Nauru became independent in 1968. The President is the Head of State and Head of Government and appoints the cabinet from among members of parliament. This is unicameral with 18 seats, members being elected by popular vote every three years.
Revenues come from the export of phosphates.
This has given Nauru one of the highest per capita incomes in the developing world. However, incomes are set to drop dramatically in the future, since the supplies of phosphates are nearly exhausted. The government has invested in trust funds to soften the deficit, though in the past it has also borrowed from these funds to make good a fiscal deficit. A Reform Programme, instituted in association with the Asian Development Bank, has been in place since 1998. The study interviewed eight individuals whose voices are rarely heard in public.