Cabinet, many Canadians refer to our system as cabinet
government.

Those who reply that Canada has a federal government
are referring to the fact that government in Canada oper-
ates on two different levels: the provincial and the na-
tional. The national government and the provincial govern-
ments each have definite powers and responsibilities which
are outlined in a written document, the British North
America Act of 1867. In other words, legislative authority
or the power to make laws is divided between the central
government at Ottawa and the ten provincial governments.
Because of this division of power, Canada is a federation,
or has a federal system of government.

Each of these aspects of Canadian government and poli-
tics must be discussed more thoroughly. Only when each
has been understood will the complex structure and work-
ing of the Canadian government become intelligible.

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