Author Archives: J.W.J. Bowden

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About J.W.J. Bowden

My area of academic expertise lies in Canadian political institutions, especially the Crown, political executive, and conventions of Responsible Government; since 2011, I have made a valuable contribution to the scholarship by having been published and cited extensively. I’m also a contributing editor to the Dorchester Review and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law.

Bizarre and Uninformed American Views on Monarchy


In general, I really wish that Americans would stop commenting altogether on the Royal House of Windsor, especially after the demise of Crown and the death of Her Late Majesty Elizabeth II of happy memory. Americans lost their standing and … Continue reading

Posted in Comparative, Parliamentarism v Presidentialism | 5 Comments

The Second Elizabethan Age Draws to a Close


The British earlier this year celebrated the Platinum Jubilee earlier this year by planting trees to form part of “The Queen’s Green Canopy.”  The venerable oak represents strength, endurance, and continuity and seemed the most fitting way to extend the … Continue reading

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Succession (Sovereign) | 2 Comments

On Writing Well


Pierre Poilievre released a video this week on how he would table a Plain Language Bill to force the civil service to write better and make what it publishes easier to understand. The official language of government is neither French … Continue reading

Posted in Random Thoughts | 2 Comments

Readjusting Electoral Districts in Federations: Malapportionment vs Gerrymandering


The decennial readjustment of the number of MP per province and establishing the boundaries of electoral districts for the federal House of Commons began in October 2021 and February 2022, respectively. Canadians often like to congratulate themselves for having eliminated … Continue reading

Posted in Electoral Boundaries Readjustments | 2 Comments

Parliamentary Decorum and How Canadians Perceive Britons


Earlier this year, I noted that the current Speaker of the British House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, does not enforce the Standing Orders properly and allows members to address one another in the second person unchecked, with entire flocks of … Continue reading

Posted in Decorum, Parliament | Leave a comment