The Prime Minister of Canada is given much power and responsibility. This could potentially create a dangerous situation if the government had a majority and was able to pass any legislation, fortunately this is not the case. This article will argue that there are many limitations to which even the power of the prime minister is subject. Three of the major limitations affecting the Prime Minister are; first, federalism, second the governor general and third, the charter of rights and freedoms. I will support this thesis by analyzing two different types of federalism and how they affect the power of the Prime Minister. Next I will look at three of the Governor General's powers and analyze one further. Finally I will examine the impact of the Charter resulting from the greater participation the public can have in government, and how it has increased the power of the courts. First, federalism is the division of power between the provinces and the federal government (Cutler 2010, 3). Furthermore, federal systems tend to be made up of multiple parts, which do not necessarily work together (Brock 2008, 3). In recent years there has been an increase in the study of federalism, which has created a more in-depth look at the impact of federalism on government. (Farfard Rocher 2009, 294). There are two aspects of federalism and both place limits on the prime minister's influence. The first is called political asymmetry; this includes the various attitudes of different provinces such as culture, economic, social and political conditions and how it shapes the relationship between the provincial and federal governments (Brock 2008, 4). This may create a problem for the federal government because it means it may have… a bureaucratic… middle of paper process, but at least it protects the rights of Canadians and prevents total domination by the majority. In this essay it is argued that there are many limitations that even the Prime Minister is subjected to. The three most important are federalism in Canadian society, the role of the Governor General, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I have used two different visions of federalism and illustrated how both place limits on the power of the Prime Minister. Next I will explain the powers of the governor general and explain the ability to dissolve parliament in more detail. Finally, I analyzed how the Bill of Rights and Freedoms has limited the power of the Prime Minister over political decision-making, interest groups and the courts. The Prime Minister does not have absolute power in Canadian society, there are many violations of power that he must respect.