Author Archives: J.W.J. Bowden

Unknown's avatar

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.

Consensus Government & Confirmation Voting in Nunavut

Posted on 2021/11/19 by J.W.J. Bowden

My presentation at The Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada’s Conference in Toronto in June 2019: “The Authorities of the Territorial Commissioners: Responsible Government in Yukon vs Consensus Government in Northwest Territories and Nunavut“ Consensus Government Nunavut … Continue reading →

Posted in Comparative, Confirmation Voting, Consensus Government, Individual vs Collective Ministerial Responsibility, Responsible Government | 1 Comment

Constitutional Conventions in the United States: Some Thoughts on Jonathan Gould’s “Codifying Constitutional Norms”

Posted on 2021/10/31 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction As of 2021, I have been writing scholarly journal articles and blogging here on Parliamentum for ten years. What I find most interesting is seeing how my earlier works have influenced or been used by other scholars, in some … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles and Books, Codification of Convention, Codifying Norms in the US, Comparative, Constitutional Conventions, Officialization of Convention, Parliamentarism v Presidentialism, Reviews | 1 Comment

The Most Pointless Election Since 1965

Posted on 2021/09/21 by J.W.J. Bowden

2019 & 2021 We have just undergone a futile election which has produced substantively the same outcome as the previous general election in October 2019: a Liberal plurality around 15 to 20 seats short of a majority. On 21 October … Continue reading →

Posted in Caretaker Convention & Government Formation | 5 Comments

Voting in the 44th General Federal Election and Forming a Government Thereafter

Posted on 2021/09/20 by J.W.J. Bowden

Casting and Counting Ballots Canadians not amongst those who voted in the advanced polls in record numbers shall go to the polls today (myself included) to elect their MPs for the 44th Parliament. However, Elections Canada has cautioned that we … Continue reading →

Posted in Caretaker Convention & Government Formation | 2 Comments

A Day in the Life of the 32nd Parliament, Part II

Posted on 2021/09/18 by J.W.J. Bowden

Brian Mulroney responded to Pierre Trudeau with convivial good humour, and his half of the exchange provides an example of my observation yesterday that MPs in the 1980s often spoke to their counterparts directly in the second person. Mulroney’s jovial … Continue reading →

Posted in Decorum, Parliament, Traditions and History | Leave a comment