THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, WEST INDIES

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Telephone: (868) 662-2002 Ext. 83232, 82406, 82408 Fax: (868) 662-6295

Title of Course: Law, Governance, Economy and Society

Course Code : FOUN 1301

Course Provider: Faculty of Social Sciences

Level: I

When offered: Semesters I, II and III

Credits: 3

Contact hours: 36

Prerequisites: None

Course Description:
Law, Governance, Economy and Society is a multi-disciplinary course designed to
offer a foundation of knowledge in the field of the social sciences, to students who
would not normally be exposed to any material in this field. As the name implies,
the course is divided into four modules, namely Law, Governance, Economy and
Society. The course exposes students to both the historical and contemporary
aspects of Caribbean society, including Caribbean legal, political and economic
systems. It also exposes students to Caribbean culture and Caribbean social
problems. The course will be delivered through lectures, class discussions and
independent study projects. Assessment is based solely on a final examination at
the end of the semester. The examination is divided into four sections and will
include eight questions drawn from the overall course outline. Students will be
asked to answer three questions. These questions must be drawn from individual
sections and only question can be answered from any one section, e.g. sections A,
B, and C, or A,B, and D or B, C, and D.

Purpose of Course:
This course is designed to prepare students to fit the profile of the UWI graduate by
raising the levels of social consciousness and imbuing them with a good foundation
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in the social sciences. Students will be exposed to the fundamental principles of the
legal system; fundamental concepts in economics and theories of governance and
workings of the political system. This course is also designed to provide students
with an appreciation of the Caribbean Society in relation to social problems, music,
culture and relationships.

Instructor Information: Multiple lecturers based on academic discipline

specialisation.

Letter to the student:

Dear Student,
Law, Governance, Economy and Society is designed to offer a foundation of
knowledge in the field of social sciences. As the name implies, the course is
divided into four modules, namely Law, Governance, Economy and Society.

With regard to Module 1, the Law component in FOUN 1301, the intention is to
expose the student to the fundamental principles of the legal system and its
working. It is not designed to prepare the student for Law School or for the pursuit
of a Law degree. The making of laws and the hierarchy of the legal system together
with fundamental legal principles are vital for any university student who wishes to
add value to his/her degree.

Module 2, the Governance component, is designed to allow the student to

understand some of the basic theories of the State and the working of the political
system. Concepts that are crucial to an understanding of governance issues in the
Commonwealth Caribbean are explained as well as the evolution of the political
system and the challenges of constitutional reform in contemporary times.

Module 3, the economics component, of FOUN1301 is designed to ensure that

students gain a working knowledge of how the economy operates by providing a
general framework for analysing a broad range of economic issues. It is expected
that this understanding of economics, along with the economic history of the
Caribbean region, will enable students to apply the information they have acquired
so that they are better able to understand and analyse economic events that occur at
the national, regional and international level. The study of economics is important
since we all function in an economy and this component of FOUN1301 aims to
prepare students to adjust to dynamic and ever-changing economic conditions and
to evaluate the effect of decision-making on various facets of society. It is made
clear in Units 7 and 8 that economics is not only about finance, but encompasses
aspects such as choice, scarcity and opportunity cost. These are fundamental
concepts in economics and they influence behaviour in most facets of our lives.
Economics facilitates our insight on societal and global interaction and the field of
economics educates us so that we can make better choices and decisions. As a
result, economics is applicable in a wide range of areas, including business,
finance, law, local and national government and society in general.

The Society units in Module 4 are designed to provide the student with an
appreciation of Caribbean society in relation to social problems, music, culture and
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relationships. General sociological principles are aligned with uniquely Caribbean
content to ensure a blend of material that the student will find interesting in trying
to understand Caribbean society as a graduate of the University of the West Indies.

Content:
This course covers the following topics:

Module 1: Law
 Source of Law
 Administration Justice
 Constitutional and subsidiary fundamentals
 Nature and functions of law

Module 2: Governance
 Fundamentals of the State and Governance
 Comparative government

Module 3:Economics
 Fundamentals of economics
 Foundations and growth of Caribbean Economy

Module 4: Society
 Evolution of the Caribbean Society
 Society and Culture in the Caribbean
Goals/Aims:
This course aims to :
 Expose students to the fundamental principles of the legal system and
creation of laws
 Provide students with an understanding and appreciation of Caribbean
society
 Prepare students to adjust to dynamic and ever-changing economic
conditions
 Introduce students to the basic theories of the state and political system

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
 Demonstrate an understanding of the Commonwealth Caribbean Law and
legal systems
 Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of Law and its functions
 Explain the fundamental theories of the State
 Identify the underlying principles of the parliamentary system in the
Commonwealth
 Identify the key features of the Caribbean Economy
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 Explain the major theories of the Caribbean society
 Identify the various sociocultural elements which give the Caribbean its
distinctive character

Assignment:
This course will be assessed solely on a final examination at the end of the
semester.

