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The rules governing the choice of Canada's prime minister are obscure; it would seem that the prime minister is simply the leader who holds the most seats in the House of Commons. However, the constitutionality of the choice of prime minister is actually much more complicated, and involves principles such as the rule of law, responsible and representative government, and the need for effective government. Although rarely ever called upon to exercise such judgement, ultimately (and theoretically) the choice is made by Canada's governor general. This paper outlines the constitutional rules governing the choice of prime minister, in particular those that apply when no one party holds a majority in the House of Commons. The paper raises several issues as to whether the current configuration of the office of governor general provides the appropriate political authority for choosing a prime minuster were there ever to be a challenge or uncertainty as to who should be chosen. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the changes in partisan identification that occurred in Canada in 1993, where region played a larger role in determining partisan identification than it had previously. To do this, this paper explores the Constitutional melodrama that plagued Canadian politics from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. These constitutional upheavals created a divide in the country along regional lines that permeated partisanship and lead to a realignment of the electorate. In exploring this realignment, it is also important to consider alternative explanations like language, class, religion, age, party leader and view on the economy for changes in partisan identification. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]