Voting Guide – The Machinery of Government & Why Voting Matters
Press Release
Introduction
In Canada, the machinery of government is complex and can be confusing to navigate for those looking to participate in democratic processes. Due to this complexity, NWAC has developed a summary of the main functions of the Canadian political system. In doing so, NWAC hopes to support the participation of Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, Transgender, and Gender-Diverse (WG2STGD+) people to participate in democratic processes.
The Basics
At its core, Canada is a constitutional monarchy and representative parliamentary
democracy, where the government acts in the name of the Crown but derives its power from the Canadian people.1 The Canadian
Constitution outlines the nature and functions of government, and where power is formally vested. At a high-level, the Canadian political
system is divided into three branches:
ILR5
