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Montreal is governed by a mayor and a council, the members of which are elected by popular vote for four-year terms.

Since 1970 the regional government, the Montreal Urban Community, has had full responsibility for services such as police, property assessment, environmental protection, and regional planning. The cities and municipalities are still responsible for the remaining powers normally held by local authorities, such as fire protection, water treatment and distribution, sewers, garbage collection, traffic, zoning, building regulations, and libraries. The Urban Community is governed by a council, an executive committee, and a president.

The issue of metropolitan governance was hotly debated during the late 1990s because almost half the urban population lived outside the borders of the Montreal Urban Community. In early 2000 the Quebec government announced a plan to establish a new Montreal Metropolitan Community in 2001. The Montreal Metropolitan Community would replace the existing Montreal Urban Community and encompass most of the metropolitan area.

In 1976 in Quebec, the Parti Québecois (PQ), a party of French-Canadian nationalists formed in 1970, won control of the provincial parliament under René Lévesque. The new government initiated a series of language and cultural reforms whereby the use of English was discouraged. During the 1980s, Montreal attracted many high-technology and financial services companies.

In 1980, Lévesque's plan for an independent Quebec, called sovereignty-association, was rejected in a provincial referendum by 60% of the voters. The PQ was returned to power in 1981, however, and in 1982 the provincial government refused to accept the new Canadian constitution. From 1985 to 1994, the Liberal party, led by Robert Bourassa and Daniel Johnson, controlled the assembly. In 1987 there appeared to be progress on the issue of Quebec separatism, when the Meech Lake Accord was signed, but the accord collapsed in 1990. A package of constitutional reforms was subsequently drafted by the Canadian government and presented to voters in a national referendum in Oct., 1992, but it was defeated.

In 1994 the PQ, now led by Jacques Parizeau, regained control of the provincial government. A referendum on independence was narrowly defeated in October, 1995. Parizeau announced his resignation and was replaced in 1996 by Lucien Bouchard, who had led the Bloc Québecois in Ottawa. Quebec was recognized by Parliament as a distinct society because of its language and culture and was granted a veto over constitutional amendments. Separatists said the changes were symbolic and vowed to continue their struggle. They suffered two blows in 1998, however, when Canada's Supreme Court ruled that Quebec could not legally secede on its own and the PQ's majority shrank in provincial elections. Polls showed that in 1999 support for secession had also shrunk, to about 40% of Quebec voters.

Quebec sends 24 senators and 75 representatives to the national parliament.