The politics of development: a comparative analysis of Jamaica and Israel

Abstract

This thesis seeks to illustrate the shortcomings of the majoritarian political model in promoting democratic values and facilitating development as is evident in Jamaica. Instead, it is hypothesized that a centripetal democratic model that has proportional representation, a multi-party system and allows for coalition governments, like in Israel, is better for democracy and development as a whole. The study looks at the conceptualization of democracy and how electoral engineering affects good governance and development in small states. The research focuses on the quality of democracy in Jamaica and Israel by looking at specific variables to determine the extent of good governance. In the end, Israel acts as a research control in finding a political solution to the socio-economic and political issues of Jamaica.