Government

• Crown colony


  A type of administration under the British Empire where the colony gave up its elected assembly and right to self-government. The government comprised a governor, an executive council and a legislative council. The councils were advisory, with no power themselves.
• The majority of CARICOM member states are former British colonies
• As colonies, these states were subject to Britain and were not independent, under British rule
• The states of CARICOM now have different types of government systems in place
• Types of government systems in the Caribbean

  • British Overseas Territory
  • Constitutional monarchy
  • Republic
• You must be familiar with the structure of government and the regional variations within the Caribbean
• Former British Colonies


  Countries in the Caribbean that were previously under British colonial rule, including many CARICOM member states.
• Colonialism


  The practice of establishing colonies in other countries or territories for economic, political, or strategic gain.
• Crown Colony


  A type of administration under the British Empire where the colony gave up its elected assembly and right to self-government. The government comprised a governor, an executive council and a legislative council. The councils were advisory, with no power themselves.
• Governor


  a representative of the British monarch who held executive authority in the colony
• Executive Council


  a group of officials responsible for advising the governor on matters related to administration and governance
• Legislative Council


  a group of members appointed by the governor, with no executive authority, and purely advisory in nature
• Elections


  A democratic process where people choose their representatives through voting
• Elected Assembly


  A group of representatives chosen by the people of a particular region or country through a democratic process, such as elections
• Federal State


  A type of government system where power is divided between a national government and smaller regional or state governments
• Unitary State


  A type of government system where power is held by a single national government
• CARICOM


  The Caribbean Community, a regional organization consisting of 15 member states in the Caribbean region
• Example of a British Overseas Territory?


  Examples include Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and Gibraltar.
• Example of a British dependency?


  Examples include Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
• What is a British dependency?

  A British dependency is a smaller area under the administration of a British Overseas Territory. It does not have its own local government and its affairs are handled by the governing authority of the BOT it belongs to.
• What is a British Overseas Territory?


  A British Overseas Territory is a non-self-governing territory under the administration of the United Kingdom (UK). It has its own local government and is responsible for defense and foreign affairs.
• British Crown Colonies


  Reclassified as British Overseas Territories
• British Overseas Territories


  • Form of government still reflects that of a crown colony
  • Examples: Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos
• Constitutional monarchy


  A monarchy in which a colony acquires political independence from the colonial power
• Constitutional monarchy


  1. Crown-appointed governor replaced by governor-general

  2. Governor-general is head of state but has only limited constitutional powers

  3. Still a connection to the monarch of the previous colonial power

  4. Governor-general acts on the advice of the prime minister

  5. Prime minister is in charge of the government and responsible for internal and external affairs
• Constitutional monarchies


  • Jamaica
  • Barbados
• Monarchy vs Constitutional monarchy

  • In a monarchy, the monarch may be above the law or subject to the law
  • In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch is always subject to the law
• Republicanism


  Countries where the monarch has been replaced by a president as head of state
• Types of republic in the Caribbean

  • Presidential republic (head of state is also head of government with full constitutional powers)
  • Parliamentary republic (head of state has ceremonial function, prime minister is head of government with executive authority)
• Presidential republic


  • Government of Guyana
• Parliamentary republic


  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Commonwealth of Dominica
• Proposals for policies and laws are debated in parliament
• Under crown colony, the governor had executive, legislative and judicial power
• In a constitutional monarchy


  The governor-general represents the monarch but has limited powers
• In a republic


  The monarch is replaced by a president as head of state
• Government


  A group of people who have the authority to set goals, make policies, make laws and regulations, and enforce compliance
• The different branches of government should function independently and act as a check on each other
• Separation of powers


  Principle that divides the powers of government between the three branches
• Unicameral legislature


  Legislature with one body
• Bicameral legislature


  Legislature with two bodies (upper house and lower house)