The Rule of Law
in The Bahamas
Key Findings from the General
Population Poll 2022
Acknowledgements
The Rule of Law in The Bahamas: Key Findings from the General Population Poll 2022 was produced by the World Justice Project under the research oversight of Alejandro Ponce and the executive direction of Elizabeth Andersen.
The production of this report was led by Ana María Montoya and Tanya Primiani. This report was prepared by Said Aarji, Erin Campbell, James Davis, Joshua Fuller, Skye Jacobs, Ana María Montoya, Santiago Pardo González, Enrique Paulin, Tanya Primiani, Hannah Rigazzi, Natalia Rodríguez Cajamarca, Jeison Sabogal Sánchez, Victoria Thomaides, Carlos Toruño Paniagua, and Moss Woodbury.
Mariana Lopez was the graphic design lead for this report, with support from Raquel Medina. Photo for cover provided by Miguel Davis via UnSplash.
Sampling, fieldwork, and data processing in The Bahamas were conducted by DMR Insights, Ltd., based in St. Lucia. Data collection in the Dominican Republic and Haiti was conducted by CID Gallup, based in Costa Rica. Data collection in Guyana and Jamaica was conducted by StatMark Group, based in the United States. Data collection in Suriname was conducted by D3: Designs, Data, Decisions, based in the United States. Scripting of the questionnaire in the online platform SurveyToGo was conducted by Ezekiel Agwata of Polar Solutions.
The findings in this report are taken from the General Population Poll (GPP) conducted for the World Justice Project in 2022. The GPP’s conceptual framework and methodology were developed by Mark David Agrast, Juan Carlos Botero, and Alejandro Ponce. The methodology for this iteration of the GPP was developed by Lindsey Bock, Ana Cárdenas, Alicia Evangelides, Joshua Fuller, Nora Futtner, Amy Gryskiewicz, Verónica Jaso, Ana María Montoya, Alejandro Ponce, Eréndira González Portillo, Tanya Primiani, Natalia Rodríguez Cajamarca, Victoria Thomaides, and Marcelo Torres.
This report was made possible with the support of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs' Office of Western Hemisphere (INL). The views expressed in this report are those of the survey respondents and do not necessarily represent the views of INL.
© Copyright 2023 by the World Justice Project.
Requests to reproduce this document should be sent to:
Alejandro Ponce
World Justice Project
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Washington, DC 20005, USA
Email: [email protected]
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ABOUT
THIS REPORT
ABOUT THIS REPORT
EFFECTIVE RULE OF LAW reduces corruption, combats poverty and disease, and protects people from injustices large and small. Strengthening the rule of law is an important objective for governments, donors, and civil society organizations around the world. To be effective, rule of law development requires clarity about the fundamental features that define the rule of law, as well as an adequate basis for its evaluation and measurement.
The Rule of Law in The Bahamas: Key Findings from the General Population Poll 2022 presents question-level data drawn from the General Population Poll (GPP), an original data source designed and collected by the World Justice Project. To provide a more in-depth view of trends in perceptions of rule of law in The Bahamas, this report also presents select findings over time and compared to The Bahamas’ regional peers within the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas subregion of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The GPP was conducted between July and August 2022 through face-to-face interviews to a nationally representative sample of 500 Bahamian households. This poll was designed to capture data on the experiences and perceptions of ordinary people regarding a variety of themes related to the rule of law.
This report represents the voices of people in The Bahamas and their experiences with the rule of law in their country.
The data derived from the General Population Poll is presented in this report as thematic briefs, each one highlighting a different dimension of the rule of law from the perspective of Bahamians. These thematic briefs focus on the current rule of law ecosystem in The Bahamas while simultaneously illuminating changes over time and comparisons across the following peer countries in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas region: the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, and Suriname. Each section touches upon perceptions of and attitudes towards the following topics: authoritarianism, fundamental freedoms, corruption, bribery victimization, trust in institutions, the criminal justice system and its actors, police performance, crime victimization, support for victims of crime, and security.
EXECUTIVE FINDINGS
The Rule of Law in The Bahamas: Key Findings from the General Population Poll 2022 provides a comprehensive overview of how citizens perceive and experience the rule of law in The Bahamas alongside comparative findings across the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas. The findings in this report indicate some positive trends in the general public’s perspective on the rule of law in The Bahamas, including low rates of bribery victimization and positive perceptions of personal safety. Despite these positive developments, however, these findings highlight the fact that many challenges—including high perceptions of authoritarian behavior, declining levels of trust in institutions, and negative views on criminal justice system performance—persist. At the regional level, prominent trends include deteriorating perceptions of fundamental freedoms, worsening perceptions of corruption, and weakened confidence in criminal justice system performance.
