INTRODUCTION

TO CIVICS
CIVICS
Civics is the study of the rights and
responsibilities of citizens.

It focuses on the nature and significance
of government and society and is closely
related to politics.

As such Civics is often referred to as the
science of government or the science of
politics.
Topics to explore.
Citizenship
Rights and responsibilities of a citizen
Constitution
Government
Parliament
Local Government
The Civil Service
Ministries
The Judiciary
How a Bill Becomes Law
Garveyism

Citizenship
Citizenship is defined as
Membership in a state,
nation , country with
guaranteed rights,
privileges as well as duties
and responsibilities.
What is Citizenship
Citizenship of Jamaica is
acquired through Birth,
marriage or naturalization.
Naturalization- The process by
which a foreign citizen
becomes a citizen of a new
country.

Rights & Responsibilities of
Citizens
As Citizens we all have rights. These
are:
Protection of right to life
Protection from arbitrary arrest
Respect for private and family
life
Protection for privacy of home
and property

Rights (CONTINUED)
Protection of freedom of
conscience
Protection of peaceful
assembly
Protection from
discrimination
Protection of expression

Rights Continued
Rights to fair trial
Right to vote
Freedom of worship
Freedom of movement

Rights.
One of the greatest
right of citizen is to
share in the
government of the
country.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Every citizen or member of a
community is obligated to:
1. Pay his/her share of tax that is
levied for the good of the
community;
2. Obey the laws of the land
3. Serve as a witness in the court if
summoned
4. Serving on a jury if called

Voluntary Responsibilities
Being loyal to one's country
Understanding and using the
Judicial process accordingly
Being an active member in the
community
Being an active member in
civic organizations

Voluntary Responsibilities
Voting properly and wisely in
elections
Being a cooperative citizen
with law enforcement agencies
Being well informed on current
affairs or issues
Being helpful and respectful to
one's neighbours

Government
The term government refers
to the way in which a group
of political officials conduct
the affairs of the country on
behalf of the citizens who
elected them (L.C. Ruddock
et al).
Govt- Continued
The System of government
in Jamaica is Democratic.
This is so because the
government is elected by
the people. Election occurs
every five years.
From this election the
parliamentarians are
decided.
Parliament comes from the
Latin word Parliamentum
which means "a talking
shop".
FUNCTIONS OF PARLIAMENT
The functions of Parliament are to
enact laws for the peace order and
good government of the country
and to evaluate proposals for new
and amended legislation;
to carry out the existing laws and to
provide taxation money for the
work of Government. The life of
Parliament is five years.
Composition of Parliament
The Jamaican Parliament
consists of two Houses - the
Senate/Upper House and
House of Representativess/The
Lower House. The work of
Parliament is done through
both houses.
PARLIAMENT
Parliament has legal
supremacy. This means that
Parliament has the highest
authority within the
Constitution. It is the Parliament
that effects changes within the
Constitution.
MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES
PEOPLES NATIONAL
PARTY
(PNP)

JAMAICA LBOUR
PARTY (JLP)

Party leaders..

Party Control since 1944
The parties and their control
of the Parliament since the
first election under Universal
Adult Suffrage are as
follows:
Election Winning Party
Party Leader &
Title
December 14, 1944 JLP
Sir. Alexander
Bustamante,
Chief Minister
December 20, 1949 JLP
Sir Alexander
Bustamante,
Chief Minister
January 12, 1955 PNP
Rt. Excellent
Norman
Manley, Chief
Minister
July 28, 1959 PNP
Rt. Excellent
Norman
Manley, Chief
Minister
April 10, 1962 JLP
Sir Alexander
Bustamante,
Premier
February 21, 1967 JLP
Sir Donald
Sangster Prime
Minister ( Died
in office) Hon.
Hugh Lawson
Shearer April
1967 - February
1972)
February 29, 1972 PNP
Hon. Michael
Manley, Prime
Minister
October 30, 1980 JLP
Hon. Edward
Seaga, Prime
Minister
Feb. 9, 1989 PNP
Hon. Percival
James
Patterson,
Prime Minister
March 30, 1993 PNP
Hon. Percival
James
Patterson,
Prime Minister
December 18, 1997 PNP
Hon. Percival
James
Patterson,
Parliament is composed of:
The Governor General - who is the
representative of Her Majesty the Queen, who
appoints him on the advice of the Prime
Minister.
A Senate comprising 21 persons, 13 from the
governing party and eight from the
opposition. Senators are appointed by the
Governor General on the advice of the Prime
Minister.
The role of the Senate is to review the
legislation passed by the House of
Representatives

The House of Representatives
consists of persons who being
qualified for election as
Members in accordance with
the provisions of the
Constitution have been
elected, one for each
constituency and are known as
members of Parliament. There
are sixty (60) members in the
present Parliament
The Prime Minister, the Governor
General, and the House of
Representatives form the Cabinet.

The Cabinet is the centre of the the
whole system of Government as it
initiates all Government policies and
programmes and is responsible for the
general direction and control of
government.

This is the most instrumental body for
policy and decision making as it
relates to the development of the
country.
Local Government

There are 13 Local Government
Councils, one for each Parish and
Kingston and St. Andrew incorporated
as one Parish for the purpose of Local
Government.

Local Government provides those public
services and amenities which are local
in the sense that they are intended for
citizens of the local communities.

Local Government Services include:
Roads and Works, Water Supplies, Public
Health, Social Welfare, Fire Brigade.

Civil Service
The Civil Service is the middle force
between the politicians and the public.
It is a complex organization of employees
who are expected to serve the
constituted, elected and reigning
Government.
The Executives in Government set
mandates for the Civil Service. Before
policies decided by the government are
effected, the civil servants have to break
them down into workable programmes.
The main Civil Service officer in each
Ministry is the Permanent Secretary.

December 18, 1997 PNP
Hon. Percival
James
Patterson,
Prime Minister
October 16, 2002 PNP
Hon. Percival
James
Patterson,
Prime Minister
September 3, 2007 JLP
Hon. Bruce
Golding,
Prime Minister

December 29, 2011
PNP
Hon. Portia
Simpson-Miller,
Prime Minister