The Westminster System and Corruption - 828 Words

Evaluate Whether the Westminster Model System of Government Adopted by English Speaking Caribbean Countries Accommodates Corruption as a Way of Governance. The Westminster System is a democratic system of government modelled after that of the United Kingdom, as used in the Palace of Westminster, the location of the UK parliament. The system is a series of conventions and procedures for operating a legislature. Between 1962 and 1983, the majority of Britain’s Caribbean colonies gained independence. Yet while the colonial power had formally departed, it left in place political institutions and norms based on Britain’s Westminster model of government. The essential features of the system are: ï‚ § The Government is chosen by the†¦show more content†¦Criticisms Cabinet members do not have much independence to actively disagree with government policy, even for productive reasons. A cabinet member may be forced to resign simply for opposing one aspect of a governments agenda, even though they agreed with the majority of other proposals. Westminster cabinets also have a tendency to be very large. As the cabinet is the chief organ of power and influence in the government, members of parliament may actively lobby for a position in cabinet once their party is elected to power. The Prime Minister, who is also party leader, will have an active interest in promoting as many of these members from their own party as possible. Westminster governments usually do not have a very strong tradition of separation of powers, in practice (apart from the separation between the executive/legislature and the judiciary). Though the head of state, be it governor-general, monarch, or president, will have nominal powers to check those of the prime minister, in practice these individuals are usually regarded as little more than figureheads who are expected not to actively intervene in day-to-day politics. Prime ministers under any Westminster system have ample freedom to appoint aShow MoreRelatedAustralia vs China Political Structures Essay1339 Words   |  6 Pagesjudiciary (law enforcing and dispute resolving function) is vastly different between the two nations as can see when we compare and contrast the underlying principles of each system of government. Firstly, both nations claim to uphold the concept of the rule of law, although due to corruptive forces surrounding the Chinese court system, this concept is often t hwarted and equality before the law is not upheld. Within the constitutions of both nations the basic principles of separation of powers have beenRead MoreThe New Zealand Essay1391 Words   |  6 PagesThe New Zealand (NZ) government essentially operates under the Westminster Parliamentary system (Palmer, 3). This system was derived from the British structure and adopted in 1947 (Palmer, 4). The defining characteristic of this system include the separation of government into three branches, the judicatory, legislator and the executive, with each preforming different roles in the law forming process (Palmer, 5). There is no-absolute separation of power between these different branches, especiallyRead MoreThe Life and Influence of Martin Luther Essay1339 Words   |  6 Pagesrewarded for good works, but any other work is going to cost you something only the Church can give. Sadly it seems as if many of the people in the Church recognized the fact corruption was within the church an d its people. In Reformation of Church and Dogma Pelikan says, â€Å"Although they conceded that the system was liable to corruption and had been invented to compensate for the decline in Christian devotion, the opponents of the Reformation retorted that the indulgences were, for that very reason, neededRead MoreThe During World War II1567 Words   |  7 Pagesconquered and occupied by the Japanese Empire from 1942 to 1945. British Military Administration was formed to govern the island until March 1946. Much of the infrastructure had been destroyed during the war, including electricity and water supply systems, telephone services, as well as the harbor facilities at the Port of Singapore. There was also a shortage of food leading to malnutrition, disease, and rampant crime and violence. 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Just the other day, I was reading Hebrews 12 and I saw the importance and vital necessity of God’s discipline and afflictions--is there not hereRead MoreGlobal governance institutions, from the International Monetary Fund to the World Trade900 Words   |  4 PagesOrganization, are little loved. They are often perceived as bastions of sclerotic mediocrity at best and outright corruption at worst. In the wake of the 2008 financial crash, Daniel W. Drezner, like so many others, observed the smoking ruins of the global economy and wondered the extent to which global governance institutions have affected the post-recession, international system. In The System Worked, Drezner contends that despite the massive scale and reverberations of this latest crisis (larger, as