GOVERNMENT

A government is a group of officials elected by the citizens to conduct the affairs of a

country- it would be impossible for all the citizens to govern the country. Governing a

country requires cooperation between the government and the citizens.

Each country has a set of principles and laws by which the citizens agree to be governed.

This is known as the country’s constitution. It is the supreme law of the country. It sets

out the rights and responsibilities of both government and citizens.

The constitutions of the Caribbean countries provide for a democratic form of government.

Democracy is a form of government in which a large/great proportion of the citizens

participate in the government of the country. They do this by electing officials to represent

them in government and by voting on particular matters in a referendum and also taking

part in consultations with government officials on policies and laws which the government

wishes to implement.

However, there are forms of government in which the majority of citizens are not allowed

to participate and which they cannot remove easily. These forms of government are

dictatorships, oligarchies and aristocracies – the opposites of democracy.

Why we need a government?

A country needs a government to regulate the manner in which the citizens go about their

daily lives, in order to eliminate/remove the chaos that would result if everyone was

allowed to do things their own way.

Can you imagine a country in which everyone drove on any side of the road he or she

chose?

We all need important/essential services like health care, but some citizens can’t afford

to pay for them. Who would provide them? Who would provide the free secondary

education which you receive?

Without a government, would it be right to have a number of private armies in your

country, instead of a national army, to protect it from invasion?

Electoral Processes

Democracy allows citizens to remove governments which do not govern in the interest of

the majority through elections.

Countries in the Commonwealth Caribbean are democracies where the government is

chosen by the citizens in a general election that should be free and fair.

In a general election, all eligible people get a chance to cast a vote. This happens on a

set day and at regular intervals of, no more than 5 years.

The votes cast determine the next government.

ELECTIONS

An election is the process of voting by secret ballot or by the show of hands.

Requirements for voting at parliamentary elections.

i. The person must be a citizen of the country.

ii. Be 18 years and over.

iii. Be a registered voter.

Electoral Systems

There are two types of electoral systems used in the Commonwealth Caribbean.

They are:

 First- Past-the-Post (FPTP)

 Proportional Representation (PR)

First- Past-the-Post (FPTP)

Characteristics of the First-Past-The-Post electoral system

First – Past – the – Post (FPTP) is used in all Commonwealth Caribbean countries except

Guyana.

i. The country is divided up into constituencies.

ii. Each constituency often has more than one candidate who represents his or

her political party. A constituency may also have an independent candidate.

iii. The person with the highest number of votes wins a seat in the House of

Representatives (Parliament).

iv. The political parties with the majority of seats forms of government. There may

be a coalition of parties if no party obtains a majority.

v. The person who in the opinion of the Head of State is able to command support

of the majority of the elected members in Parliament, becomes the Head of

Government - Prime Minister.

Proportional Representation

Characteristics of the Proportional Representation electoral system

Guyana is the ONLY country in the Commonwealth Caribbean that has this electoral

system.

i. The entire country is treated as one constituency.

ii. Each party submits a list of their candidates in order of priority.

iii. Voters vote for the party, not the candidates.

iv. The party is allocated seats in proportion to the percentage of votes cast for that

party.

v. Parliamentary seats are allocated to candidates in order of priority on the

candidates list of each party

Advantages of the First- Past-the-Post (FPTP)

a) It is easy and quick to count

b) It promotes a party system, at least two, ensuring stability in the parliamentary process.

c) Minor parties and independents can sometimes win against the major parties without

needing to secure more than 50 per cent of the votes.

d) The elected candidate is held accountable to his own voters, thereby helping to prevent

incompetent, fraudulent or corrupt behaviour by elected candidates.

e) Voters can change the way a country is run by voting in a government from a

completely different party.

f) Voters can choose a politician whom they might trust as a person, as well as a party.
Disadvantages of the First- Past-the-Post (FPTP)

a) The system inappropriately awards seats in general elections.

b) Winning parties on many occasions obtain a proportion of seats that is significantly

higher than the proportion of votes received. This seems to be an inherent weakness in

this type of system.

c) Sometimes the voters are in favour of a political party but do not like specific

candidates.

d) A winning candidate may secure only a minority of the vote. The majority of voters may

have supported someone else.

e) Minor parties and candidates can find it difficult to win against the combined weight of

major party candidates

f) Many people may not have a Member of Parliament from their preferred party to

represent their views in the Houses of Parliament.

Proportional Representation (PR)

Advantages of the Proportional Representation (PR)

a) The total number of Members of Parliaments in the House reflects the total number of

votes cast per party.

b) It is unlikely that a party with a minority of votes can form the government.
c) It allows minor parties and independents to win seats in Parliament.

d) It is more representative of the wishes of the electorate in that the parties win seats in

proportion to the percentage of the vote they receive.

e) Each legislator would be representative for the entire country and not for a particular

constituency.

f) There is no need for a Boundaries Commission because there are no constituencies,

as such, preventing gerrymandering

Disadvantages of the Proportional Representation (PR)

a) It is more complicated than the First-Past-The-Post system. It can be costly and time

consuming to administer and count.

b) The list system means that voters can only vote for a party, not a candidate whom

they might trust as a person.

c) Coalition governments are sometimes formed in which policies are not clear and

decisions are difficult to make. This will undoubtedly hinder development.

d) The close relationship which may exist between a representative and a voter in their

constituency would disappear under this system.

Activity:

First- Past-the-Post Proportional Representation

Complete the following statements by choosing the most suitable term from the list given above.

i. _________________creates a bond between the parliamentarian and the electorate.

ii. _________________ is more likely to produce a multi-party government.

iii. __________________ is more likely to produce a dead heat in an election result.

iv. __________________ is more likely to give the electorate a greater opportunity to have

the candidates of their choice.

v. ____________________ presents an alternative to the two party system.