Responsible government

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Responsible government is a system where the government must answer to the people’s elected representatives in parliament. In Westminster-style democracies, the executive (the prime minister or premier and their cabinet) stays in office only as long as they have the support of the parliament’s lower house. If the lower house passes a vote of no confidence, the government usually resigns or asks voters to elect a new parliament.

Key ideas of responsible government:
- Ministers must explain and defend their decisions in parliament. Only members of parliament can speak on the floor with parliamentary privileges.
- Ministers stay in office only while the lower house supports them. If they lose confidence, they resign or seek a new election.
- The head of state acts through the responsible ministers. They do not set policy or govern on their own or rely on unofficial advisers. In emergencies, some acts may be allowed, but normally the cabinet advises and the head of state follows their recommendations.

Origins and spread:
- The United Kingdom developed responsible government in the 19th century and then introduced it to many colonies, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Africa.
- In British North America (today’s Canada), the first successful example outside Britain came in Nova Scotia in 1848, when the executive council was chosen from the party with a majority in the elected assembly. New Brunswick followed shortly after. Over time, colonies moved toward ministers who were responsible to elected representatives, rather than to appointed governors.
- In Canada, respectful government helped the country move toward greater autonomy, culminating in constitutional changes in 1867 (the British North America Act), and later steps toward full sovereignty in 1931 and 1982.

Australia and New Zealand followed a similar path. By the late 19th century, the colonies had achieved responsible self-government, with governments elected by local voters. Universal male suffrage came first in some colonies, followed by women’s suffrage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Indigenous voting rights were limited for many years and only gradually expanded in the 20th century.

South Africa’s Cape Colony also gained responsible government, starting in 1872, with ministers who answered to the locally elected parliament. It was notable for introducing a non-racial voting system at the time, though this was later overturned and replaced by the discriminatory apartheid system.

Other examples:
- In Germany, the idea of a government responsible to the parliament did not take hold during the early unification period. It became part of the democratic system only after the end of World War I, with the Weimar Constitution and later the democratic Basic Law of the Federal Republic.

In short, responsible government means elected representatives in parliament control the government, keep it accountable through regular oversight, and require ministers to have the confidence of the lower house to stay in power.