INTRODUCTION

TO CIVICS

CIVICS
Civics

is the study of the rights and

responsibilities of citizens.

It

focuses on the nature and significance

of government and society and is
closely related to politics.

As

such Civics is often referred to as the

science of government or the science of
politics.

Topics to explore.
Citizenship

Rights and responsibilities of a citizen

Constitution
Government
Parliament
Local Government
The Civil Service
Ministries
The Judiciary
How a Bill Becomes Law

Garveyism

Citizenship
Citizenship

is defined
as Membership in a
state, nation , country
with guaranteed rights,
privileges as well as
duties and
responsibilities.

What is Citizenship
Citizenship

of Jamaica is
acquired through Birth,
marriage or naturalization.
Naturalization- The process
by which a foreign citizen
becomes a citizen of a new
country.

Rights & Responsibilities of

Citizens
As Citizens we all have rights.
These are:
Protection of right to life
Protection from arbitrary arrest
Respect for private and family
life
Protection for privacy of home
and property

Rights (CONTINUED)
Protection of freedom of
conscience
Protection of peaceful
assembly
Protection from
discrimination
Protection of expression

Rights Continued
Rights to fair trial
Right to vote
Freedom of worship
Freedom of
movement

Rights.
One

of the
greatest right of
citizen is to share
in the government
of the country.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Every citizen or member of a
community is obligated to:
1. Pay his/her share of tax that is
levied for the good of the
community;
2. Obey the laws of the land
3. Serve as a witness in the
court if summoned
4. Serving on a jury if called

Voluntary
Responsibilities
Being

loyal to one's country

Understanding and using the
Judicial process accordingly
Being an active member in
the community
Being an active member in
civic organizations

Voluntary
Responsibilities
Voting

properly and wisely in

elections
Being a cooperative citizen with
law enforcement agencies
Being well informed on current
affairs or issues
Being helpful and respectful to
one's neighbours

Government
The

term government
refers to the way in
which a group of
political officials
conduct the affairs of
the country on behalf of
the citizens who
elected them (L.C.

Govt- Continued
The

System of
government in Jamaica
is Democratic. This is
so because the
government is elected
by the people. Election
occurs every five years.

From

this election the

parliamentarians are
decided.
Parliament comes from
the Latin word
Parliamentum which
means "a talking shop".

FUNCTIONS OF PA RLIAMENT

The

functions of Parliament
are to enact laws for the peace
order and good government of
the country and to evaluate
proposals for new and
amended legislation;
to carry out the existing laws
and to provide taxation money
for the work of Government.
The life of Parliament is five
years.

Composition of Parliament
The

Jamaican Parliament
consists of two Houses the Senate/Upper House
and House of
Representativess/The
Lower House. The work of
Parliament is done
through both houses.

PARLIAMENT
Parliament

has legal
supremacy. This means
that Parliament has the
highest authority within
the Constitution. It is the
Parliament that effects
changes within the
Constitution.

MAIN POLITICAL
PARTIES
PEOPLES
NATIONAL
PARTY
(PNP)

JAMAICA LBOUR
PARTY (JLP)

Party leaders..

Party Control since 1944

The

parties and their

control of the
Parliament since the
first election under
Universal Adult
Suffrage are as follows:

Parliament is composed of:

The Governor General - who is the
representative of Her Majesty the
Queen, who appoints him on the
advice of the Prime Minister.
A Senate comprising 21 persons, 13
from the governing party and eight
from the opposition. Senators are
appointed by the Governor General on
the advice of the Prime Minister.
The role of the Senate is to review the
legislation passed by the House of
Representatives

The

House of
Representatives consists
of persons who being
qualified for election as
Members in accordance
with the provisions of the
Constitution have been
elected, one for each
constituency and are
known as members of
Parliament. There are
sixty (60) members in the

 The

Prime Minister, the Governor

General, and the House of
Representatives form the Cabinet.

The

Cabinet is the centre of the the

whole system of Government as it
initiates all Government policies and
programmes and is responsible for
the general direction and control of
government.

This

is the most instrumental body

for policy and decision making as it
relates to the development of the
country.

Local Government
There

are 13 Local Government Councils,

one for each Parish and Kingston and St.
Andrew incorporated as one Parish for
the purpose of Local Government.

Local

Government provides those public

services and amenities which are local in
the sense that they are intended for
citizens of the local communities.

Local

Government Services include:

Roads and Works, Water Supplies, Public
Health, Social Welfare, Fire Brigade.

Civil Service
The Civil Service is the middle force
between the politicians and the public.
It is a complex organization of
employees who are expected to serve
the constituted, elected and reigning
Government.
The Executives in Government set
mandates for the Civil Service. Before
policies decided by the government are
effected, the civil servants have to
break them down into workable
programmes.
The main Civil Service officer in each
Ministry is the Permanent Secretary.