Abstract
The paper provides the background of the British control of Canada that began with the Treaty of Paris, and then looks at the British attempts to govern their newfound colonies. The paper discusses the Proclamation of 1763, the Quebec Act of 1774, the Constitution Act of 1791, and finally, the Act of Union in 1840. The paper shows that the successes of these four attempts are debatable, but they eventually culminated into the creation of the British North American Act (BNA) of 1867, which served as the basis for the government of Canada over the next 100 years.

Outline:
The Proclamation of 1763
The Quebec Act of 1774
The Constitutional Act of 1791
The 1840 Act of Union
British North America Act

From the Paper
"Thus, the Quebec Act of 1774 was passed, ensuring that Quebec received distinctive treatment and, more importantly, saw a reversal of the earlier provisions outlined in the assimilationist ideology of the Proclamation. The Act "extended Quebec's frontiers into the Ohio region" and allowed for freedom and use of the French language, customs and religion (Roman Catholic). It also granted them the right to use French civil laws, including the seigneurial tenure of land, and ensured the rights of the clergy to collect tithes. The success or failure of the Act is debateable: Some saw the Act as a victory for the rights and freedoms of French Canadians; while others argued that the Act "simply 'confirmed... what had already been conceded in practice.'" Although English merchants were pleased with the expansion of Quebec's boundaries, they were extremely displeased by Parliament's denial of their request for an elective assembly. The Clergy and seigneurs most likely saw the Act as a "veritable charter of French-Canadian rights as well as a vindication of their dominant role in society."

Tags:Proclamation, Quebec, Act, Constitution, Act, Act, of, Union, colonies, provinces, Quebec

Abstract
This paper analyzes the symbolic and formal powers of the president of the United States as well as his relationship to the legislature and judiciary. It then looks at the power of the Canadian Parliament and the role of the prime minister within this system. Finally is compares the two in terms of "real power", which for the purposes of this analysis, is defined as the ability to effectively exert their influence to the extent that they can alter or control the political direction of their nations.

From the Paper
"America was founded on an intense distrust of government. The Revolution left them with a caustic distaste for a centralized system and thus is the basis for the underlying principle of their polity; which binds politicians and political bodies alike, not to a national government but to the Constitution. By contrast, Canada was founded on more peaceful circumstances. They did not share the Americans venomous hatred toward the Crown, rather their independence stemmed primarily from internal conflict. Ironically, the major external force that was a critical factor in their decision to confederate was the Americans themselves (since as it became apparent that the North was going to win the Civil War, the citizens of the provinces feared that the Americans would seize this opportunity to expand on their territory)! "

Tags:act, bna, constitution, political, politics, power, science