Politics of the Caribbean
Encyclopedia
The politics
of the Caribbean
are diverse for such a relatively small area. These systems can be related to their colonial history. The major political system is democracy
, with many different party systems within many of the countries. Party systems are a variety of political parties
combined together.
These systems can be divided into a one-party system, multi-party systems and two-party systems. The one party system can be found in Cuba
. It is a revolutionary socialist democracy
adopted from communism
. Other parties do exist in this environment but are viewed as illegal. Although the word democracy is in the name of the party system, it is by far not democratic. Cuba suggests that democracy is about power and how many have access to it, whereas they believe their system is about how many people have access to basic goods.
Multi-party systems are political parties of three or more groups. Seats are awarded in legislature
according to how many votes are received; therefore small parties can win seats. This encourages many small parties to form. Haiti
, Suriname
and Guyana
are all good examples of this practice. Haiti has approximately twenty-eight parties, Suriname twenty-six and Guyana fifteen.
Two party systems are found primarily in the Anglophone
countries. Although there are some smaller parties found the two main parties have the greatest chance of winning. Many times these two parties can be found alternating running the government. The classic two party systems can be found in Jamaica
and Barbados
. Jamaica is a classic representation of the British
government. It is the only country in the region to have had two parties in the first elections. From 1944 until 1980 there was a perfect record of the parties alternating running the government.
Variations can be found in the two party systems, a one party dominant system. Although there are two parties, one continues to rule. In Trinidad and Tobago
, the People's National Movement
remained in power
from 1956 to 1986. In Antigua
, the Antigua Labour Party
has remained dominant for the majority of the time since 1951. In Saint Kitts and Nevis
, the Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party
has never before lost the popular vote (since 1962). Grenada
’s dominant party was the Grenada United Labour Party
in from 1951 until 1979 when it was overthrown in a Marxist coup d'etat
led by Maurice Bishop
.
Several of the island in the Caribbean remain under the control of colonial powers. The French
islands
are départements of France and elect representatives to the French National Assembly
. The remaining British
have elected governments, as do the Dutch West Indies and the American
possessions. The Caribbean is a diverse political melting pot, mainly influenced by the variety of colonial history.
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
are diverse for such a relatively small area. These systems can be related to their colonial history. The major political system is democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, with many different party systems within many of the countries. Party systems are a variety of political parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
combined together.
These systems can be divided into a one-party system, multi-party systems and two-party systems. The one party system can be found in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. It is a revolutionary socialist democracy
Democratic socialism
Democratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation...
adopted from communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. Other parties do exist in this environment but are viewed as illegal. Although the word democracy is in the name of the party system, it is by far not democratic. Cuba suggests that democracy is about power and how many have access to it, whereas they believe their system is about how many people have access to basic goods.
Multi-party systems are political parties of three or more groups. Seats are awarded in legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
according to how many votes are received; therefore small parties can win seats. This encourages many small parties to form. Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
and Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
are all good examples of this practice. Haiti has approximately twenty-eight parties, Suriname twenty-six and Guyana fifteen.
Two party systems are found primarily in the Anglophone
Anglophone Caribbean
The term Commonwealth Caribbean is used to refer to the independent English-speaking countries of the Caribbean region. Upon a country's full independence from the United Kingdom, Anglophone Caribbean or Commonwealth Caribbean traditionally becomes the preferred sub-regional term as a replacement...
countries. Although there are some smaller parties found the two main parties have the greatest chance of winning. Many times these two parties can be found alternating running the government. The classic two party systems can be found in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. Jamaica is a classic representation of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
government. It is the only country in the region to have had two parties in the first elections. From 1944 until 1980 there was a perfect record of the parties alternating running the government.
Variations can be found in the two party systems, a one party dominant system. Although there are two parties, one continues to rule. In Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
, the People's National Movement
People's National Movement
The People's National Movement is the present-day opposition political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Founded in 1955 by Eric Williams, it won the 1956 General Elections and went on to hold power for an unbroken 30 years. After the death of Williams in 1981 George Chambers led the party...
remained in power
Elections in Trinidad and Tobago
Elections in Trinidad and Tobago gives information on election and election results in Trinidad and Tobago.Trinidad and Tobago elects on national level a House of Representatives...
from 1956 to 1986. In Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
, the Antigua Labour Party
Antigua Labour Party
The Antigua Labour Party is the former ruling political party in Antigua and Barbuda. It has long been led by Lester Bird, who was chairman of the party since 1971, and became Prime Minister and political leader in 1994. The party was founded by Lester's father, V.C. Bird...
has remained dominant for the majority of the time since 1951. In Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population....
, the Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party
Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party
The Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party is a centre-left political party in Saint Kitts and Nevis. It is currently the ruling party in the country after winnign six of the eleven seats in the 2010 general election.-History:...
has never before lost the popular vote (since 1962). Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
’s dominant party was the Grenada United Labour Party
Grenada United Labour Party
-History:The party was founded by Eric Gairy in 1950. It was the only party to contest the first elections held under universal suffrage in 1951, and won six of the eight seats. The 1954 elections saw the same outcome...
in from 1951 until 1979 when it was overthrown in a Marxist coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
led by Maurice Bishop
Maurice Bishop
Maurice Rupert Bishop was a Grenadian politician and revolutionary who seized power in a coup in 1979 from Eric Gairy and served as Prime Minister of the People's Revolutionary Government of Grenada until 1983, when he was overthrown in another coup by Bernard Coard, a member of his own...
.
Several of the island in the Caribbean remain under the control of colonial powers. The French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
islands
French West Indies
The term French West Indies or French Antilles refers to the seven territories currently under French sovereignty in the Antilles islands of the Caribbean: the two overseas departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique, the two overseas collectivities of Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy, plus...
are départements of France and elect representatives to the French National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
. The remaining British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
have elected governments, as do the Dutch West Indies and the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
possessions. The Caribbean is a diverse political melting pot, mainly influenced by the variety of colonial history.
Further reading
- de Kadt, Emanuel, (editor). Patterns of foreign influence in the Caribbean, London, New York, published for the Royal Institute of International Affairs by Oxford University Press, 1972.
External links
- Island Thresholds, Peabody Essex Museum’s interactive feature, showcases the work of contemporary Caribbean artists and their exploration of identity, culture, and social justice.
See also
- Latin American and Caribbean Congress in Solidarity with Puerto Rico’s IndependenceLatin American and Caribbean Congress in Solidarity with Puerto Rico’s IndependenceThe Latin American and Caribbean Congress in Solidarity with the Independence of Puerto Rico consisted in an international summit held in Panama City, Panama...