GOOD GOVERNANCE, CITIZENSHIP AND VOTER PARTICIPATION

Factors affecting voter participation:

a) Campaign issues

b) Candidates

c) Voter attitudes towards government

d) Voter loyalty

e) Voter apathy

f) Education level

g) Demographics (Age)

h) Income level

i) Voter suppression

j) Voter fatigue

FACTORS AFFECTING VOTER PARTICIPATION

1. Low turnout may be due to disenchantment, indifference, or contentment (complacency).

2. Trust in government and in politicians has decreased

3. Introduction of television: as people retreated within their homes and general social participation declined so too did voting

4. Mudslinging and character attacks reduce turnout whilst substantive attacks on a party's record can increase it

5. Elections involving highly unpopular incumbentsgenerally have high turnout

• The decline in voting has also accompanied a general decline in civic participation, such as church attendance, membership in professional, fraternal, and student societies, youth groups, and parent-teacher associations.[

• Voter suppression: In some countries voter turnout is low because citizens are prevented from voting. Prevention could be due to legal, racial, or political reasons.

• Voter fatigue: Voter fatigue can lower turnout. If there are many elections in close succession, voter turnout will decrease as the public tires of participating.

FACTORS AFFECTING VOTER PARTICIPATION

FACTORS AFFECTING VOTER PARTICIPATION

• Ease of voting is a factor in rates of turnout.

• Salience: the perceived effect that an individual vote will have on how the country is run, has a significant effect on turnout.

• Proportionality: how closely the legislature reflects the views of the populace

• Compulsory voting: one of the strongest factors affecting voter turnout is whether voting is compulsory

• Adding barriers, such as a separate registrationprocess, can suppress turnout

FACTORS AFFECTING VOTER PARTICIPATION

• Wealth and literacy have some effect on turnout

• Education: the more educated a person is, the more likely he or she is to vote

• Age of a democracy: much of the impetus to vote comes from a sense of civic duty, which takes time and certain social conditions to develop.

• Demographics also have an effect. Older people tend to vote more than youths

FACTORS AFFECTING VOTER PARTICIPATION

• Bad weather can reduce turnouts

• One of the factors that is most likely to increase turnout is a close race

• Marital status: single people are less likely to vote than those who are married

• Parental turnout is a strong predictor of voting in young people

• Threats of violence against those who vote

GOOD GOVERNANCE

Characteristics of

Good Governance

TransparencyAllowing access

by citizens to information on government’s

activities

ToleranceAllowing

freedom of speech, freedom

of the press, legitimate protests

FairnessTreating all

citizens equally regardless of

race or religion

Efficient Civil Service

Employing the most qualified

persons as civil servants

ConsultationConsult the

population on major

initiatives to be undertaken

Being proactive or responsive to the needs of citizens

Planning ahead to solve potential

problems

Wise use of Resources

Using resources in such a manner that

they will bring maximum benefit

to the country

Independent Judiciary

No one is above the law. The judiciary acts as a check on

the other branches of government

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE

a) Participation

b) Independence of the judiciary

c) Transparency

d) Accountability

e) Responsiveness to the needs of citizens

f) Access to information

g) Prudent use of resources

h) Efficient civil service

i) Consultation

j) Tolerance of freedom of expression

GOOD GOVERNANCE

According to the UN, good governance has eight characteristics.• Consensus Oriented • Participatory • following the Rule of Law • Effective and Efficient • Accountable • Transparent • Responsive • Equitable and Inclusive

ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance which is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving.

RULE OF LAW

• The rule of law means that the law is above everyone and it applies to everyone.

• Whether governor or governed, rulers or ruled, no one is above the law, no one is exempted from the law, and no one can grant exemption to the application of the law.

GOOD GOVERNANCE: IMF

• The International Monetary Fund declared in 1996 that "promoting good governance in all its aspects, including by ensuring the rule of law, improving the efficiency and accountability of the public sector, and tackling corruption, as essential elements of a framework within which economies can prosper.“

• The IMF feels that corruption within economies is caused by the ineffective governance of the economy, either too much regulation or too little regulation.

• To receive loans from the IMF, countries must have certain good governance policies, as determined by the IMF, in place.

Citizenship

CITIZENSHIP

• A citizen is a person who is a native to a country or a naturalized member of a country; who owes allegiance and loyalty to that country and who is entitled to protection from the government of the country.

• There are 3 ways a person can become a citizen of a country or state: birth, descent or naturalization

• Loyalty to two countries can involve a conflict of interests thus dual citizenship is generally forbidden.

Citizenship

• A naturalized citizen enjoys the same rights and privileges as a citizen by birth

• Civil Rights are rights legally granted to citizens by their country and they vary from country to country.

Rights and Freedoms

HUMAN RIGHTS

• The Constitutions of Commonwealth Caribbean countries contain a Bill of Rights which provides the basic legal protection for the rights and freedoms of individuals. The provisions in the Bill of Rights are based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

• The Bill of Rights protects citizens from discrimination on the grounds of race, origin, religion, political opinion, colour or creed.

