Politics Ledger · North America
Canada
Liberal democracyConstitutional monarchyFederal
LightDark
In charge
Mark Carney
Prime Minister
Time in power
1.6 yrs
since 2025
Government seats
50%
majority
Next national vote
2029-10
Federal general (fixed date)
Governance score
86/100
composite of five indices
Canada evolved peacefully from British colony to sovereign state, building a bilingual, multicultural federation that has repeatedly negotiated the place of Quebec and Indigenous peoples within it.
Leadership
Who Governs Canada
Head of state
Charles III
King of Canada
Since 8 September 2022 · 4.1 years
Age 78 (born 1948)ManRoute to power: hereditary
Head of government
Holds executive powerMark Carney
Prime Minister · Liberal Party
Since 14 March 2025 · 1.6 years
Age 61 (born 1965)ManRoute to power: chosen by party
Ruling coalition
Liberal majority government (173 of 343 seats, secured through by-elections and floor-crossings in 2026)
Main opposition
Conservative Party (Pierre Poilievre)
Last national election
28 April 2025
Federal general
Liberals won 169 seats, short of a majority, after a campaign dominated by US tariffs and annexation threats.
Next national election
By October 2029
Federal general (fixed date)
Governor General Louise Arbour represents the King since June 2026.
Parliament
House of Commons
Seat distribution (24 October 2026 (6 vacancies)), ordered from economic left to right.
| Party | Ideology | Seats | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Party (LPC) | Liberalism, Centrism | 173 | governing |
| Conservative Party (CPC) | Conservatism | 137 | opposition |
| Bloc Québécois (BQ) | Quebec sovereigntism, Social democracy | 21 | opposition |
| New Democratic Party (NDP) | Social democracy | 5 | opposition |
| Green Party (GPC) | Green politics | 1 | opposition |
Ideology
Party Landscape
Each party placed on economic and social axes, sized by seats.
Institutions
The System
- Official name
- Canada
- Capital
- Ottawa
- Population
- 41 million
- Statehood
- Confederation 1867; full legislative independence 1931; Constitution patriated 1982
- System
- Constitutional monarchy
- Structure
- Federal
- Current constitution
- 1982
- Legislature
- Parliament of Canada
- Lower / sole chamber
- House of Commons (343 seats)
- Upper chamber
- Senate (105, appointed)
- Electoral system
- First-past-the-post in 343 single-member ridings.
- Term limits
- None for the prime minister; fixed four-year election cycle unless Parliament is dissolved early.
Sources
- House of Commons standings (Oct 2026)
- Elections Canada
- Reuters, 13 Apr 2026
- EIU Democracy Index 2024; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2025; RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025; Transparency International CPI 2024; IPU Parline, 2026; V-Dem v15 Liberal Democracy Index (approximate five-year readings)
Last verified 2026-10-29. Party placements are editorial estimates.
Data as of 2026-10-29.