Jamaica - Politics, government, and taxation As a member of the
British Commonwealth, Jamaica's government follows the
Westminster Parliamentary model. The British queen is
represented by the governor general, who acts as head of state,
while the prime minister serves as head of the government.
Voters elect members of the House of Representatives, and the
leader of the majority becomes the prime minister. Since earning
its independence from England in 1962, Jamaica has been governed
alternately by the 2 major political parties, the left-leaning
People's National Party (PNP) and the more conservative, pro-
business Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). Unlike in the United
States, where transitions between the 2 major parties have not
marked major swings in policy, Jamaica's 2 parties have often
offered conflicting programs for managing the economy and have
resorted to violence in opposing each other. Throughout the
1970s and 1980s, both parties aligned themselves with rival gun
gangs and fought their political battles i