How Canadians Govern: Citizenship Test Study Notes

A federal state and a constitutional monarchy

Canada is a federal state, a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy — three ideas that together describe how the country is run. A federal state shares power between one national (federal) government and the provinces and territories, each responsible for different areas of public life. A parliamentary democracy means Canadians elect representatives to make laws on their behalf and to keep the government accountable.

A constitutional monarchy means Canada has a king or queen as its formal head of state, but the Sovereign reigns according to the constitution and democratic tradition rather than ruling personally. In 2026 the Sovereign is King Charles III. Because he does not live in Canada, the Crown's duties here are carried out by the Governor General federally and by lieutenant governors in each province. The Crown is a stable, non-partisan symbol of the state, while day-to-day governing is done by elected officials who answer to the people.

The three parts of Parliament

Laws for the whole country are made by Parliament, which sits in Ottawa and has three parts that must all agree before a bill can become law. The first is the Sovereign, King Charles III, represented in Canada by the Governor General. The second is the Senate, a chamber of senators who are appointed (not elected) to review legislation, raise regional and minority concerns, and give bills a "second look." The third is the House of Commons, which citizens elect directly.

Members of the House of Commons are called Members of Parliament, or MPs. Each MP represents a local area — a constituency or riding — and is chosen by the voters there in a federal election. Because it is elected, the House of Commons is where most public debate happens, and the government must keep the confidence of its members to stay in office.

Three branches: who does what

Government work is also divided into three branches that keep power balanced. The executive branch carries out the laws — the Crown, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The legislative branch (Parliament) makes the laws. The judicial branch is the courts, which interpret and apply the law independently of politicians, with the Supreme Court of Canada as the final court of appeal.

The Prime Minister is the head of government, usually the leader of the party that wins the most seats in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister chooses the Cabinet — ministers, normally MPs, who each lead an area such as finance, health or defence and are responsible to Parliament. Keep two roles separate: the Sovereign (King Charles III) is the head of state, a role above politics, while the Prime Minister is the head of government, who leads the country's policies.

Canada also has three levels of government. The federal government handles national matters — defence, citizenship and immigration, currency and foreign affairs. Provincial and territorial governments look after areas like education, health care and highways, while municipal (local) governments run everyday services such as roads, water, recycling, transit and local policing.

• Head of state (2026): the Sovereign, King Charles III — represented by the Governor General.
• Head of government: the Prime Minister, who leads the Cabinet.
• Parliament's three parts: the Sovereign, the Senate and the House of Commons.
• Three branches: executive, legislative and judicial.
• Three levels: federal, provincial/territorial and municipal.

How a bill becomes law

A new law usually starts as a bill. It is introduced and debated in the House of Commons, where elected MPs study it, suggest changes and vote. If the House approves it, the bill goes to the Senate, where appointed senators review it and may suggest further amendments before voting.

Once both chambers have passed the same version, the bill is sent for Royal Assent, given by the Governor General on behalf of the Sovereign. Only then does it become an Act — a law that applies across the country. This is why all three parts of Parliament must work together before anything becomes law.

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