What are the three levels of government in Canada?
- Executive, legislative and judicial
- Federal, provincial or territorial, and municipal
- Federal, state and county
- Senate, House of Commons and Cabinet
Answer: Federal, provincial or territorial, and municipal
Canada has federal, provincial or territorial, and municipal (local) governments, and each level has its own responsibilities. Executive, legislative and judicial are the three branches of government, not levels.
Learn more: Federal state: who does what
- Canada has federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments.
- Federal and provincial powers were defined in 1867 in the British North America Act, now the Constitution Act, 1867.
- Federal responsibilities: defence, foreign policy, interprovincial trade and communications, currency, navigation, criminal law and citizenship.
- Provincial responsibilities: municipal government, education, health, natural resources, property and civil rights, and highways.
- The federal government and the provinces share jurisdiction over agriculture and immigration. The table of government responsibilities also lists the environment as shared.
- Health care is a provincial and territorial responsibility; the Canada Health Act ensures common elements and a basic standard of coverage.
- Federalism lets provinces tailor policies to their own populations and experiment with new ideas.