Already one of the most impoverished countries in the world, Guyanas economy is experiencing a downward spiral under IMF and World Bank structural adjustment programs (SAPs), which ironically, were designed to boost the economy. This claim is analyzed with respect to three of Guyanas most important industries: logging, mining and sugar.<p>However, while SAPs have been a major force in influencing Guyanas recent development path, the nations colonial inheritance must also be considered. Specifically, this legacy set the conditions under which Guyanas two major political parties, the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) and the Peoples National Congress (PNC), both claiming to be adherents to socialism, came to power. Their policies and actions, influenced by the colonial inheritance, eventually led to Guyanas adoption of austerity measures designed by the international financial institutions (IFIs). This analysis therefore begins with an examination of the rise of these two dominant political parties, the role of colonialism in their emergence and the impact their actions and policies have had in laying the foundations for SAPs. It then turns to examining specifically the effects of SAPs on three major areas of the economy, logging, mining and sugar.<p> This study is significant because it draws attention to the problems associated with SAPs. While structural adjustment has become a widely accepted form of financial assistance over the past two decades, upon closer examination, its negative effects far outweigh the positive ones. Therefore, SAPs should be better tailored to the specifics of Guyanas economy.

Already one of the most impoverished countries in the world, Guyanas economy is experiencing a downward spiral under IMF and World Bank structural adjustment programs (SAPs), which ironically, were designed to boost the economy. This claim is analyzed with respect to three of Guyanas most important industries: logging, mining and sugar.<p>However, while SAPs have been a major force in influencing Guyanas recent development path, the nations colonial inheritance must also be considered. Specifically, this legacy set the conditions under which Guyanas two major political parties, the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) and the Peoples National Congress (PNC), both claiming to be adherents to socialism, came to power. Their policies and actions, influenced by the colonial inheritance, eventually led to Guyanas adoption of austerity measures designed by the international financial institutions (IFIs). This analysis therefore begins with an examination of the rise of these two dominant political parties, the role of colonialism in their emergence and the impact their actions and policies have had in laying the foundations for SAPs. It then turns to examining specifically the effects of SAPs on three major areas of the economy, logging, mining and sugar.<p> This study is significant because it draws attention to the problems associated with SAPs. While structural adjustment has become a widely accepted form of financial assistance over the past two decades, upon closer examination, its negative effects far outweigh the positive ones. Therefore, SAPs should be better tailored to the specifics of Guyanas economy.

This research addresses the question under what conditions will rank and file legislators favor or oppose changes in a legislature’s internal rules of order. The study deviates from previous approaches to the study of legislatures in four primary ways: 1) the study moves from advanced democratized cases of the U.S. Congress and British House of Commons to cases of neo-democracies; 2) the study considers the interaction between the design of the electoral system and its impact on legislature organization; 3) in addition to chamber level factors, party and individual level factors are considered; and 4) the theory considers when legislators will rebel against attempts by party leadership to alter the internal rules of order. The central question focused on is what factors influence legislators’ willingness to speak out or vote against changes in the internal rules of order following a change in the electoral system design. The theory proposed that when it comes to changing the internal rules of order of a legislative chamber, the effective number of parties in the chamber, the effect of proposed changes in the rules of order on legislator behavior, party discipline, and the nature of legislator ambition affect the probability that change occurs. Experimental and statistical methodologies are used to test the hypotheses derived from the theory. Original data were collected from experiments conducted on undergraduate pupils at Texas A&M University. For the statistical analyses, a data set of proposed changes in the rules of order were compiled using archived data from the Colombian Senate and Peruvian Congress. This multi-method approach was used because of the nature of the question under examination and to minimize limitations of the individual methodologies. The experimental analyses demonstrate that the operations of the theory are supported in the controlled environment of the experiment. The results from the statistical analyses were, within the restrictions imposed by the data, consistent with both theoretical expectations and the experimental findings. The most consistent factor influencing change in the rules of order is the effect of the proposal followed by party discipline.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 2001. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 248-257).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International.

Title from title page of PDF (University of Missouri--St. Louis, viewed February 9, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-127).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Supervisor: Chandler Stolp. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Habilitationsschrift--Frankfurt am Main. / Bibliography: p. [241]-250.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio state University, 1940. / On cover: The Ohio state archaeological and historical society. "References cited": leaves 67-72; "General bibliography": leaves 73-78.