SECTION 1
Authoritarianism and Fundamental Freedoms
1. Authoritarianism
On average, more than half of all respondents in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas agreed that top government officials engage in authoritarian behavior. Among respondents in the region, on average, Bahamians most often felt that top government officials engage in authoritarian behavior and Haitians least often felt that top government officials engage in authoritarian behavior.
- When asked about authoritarian tendencies in The Bahamas, respondents most often felt that top government officials resort to misinformation to shape public opinion in their favor (77%), attack or attempt to discredit opposition parties (70%), and censor opinions from opposition groups (68%).
- Compared to their regional counterparts, respondents in The Bahamas least often felt that top government officials censor information from abroad (41% of respondents).
2. Fundamental Freedoms
On average, fewer respondents believe that their freedoms of expression, political participation, election, and religion are guaranteed in The Bahamas, Guyana, Jamaica, and Suriname compared to the last year of data collection. In contrast, the average percentage of respondents who believe that these freedoms are guaranteed increased slightly in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Throughout the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas, fewer respondents agreed that people can join any political organization and that people can vote freely without feeling harassed or pressured when compared against the last year of data collection.
- When asked about respect for fundamental freedoms in The Bahamas, respondents had more favorable views on freedoms of political participation, with 87% of respondents agreeing that people can attend community meetings. Conversely, Bahamians had less favorable views on freedoms of expression, with 46% and 48% of respondents agreeing that the media and civil society organizations, respectively, can express opinions against the government.
- Between 2018 and 2022, The Bahamas’ most significant trends in public opinions on freedoms include declines in the perceptions that local government officials are elected through a clean process (down 18 percentage points) and people can vote freely without feeling harassed or pressured (down 16 percentage points).
SECTION 2
Corruption and Trust
3. Corruption
Public views on the pervasiveness of corruption within the legislature and among national government officers deteriorated in almost every country in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas. Within the region, on average, more Haitian respondents reported perceptions of corruption across all actors than their regional peers, whereas Surinamese respondents reported the same least frequently.
- Political parties are considered the most corrupt institution in The Bahamas. Approximately 83% of respondents believe that most or all members of Bahamian political parties are involved in corrupt practices.
- Teachers in public schools are considered the least corrupt actors in The Bahamas, with 14% of respondents reporting that they believe most or all teachers are involved in corrupt practices.
4. Attitudes Towards Corrupt Behaviors
Acceptance of corrupt behaviors in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas is relatively common compared to in the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean. Throughout the region, respondents, on average, most often found a public officer recruited on the basis of family ties and friendship networks to be acceptable. Elected officials taking public funds for private use and company officials asking for a bribe from a job applicant were tolerated the least often. On average, respondents in Haiti most often found certain cases of bribery, nepotism, and embezzlement always or usually acceptable, whereas respondents in Suriname least often found these behaviors acceptable.
- Bahamians most often felt that it was acceptable for a private citizen to offer a bribe to a public official to speed up administrative processes (19%).
- Bahamians least often felt that it was acceptable for an elected official to use stolen public funds to assist his or her community (8%).
5. Bribery Victimization
On average, respondents in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas reported paying a bribe most often in Haiti and least often in The Bahamas. Throughout the region, respondents most frequently had to pay a bribe when interacting with police officers and car registration agency officers in the last 12 months, on average. Respondents least frequently had to pay a bribe when interacting with public utility company officers.
6. Trust
Respondents in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas trust judges and magistrates or people living in their country more than any other public actor, with the exception of respondents in Haiti, who had the most trust in police officers. Respondents in the region expressed the lowest average levels of trust in executive actors or police officers. On average, respondents in Suriname least often reported having some or a lot of trust across all institutions. In contrast, respondents in Guyana reported the highest overall levels of trust.
- Levels of trust in The Bahamas declined across every institution between 2018 and 2022. Trust in police officers declined the most between 2018 and 2022, with 41% of respondents reporting some or a lot of trust in 2022, compared to 58% in 2018.
