What does the executive branch of government do

The Executive Branch of government is responsible for delivering programs and services to the population within the framework of laws, expenditures, and tax measures approved by Legislature. At the apex of the Executive Branch is the Executive Council (or Cabinet), composed of Ministers appointed from elected Members of the Legislative Assembly of the political party in power. Each Minister (or Member of the Executive Council) is responsible for one or more departments and agencies. Each department has a Deputy Minister. Ministers provide political and policy leadership, whereas Deputies provide policy advice and administrative leadership.

The Executive Branch directs and oversees day-to-day operations of government. In New Brunswick, the provincial government is composed of four parts: Government Departments and Agencies (Part I), the School System (Part II), the Hospital System (Part III), and Crown Corporations (Part IV).

The main functions of the Legislature are law-making, surveillance and representation.

Each of the 49 Members of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick is individually elected to represent the voters in one constituency.

Members must fulfill many roles, including:

• they are law-makers;
• they hold the Executive Branch accountable by examining the actions of government; and
  
• they represent their constituents.

The Legislative Assembly is responsible for approving all provincial statutes, expenditures and taxation measures.

Within the Legislative Branch there are independent statutory officers who report directly to the Legislative Assembly for the manner in which they carry out their statutory duties. These officers include:

• Auditor General
• Chief Electoral Officer
• Child and Youth Advocate
• Consumer Advocate for Insurance
• Commissioner of Official Languages
• Integrity Commissioner
• Seniors' Advocate
• Ombud

The Judicial Branch is composed of both federal and provincial courts.

Federal courts include the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada (Trial Division and Appellate Division), and the Tax Court.

Provincial courts include the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick, the Court of Queen’s Bench of New Brunswick (Trial Division and Family Division), the Court of Divorce, the Probate Court, the Small Claims Court, and the Provincial Court.

Justices of the Court of Queen’s Bench and the Court of Appeal are appointed by the Governor General in Council. Salaries for federally-appointed judges are paid by the federal government.

With respect to the Provincial Court (also designated as the Youth Court under the Young Offenders Act and the Provincial Offences Procedure for Young Persons Act ), judges are appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council. Adjudicators (senior lawyers) appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council preside over matters in the Small Claims Court.

The Province, by virtue of section 92(14) of the Constitution Act, is responsible for the constitution, maintenance and organization of provincial courts. All costs related to court operations (excluding the salaries and expenses related to federally-appointed judges) in the Province of New Brunswick are borne by the Province.

• New Brunswick Courts

The role of the executive branch is to enforce the nation’s laws. The executive branch is led by the president, who is the commander in chief of the military and responsible for signing or vetoing laws presented to them by Congress. The executive branch also includes the vice president, who is the president of the Senate and will take over if the president cannot perform his duties, as well as the Cabinet, who are advisors to the president. The enforcement of laws in the executive branch is often performed by various federal agencies and departments.       

The website for the Office of the President of the United States contains a great deal of information on the current executives.

A White House publication on the executive branch includes information on the responsibilities of the president and vice president, the role of the Cabinet, and descriptions of the executive departments.

The American Presidency Project, hosted at the University of California, Santa Barbara, includes presidential papers, addresses, speeches, and more.

The Federal Register provides a database that contains information on presidential documents, including executive orders, proclamations, and other items.