The Rights of a Citizen

1. The right to life2. The right to liberty3. The right to security of person4. The right to own and enjoy property5. The right to equality before the law and the protection of the law

(The right to a fair trial)6. The right to privacy7. The right to equality of treatment8. The right to join political parties and express political views9. The Right to vote10. The right to an education11. The right to protection from arbitrary arrest12. The right to work13. The right of a parent or guardian to have access to a school of his

choice for the education of his child or ward

The Freedoms of a Citizen

1. Freedom of movement2. Freedom of conscience (to hold political,

religious or other beliefs or views)3. Freedom of religious belief and observance

(freedom of worship)4. Freedom of thought and expression

(freedom of speech)5. Freedom of association 6. Freedom of assembly7. Freedom of the press

UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child

• Children have the right to:– A name and a nationality

– Affection, love and understanding

– Adequate nutrition , housing and medical care

– An education

– Full opportunity for play and recreation

– Special care if mentally or physically challenged

– Enjoyment of these rights regardless of race, colour, sex, religion, nationality or social origin

Duties of a Citizen

• To obey the constitution and laws of the state• To participate in elections• To protect the state and safeguard its wealth and

resources (protect the environment)• To respect the rights and freedoms of others without

regard to race, sex or creed• To pay taxes• To protect public property• To assist the police in maintaining law and order• To serve on a jury when invited• To know his/her rights as a citizen

Limitations on the Bill of Rights Provisions

• There are responsibilities that are associated with the rights and freedoms which we are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.

• The rights and freedoms are not to be enjoyed insuch a way as to prejudice the rights andfreedoms of others or the public interest. Libellaws, for example, prevent individuals from abusing their freedom of speech to make untrue or malicious statements about another individual.

Temporary Suspension of Civil Rights

• Civil rights may be temporarily suspended during a period of public emergency declared by the government e.g where there has been a riot, an earthquake or severe flooding.

• The period of the State of Emergency must bestated.

• During this period the Parliament or cabinet may make any orders which it considers to be in the public interest, including orders to enter and search premises and detain persons.

Why should citizens pay taxes?

Citizens should pay taxes to enable government to collect revenue which can then be used to provide social services.

Questions to consider:

1. Why is freedom of the press essential to a “free” country?

2. Suggest reasons why governments may want to suppress the media.

3. How can people in society lose their human rights?

4. Which world institution instituted the Declaration of Human Rights?

5. Why are citizens basic rights included in the constitution?

Questions to consider…

1. Can we have both equality and individual freedom?

2. Can we have both equality and property rights?

3. Can political and social cohesion co-exist with minority rights?

Vocabulary

• Adult Suffrage: the right of all persons over 21 to vote in general elections

• Electorate: all those who have the right to vote

• Campaign: work in an organised way to achieve a goal

• Franchise: the right to vote

• Limited: subject to barriers which prevent access by all persons

• Cite: quote as evidence for an argument

• Allegiance: loyalty or commitment to a subordinate or superior

• Legislature: the law-making body of a state

• Manifesto: a document produced by members of a political party outlining how they would govern the country if they are successful in an election

• Sovereign: a supreme ruler

• Sovereignty: supreme power or authority / the authority of a state to govern itself or another state

• Stipulation: requirement

• Political party: A political party is a political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns.

• Manifesto: political parties prepare electoral manifestoswhich set out both their strategic direction and outlines of prospective legislation should they win sufficient support in an election to serve in government.

• Ballot: A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed ballots to protect the secrecy of the votes. The voter casts his/her ballot in a box at a polling station. In British English, it is usually called a "ballot paper".

• Candidates: people running for political office

• Floating voter: A swing voter or floating voter is a voter who may not be affiliated with a particular political party (independents) or who will vote across party lines.

• Hung parliament (no clear winner i.e. no clear majority in an election e.g. 18/18) now 41 constituencies. Get someone to cross the floor (switch allegiance), form a coalition or go back to the polls. E.g. 1995 it was 17, 17, 2 and the 2 NAR MPs from Tbgo joined with UNC to form a coalition govt. Later on 2 PNM MPs crossed the floor and joined the UNC/NAR coalition as independent members of parliament.

• Government of national unity: minority govt or hung parliament (coalition govt)

• Constituent: A constituent is any member of a constituency, including those who did not vote for an elected representative.

• Constituency: In politics, a constituency can mean either the people from whom an individual or organization hopes to attract support, or the people or geographical area that a particular elected official represents.

• Voters’ list: The Voters List is exactly what it sounds like. It is the official list of all the people in an electoral district who are eligible to vote.

• Question 2

a) Outline THREE functions of the police service. (3 marks)

b) Give THREE reasons someone who witnesses a crime may not want to report the incident to the police. (3 marks)

c) Suggest TWO ways in which the police can encourage citizens to provide information to help them in their work. (4 marks)

Image sources

• https://spontaneousorder.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Accountability.jpg

• https://www.nhc.nl/assets/uploads/2017/05/ruleoflaw-2000x0-c-default.jpg

• https://www.apubb.ro/goodgovernancestudies/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Good-governance-V2.jpg

• http://droit.u-bordeaux.fr/var/ezdemo_site/storage/images/media/faculte-de-droit-et-science-politique/actus/reunion-info-mobilite-2020-2021/710559-1-fre-FR/Reunion-info-mobilite-2020-2021_Actu.png

• http://www.civicsnetwork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/freedom_of_speech.png