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Empire, Crown and Canadian Federalism*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2009

David E. Smith
David E. Smith
Affiliation:
University of Saskatchewan
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Abstract

This article argues that imperialism and the Crown have determined the development of Canadian federalism. It maintains that the prominence of the provinces, the most distinctive feature of this country's federal system, is traceable, first, to the empire's evolution in the last century and its dissolution in this and, second, to the capacity of the Crown to endow the provinces with unlimited potential for action in areas of jurisdiction not assigned to Parliament. The structuring effect of these primary influences is examined from several perspectives: geographic, economic, social and constitutional. The article concludes that the provinces have been the true beneficiaries of Canada's heritage of empire and Crown.

Résumé

L'empire et la Couronne ont déterminé le développement du fédéralisme canadien. La prééminence des provinces—le trait le plus distinctif du système fédéral de ce pays—est liée en premier lieu à l'évolution de l'empire et à sa dissolution en ce siècle et, en second lieu, à la capacité de la Couronne de doter les provincers d'un potentiel illimité d'action dans des sphères de juridiction non-assignées au Parlement. L'effet structurant de ces influences de première importance est examiné dans cet article de plusieurs points de vue: géographique, économique, social et constitutionnel. Il est montré en conclusion que les provinces ont été les bénéficiaires privilégiés de l'héritage canadien de l'empire et de la Couronne.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 24 , Issue 3 , September 1991 , pp. 451 - 473
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 1991

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