but the head of the Canadian government is elected prime minister. Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, is the sovereign and head of state of Canada.

Canada is also a parliamentary democracy. The Parliament of Canada is located in the Canadian capital Ottawa and is formed by 3 major entities - the sovereign of Canada, the Canadian Senate, and the Canadian House of Commons. The Canadian Senate has 105 members appointed by the Governor General of Canada (on behalf of the sovereign). The Canadian House of Commons has 308 seats, and the Canadian people directly elect the House of Commons members. The House of Commons is the most important part of the Canadian Parliament. The Canadian Prime Minister and Cabinet must have the support of a majority of members of the House of Commons to remain in power.

Canada is made up of 10 provinces and 3 territories, and this fact makes it a federation.

So, next time somebody asks “What form of government does Canada have?”, you can answer – Canada is a constitutional monarchy with a federal system of parliamentary government.

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What type of government does Canada have?

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