Bahamas: Government Structure

The Bahamas operates under a parliamentary democracy modeled on the Westminster system inherited from the United Kingdom, a framework formally established by the constitution adopted at independence in 1973. As a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the country recognizes the British monarch as ceremonial head of state, represented domestically by a Governor-General who performs largely symbolic constitutional functions.

Executive authority rests with the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister, who is typically the leader of the political party commanding a majority in the House of Assembly. The Cabinet must include at least nine ministers, among them the Attorney General, and is responsible for the general direction and control of government policy. Legislative power is vested in a bicameral Parliament composed of the House of Assembly, whose forty members are directly elected for five-year terms, and the Senate, a sixteen-member appointed body whose members serve on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

Judicial authority is separate from the executive and legislature, vested in a Judicature comprising the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. This division of powers, combined with regular elections and an active multi-party system, has provided the institutional foundation for the Bahamas' governance since independence, reflecting the broader Westminster tradition shared by many of its Caribbean neighbors.