In Canada, a government (cabinet) that must answer to elected representatives is described as which concept?

• A. Democracy
• B. Representative Democracy
• C. Responsible Government
• D. Confederalism

Answer: (C)

Responsible Government is the idea that the government must have the support of the elected representatives in the legislature and can be removed by them. In Canada, the Prime Minister and Cabinet are members of Parliament and must maintain the confidence of the House of Commons. They propose laws and budgets, but they stay in power only as long as the elected representatives agree with them. If they lose a vote of confidence or can’t pass key legislation, they typically resign or call an election. This creates accountability, because the executive is answerable to the people’s representatives, not to themselves.

For comparison, pure Democracy would imply direct rule by the people, while Representative Democracy means the people elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf—both broader ideas that describe governance in general rather than this specific mechanism of accountability. Confederalism describes a loose union of states with a weak central authority, which isn’t how Canada’s system operates. So the description fits Responsible Government.