The Church believes that there is need for accountability in any society. Absolute powers must not be allowed to exist. There must be a system of checks and balances which prevents any individual, institution or government from having free reign over the society.

“The Magisterium recognises the validity of the principle concerning the division of powers in a State: it is preferable that each power be balanced by other powers and by other spheres of responsibility which keep it within proper bounds. This is the principle of the ‘rule of law', in which the law is sovereign, and not the arbitrary will of individuals”

This highlights the importance of institutions such as the Cabinet, Parliament and the Judiciary being kept separate. The Cabinet for instance is the executive arm of the government who makes and implements policy decisions.

However the Parliament serves as a check on the Cabinet, as many important policy decisions such as the national budget and changes in legislation must go before the Parliament (House of Representatives and the Senate) which includes opposition and independent members. It is at the Parliament that the Cabinet is held accountable. This is necessary to ensuring that the common good is maintained and always remains top priority.

Another source of accountability is the citizenry. “In the democratic system, political authority is accountable to the people. Representative bodies must be subjected to effective social control.

This control can be carried out above all in free elections which allow the selection and change of representatives. The obligation on the part of those elected to give an accounting of their work — which is guaranteed by respecting electoral terms — is a constitutive element of democratic representation.”

Trinidad and Tobago recently came out of national general elections. Many persons underestimate the importance of exercising the right to vote as a citizen. This is the citizen’s way of saying – I am satisfied or dissatisfied.

 The run up to elections is one of the ideal opportunities for politicians especially the incumbent government to highlight what it has done since being elected. Citizens must demand this information from their representatives.

 “In their specific areas (drafting laws, governing, setting up systems of checks and balances), elected officials must strive to seek and attain that which will contribute to making civil life proceed well in its overall course.”

“Those who govern have the obligation to answer to those governed, but this does not in the least imply that representatives are merely passive agents of the electors. The control exercised by the citizens does not in fact exclude the freedom that elected officials must enjoy in order to fulfill their mandate with respect to the objectives to be pursued. These do not depend exclusively on special interests, but in a much greater part, on the function of synthesis and mediation that serve the common good, one of the essential and indispensable goals of political authority.”

What this last paragraph highlights is while we, as individual citizens, have the right to make demands of those we elect, elected persons in pursuit of the common good must be given the space to exercise some authority. 

Next week we look at the moral components of political representation.

Persons interested in purchasing the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church can contact the Justice Desk, Archbishop’s House at 622-6680. Also on sale at the Justice Desk is Responses to 101 Questions on Catholic Social Teaching.