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.

Fixed Elections: Stephen Harper Did Not “Break His Own Law” in 2008

Posted on 2011/08/15 by J.W.J. Bowden

Historical Context of Fixed Elections in Canada Admittedly, this controversy occurred three years ago and may no longer be as relevant, but many Canadians (even academics!) still remain confused (or harbour resentment) regarding Prime Minister Harper’s advice to dissolve the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Dissolution, Fixed-Date Elections, Prime Minister's Powers | 12 Comments

The Components of Canada’s Written Constitution

Posted on 2011/08/11 by J.W.J. Bowden

In an earlier post on defining Canada’s constitution and its various written and unwritten components, I classified the types of written components and listed some of them. Thankfully, the Faculty of Law of the University of Ottawa provides an excellent … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitution (Written) | 4 Comments

The “Republic of Canada, Est. 1837”: Distortion of History and of Responsible Government

Posted on 2011/08/11 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Institute for Liberal Studies sells t-shirts emblazened with the flag of the short-lived Republic of Canada and the text “Republic of Canada est. 1837”, accompanied by the following description: The short-lived Republic of Canada is a little-known chapter in … Continue reading →

Posted in History of British North America, Monarchism v Republicanism, Origins | 12 Comments

Senate Reform and Responsible Government

Posted on 2011/08/09 by J.W.J. Bowden

The discussion and debate over the reform of the Senate of Canada into an elected chamber has dominated the opinion sections of Canadian newspapers and the academic journals of Canadian political science since the late 1970s when the Trudeau government … Continue reading →

Posted in Senate Reform | 14 Comments

George III, Parliament, and the Loss of the American Colonies

Posted on 2011/08/09 by J.W.J. Bowden

I generally agree with and like the official website of the British monarchy, but like all official histories, it focuses too heavily on information and arguments favourable to the reputation of its source at the expense of other interpretations and … Continue reading →

Posted in History of British North America, Origins, Whigs v Tories | 9 Comments