The Government of Canada

WebQuest

Introduction• Have you ever seen the feature-length cartoons Snow White

or Alice in Wonderland? Snow White features an evil, jealous queen. In Alice, the Queen of Hearts starts shouting “Off with her head” every time Alice upsets her. Many old stories portray kings and queens as having total power; they make the laws and punish anyone who disagrees with them. But some modern-day kings and queens have much less power than a president or other head of government. One of those is the monarch of Canada.

Resources• Use the following website to help you find the information needed about the

Canadian Government:

• http://www.canada.ca/en/government/system/structure/index.html

• You might also find information on the following website:

• http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/Education/Youth/home-e.html

• Learn the differences between the Canadian and U.S. Governments:

• http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/SenatorEugeneForsey/inside_view/canada_usa-e.html

Questions1. Who is the ceremonial head of the Canadian Government?2. Who is the Governor-General and what are their main responsibilities?3. Where does the national government of Canada meet?4. Who is the current Prime Minister of Canada? 5. How is the Prime Minister chosen?6. What two groups make up the Canadian Parliament?7. How are Senators chosen? How long do they serve?8. How are Members of Parliament chosen? How long do they serve?9. What is the Cabinet and how many people serve on it?10. Which province wants independence from Canada and why??

Conclusion• In many ways Canada’s government resembles the British system. Like Britain, the executive legislative functions are combined in the Parliament and Cabinet ministries. •Canada’s ceremonial head of state is Britain’s monarch. The monarch chooses a Canadian governor general to represent the Crown in Canada.