Roles Of Federalism In Canada

Federalism is commonly practiced and demonstrated in many countries globally. When looking into the aspect of what federalism truly is, Brooks defines it as “the constitutional authority to make laws and to raise revenue is divided between a national government and some number of regional governments” (224). With this definition in mind, it is important to understand that Canada is one of the many countries that practices and has a high regard for federalism. Not only does Canada have a separation of powers, executive and federal, it also gives opportunities for provinces to make independent decisions, displaying the traits that are sought out for a federalist government. When focusing on federalism, positives and negatives can be not only
As federalism gives provinces the ability to make their own decisions, there is an opportunity for them to be unequal to the extent that the education levels of individuals impacts their futures considerably. When focusing on a report comparing education levels between the provinces, including, Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia, each scored an A+, while Newfoundland scored a B when comparing high school attainment (“Education Provincial Rankings”). This large gap suggests that there is an education difference between provinces. A difference as large as this implies that Newfoundland needs to encourage education on their citizens during high school years as their university attainment score is a C, compared to Ontario scoring an A (“Education Provincial Rankings”). This correlation stems from the notion that each province is responsible for education systems, and encouraging their citizens to attend. As British Columbia is the top-ranked province in Canada, and Newfoundland is ranked the third lowest, there are obvious provincial inequalities within the education system, can be attributed to
As federalism divides its power between the provincial and federal governments, it creates opportunity for citizens to feel more regional attachment over patriotic attachment, which could result in separatist’s movements as the one seen in Quebec. Although there may be a regional divide, the separation of power is more of an advantage than a hindrance, as it ensures Canada is not ruled by an autocracy. Federalism also generates a chance for provincial inequalities on an educational stance; however, it enables possibilities for provinces to experiment with policy and learn from other provinces as a way to prosper