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.

The Contradictory American Presidency: Why An Elected Executive Head of State Can Only Be a Divider, Not a Uniter

Posted on 2012/06/02 by J.W.J. Bowden

Authority Makes the Presidency Unifying as Head of State; Power Renders Him Divisive as Head of Government When campaigning for the presidency, George W. Bush, then Governor of Texas, famously proclaimed, “I’m uniter, not a divider.” I aim to show … Continue reading →

Posted in Loyal Opposition, Parliamentarism v Presidentialism, Reaffirmation of, Separation of Powers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Deleterious Effects of Bipartisanship and the Separation of Powers on Good Government

Posted on 2012/05/30 by J.W.J. Bowden

Recall Election in Wisconsin: Wisconsin Would Have Solved Its Political Standoff Last Year Under A Parliamentary System! Governor Walker of Wisconsin now faces a recall election, scheduled for June 5th. I couldn’t help but conclude that if Wisconsin operated under … Continue reading →

Posted in Loyal Opposition, Parliamentarism v Presidentialism, Separation of Powers | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Macdonald-Laurier Institute’s Debate on Prime Ministerial Power: Andrew Coyne vs. Sheila Copps

Posted on 2012/05/17 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction On 10 May 2012, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute held a debate on “Power Corrupts Canadian Prime Minister”, the fourth instalment of its History Wars series. Theoretically, Andrew Coyne argued in favour of the resolution and therefore against prime ministerial power, … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences and Speeches, Confidence Convention, Constructive Non-Confidence, Crown (Powers and Office), Prime Minister's Powers, Reform | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Commons Committee on Canadian Heritage: Officialization of Protocol

Posted on 2012/05/06 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction The Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage (CHPC)met on Tuesday, 1 May 2012 in order to review national standards on protocol. The Committee called upon witnesses from the protocol sections of both the Department of Canadian Heritage (representing the … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitutional Conventions, Officialization of Convention | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The Constitution Act, 1982 Includes More Than Just The Charter of Rights and Freedoms!

Posted on 2012/04/15 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Significance of Patriation After 50 years of intermittent effort, Canada finally achieved the patriation of its written constitution in 1982. “Patriation” meant primarily that the Parliament of Canada and the provincial legislatures as required could now amend its own … Continue reading →

Posted in Amending Formulas, Constitution (Written) | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments