The Canadian government is a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. It is a system in which the power is divided between the federal government and the provincial governments. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who is represented in Canada by the Governor General. The head of government is the Prime Minister, who is the leader of the political party that has the most seats in the House of Commons. The federal government is responsible for areas such as defense, foreign policy, and trade. It is made up of three branches: the executive branch, headed by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet; the legislative branch, consisting of the House of Commons and the Senate; and the judicial branch, with the Supreme Court of Canada as the highest court. The provincial governments have jurisdiction over areas such as healthcare, education, and transportation. Each province has its own legislature and Premier, who is the head of government at the provincial level. The Canadian government operates on the principle of responsible government, which means that the executive branch is accountable to the legislature. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are responsible for making decisions and implementing policies, but they can be held accountable by the opposition parties through various mechanisms, such as question periods in the House of Commons. Overall, the Canadian government is designed to be a democratic system