- In 2022, respondents in The Bahamas most often reported having some or a lot of trust in judges and magistrates (48%) and least often reported having some or a lot of trust in national government officers (35%).
SECTION 3
Security and Criminal Justice
7. Crime Victimization
On average, 29% of all respondents surveyed in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas reported experiencing a crime in the last 12 months. On average, roughly half (51%) of those respondents reported their crime experience to an authority.
- Approximately one-fifth (21%) of Bahamians reported experiencing a crime in the last 12 months, a figure below the regional average (29%).
- More than half (58%) of Bahamian respondents who were victims of a crime reported the crime to an authority and, of those who reported, 62% filed an official crime report.
More than half of all respondents in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas feel safe or very safe when walking in their neighborhood at night, with the exception of respondents in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Perceptions of safety improved in almost every country between the previous round of data collection and 2022. Perceptions of safety declined only in Guyana, where 50% of respondents reported feeling safe in their neighborhood at night, compared to 68% in 2018. Compared to respondents in regional peer countries, Bahamians most often reported feeling safe in their neighborhood at night (82%), while roughly one-third of Haitians (35%) reported the same.
- In The Bahamas, approximately 4 in 5 (82%) respondents reported feeling safe walking in their neighborhood at night in 2022, marking an improvement from 76% of respondents in 2018.
- Bahamian women and Bahamians who had previously been a victim of a crime were less likely to feel safe walking in their neighborhood at night than respondents with other sociodemographic characteristics.
9. Criminal Justice
Across the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas, respondents are, on average, most confident that the criminal justice system ensures equal treatment of victims and least confident that the criminal justice system ensures timeliness. On average, respondents in the Dominican Republic reported the highest levels of confidence in the criminal justice system overall, while respondents in The Bahamas reported the lowest levels of confidence. Average perceptions of the criminal justice system’s overall performance deteriorated in almost every country within the region, with the exception of the Dominican Republic.
- Bahamians were most confident that the criminal justice system is effective in delivering justice (51%) and ensures equal treatment of the accused (47%). Bahamians were least confident that the criminal justice system safeguards the presumption of innocence of defendants (28%) and ensures timeliness (28%).
- Perceptions of adherence to uniform quality of service in the Bahamian criminal justice system worsened the most between 2018 and 2022, with a decline of 24 percentage points.
10. Police Performance
When asked about their impressions of police performance, respondents in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas had the most negative views on accountability and due process and the most positive views on absence of discrimination and public service, on average.
- When asked about their impressions of police performance, respondents in The Bahamas were most confident that:
- Police help them feel safe (73%).
- Police are available to help when needed (71%).
- Police resolve security problems in the community (65%).
- Respondents in The Bahamas were least confident that:
- Police are held accountable for seeking bribes (19%).
- Police are held accountable for violating laws (20%).
- Police are investigated for misconduct (22%).
- In The Bahamas, respondents most often indicated that younger suspects would most likely be at a disadvantage in a criminal investigation.
11. Victim Support
In every country surveyed in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas, less than half of all respondents, on average, believed that victims of crime receive adequate support and protection. Respondents in Jamaica reported the highest average levels of confidence in victim support practices overall, while respondents in Haiti reported the lowest average levels of confidence in the victim support practices overall.
- Bahamians were most often confident that crime victims are believed when they report a crime (64%) and addressed by the police using accessible language (49%).
- Bahamians were least often confident that crime victims receive protection during criminal proceedings to prevent repeated victimization (25%) and receive information and legal advice (26%).
Note: In addition to the data found in regional charts included in this report, comparative data for regional peer countries referenced in the Executive Findings can be found in each country’s respective report.
THEMATIC FINDINGS
SECTION I
AUTHORITARIANISM AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS
AUTHORITARIANISM
CHART 1.
Perceptions of Authoritarian Behaviors
Percentage of respondents who believe that top government officials...
The Bahamas ◆Dominican Republic ◆Guyana ◆Haiti ◆Jamaica
ATTACKS ON ELECTORAL SYSTEMS AND OPPOSITION PARTIES
ATTACKS ON THE JUDICIARY
ATTACKS ON THE MEDIA AND MISINFORMATION
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
CHART 2.
Perceptions of Authoritarian Behavior, by Support for the Current Administration
Percentage of respondents in The Bahamas who believe that top government officials...
