Politics in a Half Made Society tells the story of twentieth-century politics in the twin island of Trinidad and Tobago. The book provides a narrative and analytical account beginning in 1925, when the first elections were held, and continuing up to 2001 with the two major political parties in a historical deadlock for which formal constitutional arrangement did no cater.
The book is divided into four sections, each underlining the important stages of Trinidad’s political history, Part One – Prelude to Self-government – deals with Trinidad’s move towards the establishment of party politics between 1925 and 1953; Part Two – The Long Reign of Eric Williams – recounts the political shrewdness of this prime minister and the peculiar challenges he faced while in power; Part Three – Paved with Good Intentions: The Rise and Fall of the National Alliance for Reconstruction – examines the failure of the Chambers administration to sustain the political and economic gains made during the Williams years, covers the attempted coup of 1990 and assesses the NAR’s performance; Part Four – Toward Stalemate: Structural Adjustment, Indian Arrival and Slim Majorities – looks at the political configuration of the 1990s after structural adjustment and Basdeo Panday’s coming to power.
Contents
- List of Illustrations
- List of Tables
- List of Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Prelude to Self-Government
- Part I – The Long Reign of Eric Williams 1956-81
- Part II – Paved With Good Intentions: The Rise and Fall of the National Alliance for Reconstruction, 1981-91
- Part III – Toward Stalemate: Structural Adjustment, Indian Arrival, and Slim Majorities
About The Author
Kirk Meighoo received his PhD from the University of Hull in the UK. He lectured in politics at the University of West Indies before becoming a political analyst for the Sunday Guardian newspaper in Trinidad. He is currently editor of the Trinidad and Tobago Review and a political commentator.
