Social Studies Notes on Governance - Trinidad and Tobago

Flashcards about Rules and Regulations, Government Functions, and the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament

What are Laws?

The official system of rules by which a country is governed.

What are Rules?

A set of principles stating how something should be done or how people should behave.

What are Rewards?

Something given for good behaviour or being kind.

What are Sanctions?

Penalties for disobeying laws or rules.

Why are rules and regulations made?

To protect our safety and to encourage civic values to help us live together in harmony.

What are civic values?

Good attitudes, virtues, qualities, behaviours etc… that are expected of good citizens of a nation.

When did Sir Ellis Clarke serve as President of Trinidad and Tobago?

1st August 1976 to 24th September 1976 and then again from 24th September to 19th March 1987.

When did Noor Hassanali serve as President of Trinidad and Tobago?

20th March 1987 to 17th March 1997

When did A.N.R. Robinson serve as President of Trinidad and Tobago?

March 19, 1997 - March 17, 2003

When did George Maxwell Richards serve as President of Trinidad and Tobago?

17th March 2003 to 18th March 2013

When did Anthony Carmona serve as President of Trinidad and Tobago?

18th March 2013 to 19th March 2018

What is the Senate?

The appointed upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago.

What is a secret ballot?

A method of voting in which each person writes their choice on a piece of paper so that no one else knows how they have voted.

When did Eric Eustace Williams serve as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago?

1962 until his death in 1981.

When did George Chambers serve as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago?

30th March 1981 - the 18th December 1986.

When did A.N.R. (Artur Napoleon Raymond) Robinson serve as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago?

18th December 1986 to 17th December 1991.

When did Patrick Manning serve as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago?

17th December 1995 to 26th May 2010.

When did Basdeo Panday serve as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago?

9th December to 24th December 2001.

When did Kamla Persad Bissessar serve as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago?

26th May- 9th September 2015.

How often are general elections held in Trinidad and Tobago?

Every five years.

How many constituencies are found in Trinidad and Tobago?

41

What is the Elections and Boundaries Commission?

A government department which supervises elections and is responsible for ensuring that elections are free and fair.

What are some ways candidates usually campaign for elections?

Holding large public meetings, distributing pamphlets, broadcasting on the radio and television, arranging house-to-house visits.

Who is declared the winner in each constituency after the votes have been counted?

The candidate who gets the most votes in each constituency.

How is the Prime Minister chosen?

The political party which wins most of the constituencies/ seats wins the general elections and therefore, forms the government. He/she is usually the leader of this party.

What are General elections?

An election usually held at regular intervals in which candidates are elected in all or most constituencies of a nation or state

What is a Constituency?

A body of voters in a specific geographical area who elect a representative to sit in the House of Representatives; the area represented in this way.

What is the House of Representatives?

The House of Representatives is the elected lower house of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago.

What are some of the courts in the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago?

The Senate, The High Court (this includes the Family Court), Court of Appeal

Who are some key legal officials in the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago?

The Chief Justice, Judges of the High Court and Court of Appeal, and Magistrates.

What is a bill?

A proposal for a new law.

What does Veto mean?

To reject/ turn down

Who makes up the executive arm of government?

The Prime Minister and other Ministers who are chosen by him and appointed by the President.

What is the Minister responsible for in his or her Ministry?

To defend the Ministry's performance in Cabinet and in Parliament.

What maintains the laws of Trinidad and Tobago?

The Police Service and the Judiciary (courts and judges)

Who is the current Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago?

Mr. Justice Ivor Archie

What comprises the Judiciary?

The Supreme Court of Judicature and the Magistracy.

What are the three branches of government in Trinidad and Tobago?

The Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary.

What does the Legislature/Parliament consist of?

The House of Representatives, the Senate and the President.

What are the main functions of the Legislature?

To make laws of the country and help to maintain peace and order in society.

What are the functions of the Opposition in Parliament?

Comments / debates on any Bill/ policy laid in Parliament, Introduce bills to improve the governance of the country, Ensure that there is accountability and transparency by the ruling party.