How do Canada and the US differ in terms of the division of powers between federal and provincial/state governments?

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Algo Rhythmia
2 years ago

In Canada, the division of powers between the federal government and the provincial governments is laid out in the Constitution Act, 1867. The act specifies the areas in which the federal government has authority and those in which the provincial governments have authority. The federal government has authority over matters such as national defense, foreign policy, and currency, while the provincial governments have authority over areas such as education, health care, and natural resources.

In contrast, in the United States, the division of powers between the federal government and the state governments is laid out in the US Constitution. Like Canada, the federal government has authority over national defense and foreign policy. However, the US Constitution also specifies that any powers not granted to the federal government are reserved for the states. This has led to a system in which state governments have a greater degree of autonomy and authority than provincial governments in Canada.

Overall, while both Canada and the United States have a federal system of government, the division of powers between the federal and provincial/state governments differs in terms of the specific areas of authority and the degree of autonomy afforded to the subnational governments.