politics.doc

1、1American Politics and Government SystemThe United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States (the head of state and head of government), Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereig

2、nty with the state governments. Federal and state elections generally take place within a two-party system.1. The ConstitutionThe government of the United States is based on a written constitution, the Constitution of 1789, which creates the basic structure of the federal government. The Constitutio

3、n is built on six basic principles. These are deeply ingrained in the mindset and landscape of US Government. Popular Sovereignty - This principle states that the source of governmental power lies with the people. Limited Government - The US government does not derive its power from itself. It must

4、follow its own laws and it can only act using powers given to it by the people. Separation of Powers - The US Government is divided into three branches so that no one branch has all the power. Each branch has its own purpose: to make the laws, execute the laws, and interpret the laws. Checks and Bal

5、ances - Each branch of government has a certain number of checks it can use to ensure the other branches do not become too powerful. For example, the president can veto legislation, the Supreme Court can declare acts of Congress unconstitutional, and the Senate must approve treaties and presidential

6、 appointments. Judicial Review - This is a power that allows the Supreme Court to decide whether acts and laws are unconstitutional. Federalism - One of the most complicated foundations of the US is the principle of federalism. This is the idea that the central government does not control all the po

7、wer in the nation. States also have powers reserved to them. 2. Three Branches of GovernmentThe Constitution created three separate branches of government. Each branch has its own powers and areas of influence. The three branches are: Legislative Branch - This branch consists of the Congress which i

8、s responsible for making the federal laws. Congress consists of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Executive Branch - The Executive power lies with the President of the United States who is given the job of executing, enforcing, and administering the laws and government. The Bu

9、reaucracy is part of the Executive Branch. Judicial Branch - The judicial power of the United States is vested in the Supreme Court and the federal courts.23. The PresidencyThe President is both the head of state and the head of government, as well as the military commander-in-chief and chief diplom

10、at. Within the executive branch, the President has broad constitutional powers to manage national affairs and the workings of the federal government and he may issue executive orders to affect internal policies.The President may sign or veto legislation passed by Congress and has the power to recomm

11、end measures to Congress; The President has the power to make treaties (with the advice and consent of the Senate) and the power to nominate and receive ambassadors; He has the power to pardon criminals convicted of offences against the federal government, enact executive orders, and (with the conse

12、nt of the Senate) appoint Supreme Court justices and federal judges.The President is elected for a fixed term of four years and may serve a maximum of two terms. Elections are always held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.4. The Congress4.1 The House of RepresentativesThe House

13、 of Representatives is the lower chamber in the bicameral legislature known collectively as Congress. The House consists of 435 elected members, each of whom represents a congressional district and serves for a two-year term. The House also has four non-voting delegates, bringing the total formal me

14、mbership to 440. House seats are apportioned among the states by population according to each decennial census. Members of the House are elected by first-past-the-post voting in every state except Louisiana and Washington, which have run-offs.4.2 The Senate The Senate is the upper chamber in the Con

15、gress. It consists of 100 members, each of which represents a state and serves for a six-year term (one third of the Senate stands for election every two years). Each state has two Senators, regardless of population, and, since there are 50 states, then there are 100 senators.The Senate must give ad

16、vice and consent to many important Presidential appointments. However, the consent of both chambers is required to make any law. Activity in the Senate tends to be less partisan and more individualistic than in the House of Representatives.The original intention of the authors of the US Constitution

17、 was that the Senate should be a regulatory group, less politically dominant than the House. However, since the mid 19th century, the Senate has been the dominant chamber and indeed today it is perhaps the most powerful upper house of any legislative body in the world. 5. The Supreme CourtThe Suprem

18、e Court is the highest court in the United States. The court deals with matters pertaining to the federal government, disputes between states, and interpretation of the Constitution. It can declare legislation or executive action made at any level of the government as unconstitutional, nullifying th

19、e law and creating precedent for future law and decisions.3The Supreme Court consists of nine Justices: the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justices. They have equal weight when voting on a case and the Chief Justice has no casting vote or power to instruct colleagues. The Jus

20、tices are nominated by the President and confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate. As federal judges, the Justices serve for life and can be removed only by resignation or by impeachment and subsequent conviction. 6. Political Parties however the High Court of Justiciary remains the supre

21、me court for criminal cases in Scotland. The Supreme Court is now the ultimate court of appeal in all legal matters other than criminal cases in Scotland.The British judicial branch is extremely complex. Unlike most countries which operate a single system of law, the UK operates three separate legal

22、 systems: one for England and Wales, one for Scotland, and one for Northern Ireland. 5. Political Parties Three parties currently dominate the national political landscape in Britain: the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, and the Liberal Democrats.In addition to these three main parties, there a

23、re some much smaller UK parties (notably the UK Independence Party and the Green Party) and some parties which operate specifically in Scotland (the Scottish Nationalist Party), Wales (Plaid Cymru) or Northern Ireland (such as Sinn Fein for the nationalists and the Democratic Unionist Party for the loyalists).