Category Archives: Comparative

How Early General Federal Elections Can Be Held in Germany

Posted on 2017/11/26 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction Germans elected a new parliament on 24 September 2017. The main center-right and center-left parties, the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, both lost ground to the far-right Alternative for Germany and the far-left, aptly named The Left. The Free … Continue reading →

Posted in Comparative, Confirmation Voting, Constructive Non-Confidence, Elections, Fixed-Date Elections, Government Formation in Germany & Austria | 1 Comment

A Classical Liberal Defence of Constitutional Monarchy

Posted on 2017/07/20 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction: The Strange Americanism of Canadian Libertarians  Since 2011 when I attended one of the Institute for Liberal Studies’ Liberty Summer Seminars (LSS), I’ve noticed that Canadian libertarians often demonstrate a strange American streak, and that their understanding of constitutions and … Continue reading →

Posted in Monarchism v Republicanism, Parliamentarism v Presidentialism, Responsible Government, Separation of Powers | 5 Comments

Why Can’t Anti-Monarchists Get the Basic Facts Right?

Posted on 2017/07/04 by J.W.J. Bowden

I normally don’t bother responding any longer to these obligatory anti-monarchist op-eds that tend to appear each July, if only because the republican arguments remain constantly inaccurate — almost like a political science equivalent of Newton’s Laws. Most republican op-eds … Continue reading →

Posted in Monarchism v Republicanism | 3 Comments

The Cabinet Manual and Votes of Confidence under the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act

Posted on 2017/06/12 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Cabinet Manual As Explanatory Guide The Cabinet Manual: A Guide to Laws, Conventions, and Rules on the Operation of Government has proven its worth, both within Whitehall and amongst the wider British public. On 9 June, once the results … Continue reading →

Posted in Confidence Convention, Confirmation Voting, Constructive Non-Confidence, Fixed-Date Elections | 5 Comments

Why The Finance Minister Is the Most Important After the Prime Minister

Posted on 2017/04/04 by J.W.J. Bowden

  Introduction If you asked Canadians, Britons, or Australians which minister is the most important after the prime minister, you would almost invariably get the same answer: the Finance Minister — known as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Commonwealth Realms, Comparative, Parliamentarism v Presidentialism, Responsible Government, Separation of Powers | 3 Comments