Adult Suffrage and Political Administrations in Jamaica 1944-2002

Description

Since 1944, the Jamaican people, without ethnic or religious strife, civil war, military coup, one-party dictatorship, assassination of political leaders, insurgency or genocide, have voted out governments and voted in opposition parties in free and fair elections – a record in democratic governance equaled by only a handful of stated worldwide.

In Adult Suffrage and Political Administrations in Jamaica, 1944−2002, Trevor Munroe and Arnold Bertram, both active participants in this process, document critical aspects of this record.

Illustrated and enhanced with over 445 tables and figures, key features of this publication include:

the elections through which the consolidation of democracy occurred

■ the representatives – their gender, education, occupation, age – whom the people chose to form 13 successive governments and parliaments

■ the laws that the legislature passed and the institutions governments established in building a modern democratic state

■ advances and failures  – political, economic, social and cultural – of each administration

■ comparison of the performances of successive administrations

■ the critical challenges facing the Jamaican people and the new leaders.

This book is a critical reference tool for anyone interested in Jamaican political history.