LECTURE 7 POLITICAL SYSTEM OF THE USA. POLITICAL PARTIES

Plan:

1. General information.

2. Legislative branch of political system.

3. Executive branch.

4. Judicial branch.

5. Political parties of the USA.

General information

The USA is a democracy. The US nation is created on principle that all men are equal. The Constitution, laws and traditions of the USA give people the right to determine who will be the leader of the nation, who will make the laws and what the laws will be. The people have the power to change the system. The Constitution guarantees individual freedom to all.

Another basic of American democracy is the Bill of Rights adopted in 1791. It consists of 10 very short paragraphs which guarantee freedom and individual rights and forbid interference with the lives of individuals by the government. The paragraphs are amendments to the Constitution. In the Bill of Rights American are guaranteed freedom of religion, of speech, and of the press. They have the right to assemble in public places to protest government actions and to demand change. They have the right to own weapons if they wish. Neither police nor solders can stop and search a person without good reason. They cannot also search a person’s home without legal permission from a court to do so.

It guarantees Americans the right to a speedy trial if accused of a crime. The total must be by a jury and the accused person must be allowed representation by a lawyer and must be able to call in witnesses to speak for him or her.

There were 16 other amendments to the Constitution. One forbids slavery and three other guarantee citizenship and full rights of citizenship to all people regardless of race. Another gives women the right to vote and another lowered the vote age to 18.

The political system consists of three branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch, the judicial branch.

Legislative branch of political system

The legislative branch is made up of elected representatives from all of the states and is the only branch that can make federal laws, levy federal taxes, declare war and put foreign treaties into effects. It is represented by Congress which is divided into two groups, called houses:

The House of Representatives comprises lawmakers who serve two-year terms. Each House member represents a district in his home state. The number of districts in a state is determined by a count of the population. There are 435 representatives in the US House of Representatives. The members of this house are called representatives or congressmen (or congresswomen).

The Senate comprises lawmakers, who serve six-year terms. Each state regardless of population has two senators. 1/3 of the senate is elected every two year. That is why there are some experienced senators in Congress after each election.

The main duty of the Congress is to make laws, including those which levy taxes that pay for the work of federal government. A law begins as a proposal called a “bill”. It is read, studied in committees, commented on and amended in the Senate or House chamber in which it was reproduced. If it passes it is sent to the other house where a similar procedure occurs. When both houses of Congress pass the bill on which they agree, it is sent to the president for his signature. Only after it is signed the bill becomes a law.  

The President can approve the bill and sign it; he may sign the bill with a statement expressing his disapproval; or he may simply not sign the bill, in which case it automatically becomes law after ten days. But if the president wants to prevent the bill from becoming law, he vetoes it. But the proposal may still become law if two thirds of each house of congress then votes for it, thus overriding or defeating the president’s “pocket veto” by withholding his signature within ten days of congressional adjournment.

Many members of the Congress are regularly re-elected, and so some of them serve for over 20 years. On the table 7.1 the information about the US Congress is presented.

Table 7.1 - The US Congress

Executive branch

The chief executive of the USA is the President, who together with the Vice-president is elected to a 4-year term. According to the law the president may be elected to only 2 terms. The rights of the vice-president are the succession to the presidency and to be the presiding officer of the Senate.

The powers of the presidency are formidable but not without limitations. He is the chief formulator of public policy, often proposes legislation to Congress. The President can also forbid any bill passed by the Congress. As a head of the political party with ready access to the news media, the President can influence public opinion. He has the authority to appoint federal judges as vacancies occur, including the Supreme Court. But the appointments are confirmed by the Senate.

The President has the right to issue regulations and directives regarding the work of the federal government’s departments and agencies. He is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, sends and receives diplomatic officials. He appoints government heads (secretaries). According to the constitution the President is responsible for foreign relations with other nations. He often represents the USA abroad and negotiates treaties with other countries. The treaties must be approved by a 2/3 vote of the Senate.

According to the Constitution a president’s office is limited to two terms of 4 years each. It also describes how a president can be removed from office (impeachment procedure).

The major departments of the government are headed by appointed secretaries who collectively make up the president’s cabinet. The appointments are confirmed by the Senate. Today there are 15 departments: State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Labor, Health and Human Service, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy and. Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs.

Judicial branch

The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme court, which is the only court specifically created by the Constitution. In addition the Congress has established 13 federal courts of appeal and below them 94 federal district courts. Federal judges are appointed for life or voluntary refinement and can be removed from office through the process of impeachment and trial in the Congress.

Federal courts have jurisdiction over cases arising out of the Constitution; laws and treaties of the USA, maritime cases; issues involving foreign citizens and governments.

The Supreme Court today consists of a chief justice and associated justice. The Court’s most important function consists of determining whether congressional legislation or executive actions violates the Constitution.

The American three-part national government is called a system of “checks and balances”.