Government Supporter Non-Government Supporter
ATTACKS ON ELECTORAL SYSTEMS AND OPPOSITION PARTIES
ATTACKS ON THE JUDICIARY
ATTACKS ON THE MEDIA AND MISINFORMATION
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
CHART 3.
Attitudes Towards Authoritarianism and Rule of Law
Percentage of respondents who agree with the following statements
The president can attack the media, civil society, and opposition groups
The president must respect the media, civil society, and opposition groups
None of the above
The president can undermine independent authorities
The president must respect independent authorities
None of the above
Government efficiency is more important than citizen influence
It is important that citizens have a say in government matters, even at the expense of efficiency
None of the above
The president should not be bound by the laws or courts
The president must always obey the law and the courts
None of the above
It is not necessary to obey the laws of a government that you did not vote for
It is important to obey the government in power, no matter who you voted for
None of the above
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS
CHART 4.
Fundamental Freedoms in The Bahamas Over Time
Percentage of respondents who believe the following statements
EXPRESSION
People can express opinions against the government
Civil society organizations can express opinions against the government
Political parties can express opinions against the government
The media can express opinions against the government without fear of retaliation
The media can expose cases of corruption
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2016, 2018, and 2022
PARTICIPATION
People can attend community meetings
People can join any political organization
People can organize around an issue or petition
ELECTIONS
Local government officials are elected through a clean process
People can vote freely without feeling harassed or pressured
RELIGION
Religious minorities can observe their holy days
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2016, 2018, and 2022
CHART 5.
Perceptions of Fundamental Freedoms in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas
Percentage of respondents who believe the following statements
BHS = The Bahamas DOM = Dominican Republic GUY = Guyana HTI = Haiti JAM = Jamaica SUR = Suriname
EXPRESSION
People can express opinions against the government
Civil society organizations can express opinions against the government
Political parties can express opinions against the government
The media can express opinions against the government without fear of retaliation
The media can expose cases of corruption
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
PARTICIPATION
People can attend community meetings
People can join any political organization
People can organize around an issue or petition
ELECTIONS
Local government officials are elected through a clean process
People can vote freely without feeling harassed or pressured
RELIGION
Religious minorities can observe their holy days
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
THEMATIC FINDINGS
SECTION II
CORRUPTION AND TRUST
CORRUPTION
CHART 6.
Perceptions of Corruption in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas, by Institution
Percentage of respondents who think people in the following groups are involved in corrupt practices
The Bahamas ◆Dominican Republic ◆Guyana ◆Haiti ◆Jamaica ◆Suriname
THE MEDIA AND POLITICAL PARTIES
NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUREAUCRATIC INSTITUTIONS
SECURITY AND JUSTICE INSTITUTIONS
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
CHART 7.
Attitudes Towards Corrupt Behaviors in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas
Percentage of respondents who believe the following behaviors are always or usually acceptable
The Bahamas ◆Dominican Republic ◆Guyana ◆Haiti ◆Jamaica ◆Suriname
BRIBES OFFERED
BRIBES REQUESTED
NEPOTISM AND EMBEZZLEMENT
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
BRIBERY VICTIMIZATION
CHART 8.
Bribery Victimization in The Bahamas and Regional Peer Countries
Percentage of respondents who paid a bribe in the last 12 months to one of the following officers, of those who had a contact with these officers
POLICE OFFICERS
JUDGES AND MAGISTRATES
TAX/REVENUE OFFICERS
CUSTOMS OFFICERS
PUBLIC UTILITY COMPANY OFFICERS
CAR REGISTRATION AGENCY OFFICERS
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
TRUST
CHART 9.
Trust in Institutions Over Time
Percentage of respondents who have a lot or some trust in...
