• Political affairs -> Political Systems and Governments

• 0 Comment

Has the Pacific's colonial history had a lasting impact on its political systems and governance practices?

Maddox Lindwall

Hey,

Thanks for bringing up such an interesting question. The Pacific's colonial history has indeed had a lasting impact on its political systems and governance practices. To understand the present-day political and governance scenarios of the Pacific countries, it is necessary to delve into their colonial past.

The Pacific was colonized by various European powers, including Britain, France, Germany, Spain, and the United States, among others. During the colonial period, these powers established political and governance systems that mainly served their interests, neglecting the local population's needs.

Most countries in the Pacific were formerly colonies of the British Empire. British colonialism brought about lasting political and governance impacts in the region. The British introduced a Westminster-style parliamentary democracy with an independent judiciary and civil service in the Pacific. This system still prevails in countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.

However, in some of the Pacific countries, British colonization practices led to the creation of political systems that became unsustainable and resulted in political instability. For example, the Solomon Islands experienced a period of civil unrest and violence in the early 2000s, which was attributed to the Westminster model of governance that failed to consider the country's cultural and ethnic diversity.

French colonialism, on the other hand, brought about a different political and governance system in French Polynesia and New Caledonia. French Polynesia has a unique form of government, which is based on the French system of decentralized governance. The leader of the government, the Territorial President, is elected by the territorial assembly and forms a government of ministers to assist with executive tasks.

New Caledonia, which is now a special collectivity of France, has a unique governance system that is built on cultural and ethnic diversity. It has a three-tiered hierarchy of power-sharing and people-centered government.

The Spanish and American colonialism also introduced governance systems that left lasting political impacts in the Pacific countries. In the Philippines, governed by the United States for over 50 years, the American democratic-style government paved the way for Philippine citizens to take part in the democratic process.

In conclusion, the colonial history of the Pacific indeed had a lasting impact on its political systems and governance practices. Although the Pacific countries have their unique and diverse systems of governance, they are also influenced by their respective colonial pasts. These impacts have left footprints that are still visible today in the political and governance practices in the Pacific region.