An Introduction to Government Government may be defined as the exercise of political authority over the actions, affairs and decision-

making involved in ruling a country. Concepts you should know: Political party A political party may be defined as an organised group of people, with similar political aims and opinions, who seek to influence public policy by getting their candidates elected to public office. This enables their members' and supporters' demands to be represented in Parliament and in government. Constituency This is the body of voters or the residents of a district represented by an elected legislator/member of parliament. Candidate This is a politician who is running for public office. A person puts him or herself up to stand for election to the House of Representatives in Jamaica. Electorate The body of enfranchised citizens; those qualified to vote. Voters' list An official list that contains the names and addresses of registered voters in each constituency. Voter A person who votes during an electoral event by marking their choice on a ballot. Voters must meet certain qualifications and be registered with the chief electoral officer. Floating voter This person may be seen as a swing voter. A floating voter is an elector who has no allegiance to any particular political party and whose unpredictable decisions can swing the outcome of an election, one way or another. Swing vote The term used to describe a vote that may go to any of a number of candidates in an election. Such votes are usually sought after in elections, as they can play a big role in deciding the victor. It will throw out any predictions or polls that had been made. Representative A person who represent others. In a democratic political system, a government will allow citizens to exercise power through elected representatives. Adult suffrage Adult suffrage consists of giving the right to vote to adult citizens. The voting age in Jamaica is 18, down from 21, some years ago.

Franchise The right or privilege to vote in an election. Manifesto A public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature, distributed by a political party. Ballot This is a document used by voters to indicate their vote in an election. Hung parliament A hung parliament is one in which no one political party has an outright majority. This means it is equally balanced. Government of national unity This is a constitutionally defined multi-party government, consisting of several political parties. It may also be seen as a term used to refer to a case in which all the major political parties in a country are part of the governing coalition. Coalition government This is similar to a government of national unity wherein a cabinet of several parliamentary government parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party independently has achieved a majority in Parliament. Electoral process An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office and represent them. An election is the process by which citizens select the men and women they want to run their government at all levels. In a democracy, government officials are chosen by the people and serve for a specific time called a term of office. Depending on state laws, an official may run for re-election once the term is over. Our system of government is called a representative democracy. What is an electoral system? An electoral or voting system translates votes into seats. It determines how many votes and what kinds of votes are necessary to award seats to candidates and parties in an election. Different electoral systems produce different kinds of results and give voters different kinds of choices. Types of electoral systems There are three main types of electoral systems in the world, with several variations among each one. Here are the two main types used in the Caribbean. 1. Majority Candidates are elected with a majority, that is, the candidate must obtain more than 50 per cent of votes cast. This is also called first-past-the-post. 2. Proportional representation Candidates are elected based on the total percentage of votes cast for their party in the entire country.

Ballot box A container for marked ballots. Enumeration A registration event directed to all eligible voters or specific groups of voters in one or more electoral districts. An enumeration is an opportunity to identify and register people who are eligible to vote, but have not yet registered. The information collected in an enumeration is used to prepare the provincial voters' list. Referendum An electoral event in which registered voters are asked to express their opinion on a matter of public interest or concern. During a referendum, registered voters mark a ballot in response to one or more questions. A referendum was administered in 1962 to decide if Jamaica should have remained in the West Indies Federation. By-elections A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections. Usually, this occurs when the incumbent has died or resigned, but it may also occur when the incumbent becomes ineligible to continue in office, for example, because of a recall or a sufficiently serious criminal conviction. By-elections have also been called as a result of a constituency election being invalidated due to voting irregularities. In Jamaica, by-elections were held in at least two constituencies because individuals who won in the last election had dual citizenship, which conflicts with constitutional obligations that all parliamentary representatives must uphold. Activities 1. Define EACH of the following: a. Electorate b. Electoral system c. Differentiate between a floating and swing voter 2. Why do individual parties present a manifesto? 3. Give THREE reasons why by-elections are held in a country. 4. As a voter, suggest ONE strategy that may promote cooperation among supporters of political parties after a general election. State why your strategy may be successful.