PEOPLE LIVING IN THEIR COUNTRY
POLICE OFFICERS
EXECUTIVE
Local Government Officers
National Government Officers
JUDICIARY
Prosecutors Judges & Magistrates
Public Defense Attorneys
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2016, 2018, and 2022
THEMATIC FINDINGS
SECTION III
SECURITY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRIME VICTIMIZATION
CHART 10.1
Types of Crimes Experienced by People in The Bahamas
Victimization rate, by type of crime
CHART 10.2
Crime Victimization Rates and Reporting
Data on crime victimization and reporting in The Bahamas
Note: For additional information on how Chart 10.1 and Chart 10.2 were produced, please see the Appendix.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
SECURITY
CHART 11.1
Perceptions of Security in The Bahamas Over Time
Percentage of respondents who reported that they feel safe or very safe walking in their neighborhood at night
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2016, 2018, and 2022
CHART 11.2
Impact of Sociodemographic Characteristics on Perceptions of Safety
Likelihood that respondents feel safe or very safe walking in their neighborhood at night
Note: The results in this infographic were obtained from a logit regression. Each point indicates the average marginal effect of the corresponding sociodemographic characteristic on the predicted probability of a respondent to answer “safe” or “very safe” to the question “How safe do you feel walking in your neighborhood at night?” The lines indicate the 95% confidence intervals of each average marginal effect. For additional information on how Chart 11.2 was produced, please see the Regression Key linked in the Appendix.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CHART 12.
Perceptions of the Criminal Justice System in The Bahamas
Percentage of respondents who are confident that the criminal justice system...
2022 2018
Note: For additional information on how Chart 12 was produced, please see the Appendix.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2018 and 2022
CHART 13.
Criminal Justice Actors
Perceptions of criminal justice actors in The Bahamas
Prosecutors Public Defense Attorneys Judges & Magistrates
TRUST IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACTORS OVER TIME
Percentage of respondents who have a lot or some trust in prosecutors, public defense attorneys, and judges and magistrates
PERCEPTIONS OF CORRUPTION ACROSS CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACTORS OVER TIME
Percentage of respondents who believe that most or all prosecutors, public defense attorneys, and judges and magistrates are corrupt
PERCEPTIONS OF EFFECTIVENESS ACROSS CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACTORS OVER TIME
Percentage of respondents who believe that prosecutors, public defense attorneys, and judges and magistrates do their job well
Note: Variables in Effectiveness category are as follows: Prosecutors prosecute crimes committed in an independent manner and are not subject to any sort of pressure; Public defenders do everything they can to defend poor people that are accused of committing a crime; Judges decide cases in an independent manner and are not subject to any sort of pressure.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2016, 2018, and 2022
POLICE
CHART 14.
Perceptions of the Police
Opinions on the effectiveness and legitimacy of law enforcement
EFFECTIVENESS
Serve the Public
Percentage of respondents who believe that the police...
Crime Control and Safety
Percentage of respondents who believe that the police...
LEGITIMACY
Due Process
Percentage of respondents who believe that the police...
Discrimination
Percentage of respondents who believe that the police do not discriminate against suspects based on....
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
Corruption
Percentage of respondents who believe that the police...
Trust and Crime Reporting
Percentage of respondents who...
Accountability
Percentage of respondents who believe that the police...
Note: For additional information on how Chart 14 was produced, please see the Appendix
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
VICTIM SUPPORT
CHART 15.
Perceptions of the Treatment of Crime Victims
Percentage of respondents who are confident that crime victims...
Note: For additional information on how Chart 15 was produced, please see the Appendix.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
PROJECT DESIGN
METHODOLOGY
To present an image that accurately portrays the rule of law as experienced by ordinary people, data in this report is drawn from the General Population Poll (GPP), an original data source designed and collected by the World Justice Project (WJP). The GPP captures the experiences and perceptions of ordinary citizens concerning the performance of the state and its agents and the actual operation of the legal framework in their country.
The General Population Poll used to collect data in The Bahamas in 2022 features several new questions that highlight perceptions on issues salient to the region, including corruption, authoritarian behaviors, police performance, criminal justice, and security. In total, the General Population Poll questionnaire includes 172 perception-based questions and 122 experience-based questions, along with sociodemographic information on all respondents. Additionally, the GPP in The Bahamas was administered to a sample of 500 respondents.
Data Collection
The GPP in The Bahamas was conducted for the WJP's The Rule of Law in The Bahamas: Key Findings from the General Population Poll 2022 with sampling, fieldwork, and data processing by DMR Insights Ltd., based in St. Lucia. DMR Insights Ltd. administered the surveys between July and August 2022, conducting face-to-face interviews using a multi-stage stratified random sampling design. The target population group for this survey included Bahamians aged 18 years or older residing across three regions throughout the country.
SAMPLE SIZE AND SAMPLE FRAME
The General Population Poll in The Bahamas represents an achieved total sample size of 500 interviews distributed proportionally across three regions. DMR Insights Ltd. based the sampling frame on the 2010 census figures from the Bahamas National Statistical Institute, acquiring a proportionally stratified sample by region, age, gender, socioeconomic status, and level of urbanization.
