Although Québec society is young, its Parliament is very old. Created in 1791, it is one of the world's oldest outside of Great Britain. It is slightly younger than the American Congress, but a contemporary of France's National Assembly. Quebecers are deeply attached to their democratic institutions, which date back two hundred years.
Since the Constitutional Act of 1867 creating the Dominion of Canada, Québec has systematically questioned its membership in the Canadian confederation. The debate on Québec sovereignty has been a recurrent feature of Québec political life in the past twenty years. Whatever the outcome of this collective reflection, decisions regarding Québec's constitutional future will be made democratically following consultation with the population.
The Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms guarantees every citizen, regardless of race, sex or religion, the right to equal recognition and equal exercise of his or her democratic rights. Freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, expression, religion and opinion are recognized in the Charter, as are political, legal, economic, social and human rights.
The State has taken steps to ensure the exercise and respect of its citizens' rights. Québec has created agencies and legislation such as the human rights commission, the consumer protection bureau, the office of the ombudsman, legal aid, the small claims court, the Act respecting class action, and the council on the status of women to protect these rights.
Québec's parliamentary system is based on the British model. Legislative powers are exercised by the Parliament, called the National Assembly. This body is formed of 125 Members elected by universal suffrage, each representing an electoral division.
Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, who are responsible for administering legislation and adopting regulations regarding its application. Cabinet ministers are also in charge of formulating government policy.
Members of the National Assembly are elected under a single-member constituency plurality system. Voters choose one name from among the candidates running in their electoral division, and the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes wins. The party leader under whom the most Members are elected becomes Prime Minister. The Government may remain in office for a maximum of five years. All Quebecers aged 18 and over are eligible to vote.
Québec has some 1400 local municipalities, each of which is administered by a mayor and councillors elected under the plurality system.
Urban or rural municipalities within the same region are grouped into a regional county municipality (RCM). Each of Québec's 95 RCMs is headed by a council composed of the mayors of the member municipalities. Each RCM is responsible for defining a regional plan, determining the location of its intermunicipal infrastructures, and planning its urban development.