only because they provide some clear indications of the likely form of a constitution for
the territory.

 While the general pattern of attempting, in a constitution, to address problems
peculiar to the community which the instrument is designed to serve is very much
reflected in the documents, other features of such draft constitutions were distinctly
predictable. This is one consequence of the dominant influence of the the United
States of America in the relationship between that country and the Virgin Islands.

 It is not unusual for colonies in the process of their constitutional and political
evolution to see the model obtaining in the dominant power as the one to strive after.
To illustrate, it is by no means fortuitous that the pattern of constitutional development
of the British West Indian colonies has, in general, been in the direction of ultimately
acquiring, and being able to work, constitutional forms patterned after the British
Westminster model. This is so although features of this model have, in some
instances, been judged to be both incompatible with, and incongruous to, the
circumstances of given former colonies or states. It is, in a sense, understandable that
both the dominant and the subordinate parties in this relationship would be keen to
perpetuate institutions with which they are familiar and into whose working they have
been socialized.10

 Therefore, constitutions drafted so far for the Virgin Islands mirror the American
 concern with the separation of powers doctrine. Relatedly, these instruments reflect
 the concern with having an effective system of checks and balances in place as a
 safeguard against the abuse of governmental power. The keenness to have a bill of
 rights as a feature of such a constitution is also reflected in these attempts.11

 At the same time, since constitutions are also designed to address the peculiar
 problems of the states or territories with which they are associated, and to be reflective
 of their historical development, those drafted for the Virgin Islands have also attempted
 to address problems and issues of particular significance to the circumstances of the
 Virgin Islands. In this regard, the constitution of Puerto Rico was also scrutinized for
 the relevance of the provisions it contained.12

 By way of specific illustrations, clearly, because of considerations of small scale,
 the drafters of previous constitutions favored the unicameral over the bicameral system
 of legislature. The latter, as is well known, is, save in the lone case of Nebraska, the
 common form among the states of the United States. It would, however, be difficult to
 work in the Virgin Islands with its limited population, and where difficulty may be
 experienced in finding an adequate number of qualified persons to service both a
 lower chamber and upper chamber of the legislature.13

 Relatedly, it was proposed that the legislature be elected for a period of four (4)
 rather than the existing two (2) years. This was described as "a major change", and as
 designed to contribute "to the stability and competence of a legislative body.'14