In order to address all relevant topics while controlling the questionnaire length, the World Justice Project split three of the survey modules into two versions (Option A and Option B) and randomly assigned one option to each respondent for each module. These modules included: Hypothetical Situations, Civic Participation, and Institutional Performance. Aside from these modules, the questionnaires are identical. A link to the complete survey instrument, in English, can be found in the Appendix of this report.
SAMPLING
Given The Bahamas’ population size, regions served as the primary sampling unit. Interviewers were assigned a starting point within each primary sampling unit and performed a systemic random route, while paying close attention to target quotas for gender, age, and income. Interviewers used a Kish grid to select respondents. If the selected respondent declined to be interviewed or otherwise did not meet the characteristics of the target quota, the interviewer moved on to the next household.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SAMPLE
COVERAGE: Interviews were distributed across regions to create a nationally representative sample. The majority of interviews (78%) took place in Nassau, followed by 17% in Grand Bahama Island and 5% in Abaco.
GEOGRAPHY: Eighteen percent (18%) of respondents resided in rural areas and municipalities, while 82% of respondents resided in metro areas or cities.
RACIAL AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND: Forty-nine percent (49%) of respondents identified themselves as Afro-Bahamian or “Other,” followed by Indigenous (39%) and Mixed Race (12%).
GENDER: Fifty-one percent (51%) of respondents were female and 49% were male.
EDUCATION: Most respondents (97%) reported that they had received at least a high school diploma or vocational degree and the remaining 3% of respondents received up to a middle school diploma.
RESPONSE RATES
| Eligible household, non-interview | 445 |
| Refusals | 284 |
| Break-off | 73 |
| Non-contact | 88 |
INTERVIEWING AND QUALITY CONTROL
In total, 19 interviewers worked on this project, including 13 female interviewers. Enumerators worked in five groups of three to four interviewers. Interviews were conducted in English.
The supervisory team directly oversaw 10% of all interviews in the field. During data processing, 150 interviews (approximately 30% of the sample) were backchecked via telephone. After quality control, 21 interviews were rejected from the final sample due to abnormal interview length. Interviews averaged 52 minutes in length and ranged from 49 to 88 minutes.
DATA REVIEW AND JUSTIFICATION
As part of the data analysis process, the team consulted several third-party sources in order to contextualize and validate perception-based data captured by the General Population Poll and compare it with the objective rule of law situation in-country. Peer data sources consulted include select indicators measured by the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP)'s AmericasBarometer, Latinobarómetro, Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem), Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Transformation Index (BTI), and Freedom House's Freedom in the World. While certain trends captured by the 2022 General Population Poll in The Bahamas are comparable to trends in perceptions data measured by other indices, the experiences and perceptions presented in this report may not always coincide with the reality of The Bahamas' rule of law performance as measured by other sources.
HISTORICAL DATA
Historical data in this report derives from the WJP Rule of Law Index®'s General Population Poll that is typically administered every two to three years using a nationally representative probability sample ranging from 500 to 1,000 respondents. These household surveys were administered in the three largest cities of most countries until 2018, when the World Justice Project transitioned to nationally representative coverage as the preferred methodology for polling. The historical polling data used in this year's reports was collected in the following intervals: Data for The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, and Suriname was collected in 2016, 2018, and 2022. Data for Haiti was collected in 2021 and 2022. Data for Jamaica was collected in 2014, 2017, 2019, and 2022.
ADDITIONAL COUNTRIES
The Rule of Law in The Bahamas: Key Findings from the General Population Poll 2022 includes comparisons to the following countries in the Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas surveyed by the World Justice Project during the same period: the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica and Suriname. This report is additionally part of a series that presents findings from the following five sub-regions within Latin America and the Caribbean: Andes (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru); Southern Cone (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay); Eastern Caribbean (Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago); Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas (The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname); and Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama). Together, these 26 countries are a portion of the 140 countries and jurisdictions included in the WJP Rule of Law Index 2022 report. Detailed information regarding the methodology of the Rule of Law Index is available at: www.worldjusticeproject.org.