Assessment:
Students will be evaluated through a final exam which will account for 100% of
their final mark. Students will be asked to answer three questions with each
question being chosen from a different section among sections A, B, C or D. The
final exam paper will include eight questions and will be drawn from the overall
course outline.

Evaluation:
Feedback from students will be collected at the end of the course through course
evaluation questionnaires.

Teaching Strategies:
The course will be delivered through a variety of teaching methods:
 Lectures
 Discussions
 Independent study

Resources:
Course Manual

Recommended readings:

Module 1: Law

Antoine, Rose-Marie Belle. Commonwealth Caribbean Law and Legal Systems.

Chapters 1, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. Cavendish, 1999.

Barnett, Hilaire. Constitutional and Administrative Law (2nd ed., Cavendish

Publishing). Chapter 4, pp. 87 - 125; pp. 127 - 142.

Bradley, A. W. and Ewing, K. D. Constitutional and Administrative Law (12th

ed.), pp. 86 - 98; pp. 414 - 428.

Fiadjoe, Albert. Commonwealth Caribbean Public Law (2nd ed.). Chapter 5, pp.
121 - 138; chapter 9, pp. 191 - 203; pp. 157 - 167.
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Funk, D. A. Seven Major Functions of Law (1972) 23:2 Case Western Reserve
Law Review 257.

Lewis, Sir Allen. The Separation of Powers (Oct. 1978) WILJ 4.

Lustgarten, Lawrence. Socialism and the Rule of Law (1988) 15 Journal of Law
and Society 25.

MA. de la Bastide C. J. The Case for a Caribbean Court of Appeal (1995) 5 Carib
L. R. 401.

Pollard, Duke. The Caribbean Court of Justice (The Caribbean Law Publishing
Company, Kingston, 2004).

Parris, Carl D. Capital or Labour? The Decision to Introduce the Industrial

Stabilisation Act in Trinidad and Tobago. Institute of Social and Economic
Research, UWI, Working Paper No. 11, 1976.

Rawlins, Hugh. The Privy Council and A Caribbean Final Court of Appeal (1996)
6 Carib L. R. 235.

Raz, Joseph. The Rule of Law and its Virtue (1977) 93 Law Quarterly Review 195-
211.

Module 2: Governance:

Ball, A. R. & Guy Peters, B. - Modern Politics & Government

Ball, Terence & Richard Dagger - Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal

Birch, Anthony H. The British System of Government (Ninth Edition, 1993).

Chapters 8 - 13, pp. 118 - 192. Routledge, I I New Fetter Lane, London, EC4P
4EE, United Kingdom). ISBN 0-415 -0893 7-9.

Ebenstein & Ebenstein - Introduction to Political Thinkers

Ghany, Hamid. “Eric Williams and Bi-Cameralism in Trinidad and Tobago" in

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Caribbean Issues, Vol. VIII No. 1, March 1999, pp. 92 - 130.

Ghany, Hamid. Eric Williams: The Constitutional Scholar and the Introduction of
Bicameralism in Trinidad and Tobago in The Journal of Legislative Studies,
Volume 3. Winter 1997 Number 4, pp. 92 - 114. (Frank Cass & Co., London,
England) ISSN 1357-2334.

Ghany, Hamid. “Parliament and Accountability and Scrutiny of Public Officials" in

Policy Change, Governance and the New Public Management by John La Guerre
(Ed.),(School of Continuing Studies, U.W.I., St. Augustine, Trinidad, 2000), pp.18 -
32.

Ghany, Hamid. “Constitutional Interpretation and Presidential Powers: The Case of

Trinidad and Tobago” in Caribbean Dialogue Vol. 6, Nos. 3 & 4, July – December
2000, pp. 23-40.

Ghany, Hamid. The Evolution of the Power of Dissolution : The Ambiguity of

Codifying Westminster Conventions in the Commonwealth Caribbean in The
Journal of Legislative Studies, Volume 5, Spring 1999 Number 1, pp. 54 - 76.
(Frank Cass & Co., London, England) ISSN 1357-2334.

Ghany, Hamid. "The Office of Leader of the Opposition: An Examination of the

Whitehall Version in the Commonwealth Caribbean" in The Journal of Legislative
Studies, Vol. 7, No. 2, Summer 2001, pp. 105 - 122.

Ghany, Hamid.“Parliamentary Deadlock and the Removal of the Prime Minister:

Incumbency and Termination Theory in Trinidad and Tobago” in The Journal of
Legislative Studies, Vol. 12 March 2006 No. 1, pp. 76 – 97.

La Guerre, John Gaffar (ed.). Issues in the Government and Politics of The West
Indies (1997). School of Continuing Studies, U.W.I., St. Augustine, Trinidad).
ISBN 976-620-076-9.

"Commonwealth Caribbean Presidencies: New Directions in the Exercise of State

Power" by Hamid Ghany, pp. 142 – 166 in La Guerre, John Gaffar (ed.). Issues in
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the Government and Politics of The West Indies (1997). School of Continuing
Studies, U.W.I., St. Augustine, Trinidad). ISBN 976-620-076-9.

