Transcript Contrasts in Governing

Contrasts in Governing
Chapter 6 Lesson 3 p. 208
Contrasts in Governing
 Central
America and Caribbean have history
of different governing traditions.
Limited
government – everyone, including
government must obey laws
Constitutions,
statements of citizens’
rights, laws define limits
Unlimited
government – ruler alone has
control
No
limits on ruler’s authority
Central America’s Political Past

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua
independent from Spain – 1821 –
 Formed
federation (union) called it United Provinces of
Central America
 Disagreement
 Some
divided federation
wanted strong central government
 Others
favored states’ rights – idea that the
individual countries or states have greater authority
then central government
Central America’s Political Past

Constitution completed 1824

Abolished slavery

Ended special privileges for wealthy landowners

Disagreements ended United Provinces of Central
America
Central America’s Political Past

Belize under British control

Panama became part of Colombia

1830s each country independent republic – citizens vote
for officials who represent them

Wealthy landowners supported dictators – wanted
privileges they had lost
Central America’s Political Past

Dictators took control of government in
sudden/violent ways
 Used
same way to keep control

People formed guerrilla groups (small group of
soldiers not part of regular army whose goal is to
overthrow the dictatorship)

Civil wars common – a war between people of same
country
Democracy in Central America

Today – all seven Central American countries democracies

Democracy – people in each country elect head of government and
legislature to make country’s laws

Belize – parliamentary democracy like Canada – prime minister
with help of Cabinet carries out operations of Belize government
 Legislature
makes laws
 Part
of Commonwealth of Nations because of colonial ties with
Britain
 British
monarch official head of government – has little say in
governing
Democracy in Central America

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
Nicaragua, Panama

All republics – three separate branches of
government

President – head of government

Legislature – makes laws

Judicial branch – decides if laws are fair
Democracy in Central America

Costa Rica – has important traits of democracy
 Free
elections, majority rule, participation of political
parties, a guarantee of individual rights
 Constitution
guarantees rights that government cannot
take away
 Freedom
 Right
of speech, equality before the law,
to own property, to assemble and to petition
 Petition
– formally ask for government action
Governing the Caribbean
 Haiti
– former French colony
First
republic in Caribbean
Controlled
all of Hispaniola until 1844
Dominican
Republic declared
independence
Late
1800s Europe losing interest in
Caribbean colonies
Governing the Caribbean

United States playing more active role in region

1898 United States won Spanish-American War

Cuba independent

Puerto became Untied States Colony

1917 – purchased what is now US Virgin Islands
from Denmark
Governing the Caribbean

Dictators controlled Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic –
early 1900s

1959 guerrilla leader – Fidel Castro and his supporters
overthrew dictator
 Said
goals were to bring equal rights to all Cubans and
solve many of Cuba’s economic problems
 Introduced
communism – a system in which all property
and all means of production belong to the people as a
group
Governing the Caribbean

Dictators continue to rule Dominican Republic and
Haiti
 Attempts
made to set up democracy – failed
 Social
and economic problems – people among
poorest in world
GDP
(Gross Domestic Product) $1,340
Life
expectancy 49 years
Governing the Caribbean

1950s other islands became independent or gained selfgovernment – control over local matters

1952 – Puerto Rico adopted constitution – made it a
commonwealth of United States – people of Puerto are
United States citizens
 Exercise

self-government
1954 United States provided for regular legislature in
Virgin Islands (St. John, St. Thomas, St. Croix)
 Made
them self-governing dependent territory – people
also United States citizens
Governing the Caribbean

Britain, France, Netherlands have dependencies
in Caribbean – not complete self-government

Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands,
Montserrat – dependencies of Britain
 British
citizens
 Each
has governor appointed by British
Parliament
Governor
holds all authority
Governing the Caribbean

Britain – still has strong ties with islands that
were once British colonies
 Parliamentary
democracies modeled after
British Government
 Members
of British Commonwealth
Antigua,
Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados,
Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Lucia,
St. Vincent, Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago
Governing the Caribbean

Martinique, Guadeloupe, half of island of St.
Martin – dependencies of France
 Leader
call a prefect
Chosen
by government in France
People
considered French citizens
Elect
Sends
members to local legislature
representatives to French national
legislature
Governing the Caribbean

Netherlands has similar relationship with its
Caribbean island dependencies
 Aruba,
half of St. Martin, Netherlands Antilles
 Netherlands
controls defense and relations with
other countries
 Locally
elected officials tend islands’ other
governing needs