| Country | Polling Company | Methodology | Sample |
| Argentina | StatMark Group | Face-to-face | 759 |
| The Bahamas | DMR Insights Ltd. | Face-to-face | 500 |
| Barbados | DMR Insights Ltd. | Face-to-face | 500 |
| Belize | CID Gallup | Face-to-face | 1,500 |
| Bolivia | Captura Consulting | Face-to-face | 1,000 |
| Brazil | About Brazil Market Research | Face-to-face | 1,109 |
| Colombia | Tempo Group SA | Face-to-face | 1,000 |
| Costa Rica | CID Gallup | Face-to-face | 1,005 |
| Dominica | DMR Insights Ltd. | Face-to-face | 500 |
| Dominican Republic | CID Gallup | Face-to-face | 1,002 |
| Ecuador | StatMark Group | Face-to-face | 1,005 |
| El Salvador | CID Gallup | Face-to-face | 2,010 |
| Grenada | DMR Insights Ltd. | Face-to-face | 500 |
| Guatemala | Mercaplan | Face-to-face | 2,002 |
| Guyana | StatMark Group | Face-to-face | 500 |
| Haiti | CID Gallup | Face-to-face | 507 |
| Honduras | Mercaplan | Face-to-face | 2,000 |
| Jamaica | StatMark Group | Face-to-face | 1,001 |
| Nicaragua | CID Gallup | Telephone | 1,014 |
| Panama | CID Gallup | Face-to-face | 2,023 |
| Paraguay | Datum Internacional S.A./BM Business Partners | Face-to-face | 1,000 |
| Peru | Datum Internacional S.A. | Face-to-face | 1,029 |
| St. Lucia | DMR Insights Ltd. | Face-to-face | 500 |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | DMR Insights Ltd. | Face-to-face | 500 |
| Suriname | D3: Designs, Data, Decisions | Face-to-face | 502 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | CID Gallup | Face-to-face | 1,001 |
APPENDIX
Methodological Materials
GENERAL POPULATION POLL (GPP)
The General Population Poll in the Caribbean was designed to capture high-quality data on the realities and concerns of ordinary people on a variety of themes related to the rule of law, including authoritarianism, corruption, police performance, crime, and security.
VARIABLES USED IN INFOGRAPHICS ON CRIME VICTIMIZATION
This table lists the question-level variables from the General Population Poll used to construct Chart 10.1 and the “Reasons the crime was not reported” table in Chart 10.2.
World Justice Project Crime Rates and Reporting Variable Map
REGRESSION TABLES FOR REGRESSION ANALYSIS USED IN INFOGRAPHIC ON PERCEPTIONS OF SECURITY
This document includes the question-level variables from the General Population Poll used in the regression analysis and the regression results featured in Chart 11.2.
World Justice Project Regression Tables
VARIABLES USED IN INFOGRAPHIC ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
This table lists the question-level variables from the General Population Poll used to construct Chart 12.
World Justice Project Criminal Justice System Variable Map
VARIABLES USED IN INFOGRAPHIC ON THE POLICE
This table lists the question-level variables from the General Population Poll used to construct Chart 14.
World Justice Project Police Performance Variable Map
VARIABLES USED IN INFOGRAPHIC ON PERCEPTIONS OF THE TREATMENT OF CRIME VICTIMS
This table lists the question-level variables from the General Population Poll used to construct Chart 15.
ABOUT THE WORLD JUSTICE PROJECT
The World Justice Project (WJP) is an independent, multidisciplinary organization working to create knowledge, build awareness, and stimulate action to advance the rule of law worldwide. Effective rule of law is the foundation for communities of justice, opportunity, and peace–underpinning development, accountable government, and respect for fundamental rights.
The WJP builds and supports a global, multidisciplinary movement for the rule of law through three lines of work: collecting, organizing, and analyzing original, independent rule of law data, including the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index; supporting research, scholarship, and teaching about the importance of the rule of law, its relationship to development, and effective strategies to strengthen it; and connecting and building an engaged global network of policymakers and advocates to advance the rule of law through strategic partnerships, convenings, coordinated advocacy, and support for locally led initiatives.
Learn more at: worldjusticeproject.org.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
For more information click on the publication.
WJP Rule of Law Index 2022 Insights
Highlights and data trends from the WJP Rule of Law Index 2021
WJP Mexico States Rule of
Law Index 2020-2021
Perceptions and experiences in 32 states
World Justice Challenge 2021
Outcome Report
For more information or to read these reports, visit worldjusticeproject.org/our-work