La Guerre, John Gaffar (ed.). Structural Adjustment, Public Policy and

Administration in the Caribbean.

Le Duc, Niemi, Norris (eds.). Comparing Democracies (1996). Chapter 2,

Electoral Systems, by Andre Blais and Louis Massicotte, pp. 49 - 81. Sage
Publications, 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA. ISBN 0-8039-
5836-6.

McIntosh, Simeon C.R. Caribbean Constitutional Reform (2002) The Caribbean

Law Publishing Company, Kingston, Jamaica ISBN : 976-8167-28-9

David Thomson (ed.) - Political Ideas

Wayne, Stephen J.; Mackenzie, G. Calvin; O'Brien, David M. and Cole, Richard L.
(eds.). The Politics of American Government (Basic Edition, 1995). Chapter 2, pp.
32 - 63 and Chapters 12 - 15, pp. 410 - 589. St. Marin's Press, Inc., 175 Fifth
Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010, U.S.A.) ISBN: 0-312-11168-1.
Module 3: Economics

Pantin, Dennis (ed) The Caribbean Economy: A Reader

Best, L. and K. Levitt 1969. Export Propelled Growth and Industralisation.

Montreal: McGill University, Centre for Developing Areas Studies, Mimeo.
Module 4: Society

Augier, F. R., et al. The Making of the West Indies. London: Longman's, 1960, pp.
3 - 34. (This reading discusses the voyages of Christopher Columbus and the
establishment of the Spanish Empire.)

Beckford, G. L. Persistent Poverty. New York: Oxford University Press, 1972,

pp. 53 - 83.

Craig, S. “Sociological Theorising in the English-speaking Caribbean” in S. Craig

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(Ed.) Contemporary Caribbean: A Sociological Reader, Vol. 11, Maracas: College
Press, 1982, pp. 143-180.

Cross, M. (1977) (ed.). West Indian Social Problems - A Sociological Perspective.

(Pages 1 - 11.)

Hoetink, H. (1985). Race and Colour in the Caribbean in Caribbean Contours by

S. Mintz and S. Price (eds.).

Lewis, G. (1983): Main Currents in Caribbean Thought. Chapter 1.

MacDonald, Leatrice. Caribbean Population Problems in West Indian Social

Problems - A Sociological Perspective. M. Cross (ed.) 1977. (Pages 82 - 98.)

Mintz, S. From Plantations to Peasantries in the Caribbean in Caribbean

Contours by S. Mintz and S. Price (eds.).

Rogozinski, J. A Brief History of the Caribbean, New York: Facts on File, 1992,
pp. 3 - 22.

Samaroo, B. “Two Abolitions: African Slavery and East Indian Indentureship”. In

D. Dabideen and B. Samaroo (Eds.) India in the Caribbean, Warwick: Hansib
Publishing, 1987, pp. 25-41.

World Bank (1991). Urban Policy and Economic Development: An Agenda for
the 1990s. Washington, D.C.

World Bank (1996). Poverty Reduction and Human Resource Development in the
Caribbean. Volume I, pp. 35 - 38; 101 - 106.

Course Calendar:

Week Plenary/Tutorial Topic Discussion

One Lecture: Governance Fundamentals of the State
and Governance
Two Lecture: Governance Comparative Government
Three Tutorial : Governance Fundamentals of the State
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and Governance; and
Comparative Government
Four Lecture: Law Administration of Justice;
Constitutional and Subsidiary
Fundamentals; Nature and
Functions of Law
Five Lecture: Law Constitutional and Subsidiary
Fundamentals; Nature and
Functions of Law
Six Tutorial : Law Constitutional and Subsidiary
Fundamentals; Nature and
Functions of Law
Seven Lecture: Economy Fundamentals of Economics;
Foundations and Growth of
Caribbean Economy.
Eight Lecture : Economy Fundamentals of Economics;
Foundations and Growth of
Caribbean Economy.
Nine Tutorial: Economy Fundamentals of Economics;
Foundations and Growth of
Caribbean Economy.
Ten Lecture: Society Theories of the Caribbean
society; Sociocultural
elements which give the
Caribbean its current
distinctive character; Social
problems in the Caribbean-
poverty, urbanization and
crime
Eleven Lecture : Society Theories of the Caribbean
society; Sociocultural
elements which give the
Caribbean its current
distinctive character; Social
problems in the Caribbean-
poverty, urbanization and
crime
Twelve Tutorial : Society Theories of the Caribbean
society; Sociocultural
elements which give the
Caribbean its current
distinctive character; Social
problems in the Caribbean-
poverty, urbanization and
crime
Thirteen Exam Preparation
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Course Grading System
Pass- 50% and above
Fail- 49% and below

Office of the Dean

Faculty of Social Sciences
nd
2 September, 2014