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.

A Time When America Would Have Given Us Seven States

Posted on 2024/12/10 by J.W.J. Bowden

The trope that Canada should avoid becoming “the 51st state” has never made much sense to me. While the Americans would surely not allow Prince Edward Island to carry on as a separate polity (and certainly not under such an … Continue reading →

Posted in History of British North America | Leave a comment

The Presidential Bicameral Adjournment Clause Is Almost An American Equivalent to Prorogation

Posted on 2024/11/22 by J.W.J. Bowden

An American Connection Over the last thirteen years, I have been pleasantly surprised to find that Parliamentum attracts a surprising number of readers from the United States, about one-quarter to one-third of the total depending on the year. I occasionally … Continue reading →

Posted in Comparative, History of British North America, Parliamentarism v Presidentialism | Leave a comment

Tim Houston’s Snap Election in Nova Scotia

Posted on 2024/11/12 by J.W.J. Bowden

Houston Breached the Last Redoubt Nova Scotia long resisted the trend of fixed-date elections in Canada and stood for years as the last redoubt of the ten provinces to rely solely on section 4(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Fixed-Date Elections | Leave a comment

Journalists Refuse to Report on Incumbent Premiers Accurately

Posted on 2024/11/02 by J.W.J. Bowden

Journalists need to earn the trust of their viewers and readers. They could start by reporting on the basic foundations of Responsible Government in Canada correctly. British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick have recently held general elections in accordance with … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Formation of Governments | Leave a comment

More Fixed-Date Election Foibles: Delaying the Scheduled Federal General Election by One Week

Posted on 2024/11/01 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Current Fixed-Date Elections Law Before the House of Commons lies a bill to amend the fixed-date elections law in sections 56.1 and 56.2 of the Canada Elections Act. It continues in the long tradition of tinkering and ad hockery … Continue reading →

Posted in Fixed-Date Elections | 1 Comment