The American System of Government

Chapter 4 We the People Dividing Power The Ameri dissolve frame of G overnment The Basics Americans confine distrusted any concentration of policy-making super force play ever since its founding American form of giving medication was written implement in a Constitution o1787, afterwards thirteen colonies gained independence from outstanding Britain Tyranny of King George III the Americans wanted to lick trusdeucerthy no person was totallyowed to have too much power Representative body politic Elected representatives who could be regularly shifted out oPower rested with the spate federal official official ashes oIndividual offers which give only certain specific powers to a key governing body activity oFederalism The separation of powers oDivided the power into three oNo ace is too unchewable Federalism The federal government can only do what it has specifically been assumption the power to do in the Constitution oDelegated powers by the states Reserved powers argon for the states and the people oState rights The states gave the federal government power over the following atomic number 18as oForeign personal business (treaties and relations with impertinently(prenominal) countries) oDefense (defending the ground and declaring war) oMonetary policy oTrade (among states, between states and government, between the nation and early(a) countries) Separation of powers Breaking power into three oThe executive (the death chair) oThe legislative ( copulation) oThe Judicial (Supreme appeal) Main idea power could never be combine at a lower place one populace oThreaten people and democracy The Founding Fathers created the outline of checks and balances oEach of the branches can limit the power of two The sexual congress legislative powers devil put up the Ho practice of Representatives and the Senate The smaller states were afraid of being controlled of the gravidr states The chassis of representatives each state got in the Ho use of Representatives was based on the macrocosm of the state In the Senate, each state was given two representatives no matter how small or large Congress has the power to de voting laws (legislation) oLevy taxes oDecide how federal specie is use No one in the federal government gets paid nonhing gets funded unless Congress has passed a bill approving the use of money Members of the House of Representatives Congressmen o435 members, all its members atomic number 18 elected all(prenominal) two geezerhood (democratic) Members of the Senate Senators o100 members, two from each state, elected for six stratums of the time (stable) Checks on Congress oThe chair can veto a bill by refusing to sign it The Supreme Court can assign laws un shapingal The President executive powers The President is Head of State and represents the people of the US at home and abroad The President is Chief Executive oHeads all federal organizations, has a cabinet with governmental advisors The P resident is Commander-in-Chief oHe is direct of the armed forces of the only superpower in the world. Only Congress can declare war, but the President can ask Congress for the power to use necessary force The President is Chief Diplomat Decides unconnected and defense policy, appoints ambassadors, sets up embassies and negotiates treaties (only become law if two-thirds of the Senate approves) The power of the President has increase since 1787, he leads three one thousand million people who work for this branch of the government Checks on the President oThe Supreme Court can declare his actions unconstitutional oCongress can interpolate or refuse to pass the legislation suggested by him oCongress can override a presidential veto with a two-third mass oCongress and Supreme Court can impeach the President (remove him) The Supreme Court judicial powers Highest court in the land, all courts must accept its indication of the law States have their own laws and their own supreme cour ts, but if thither is a conflict, the federal law overrides the state law (to distinguish sure the law is applied the same way everywhere) Decides what laws are in submission and what laws are unconstitutional A law that is unconstitutional is null and spoil, no longer valid Nine members of the Supreme Court oNine to list sure it cant split evenly o arbitrators are appointed for life Checks on the Supreme Court oCongress can change the Constitution Congress and the Supreme Court can impeach a Supreme Court Justice Checks and balances in action Every year the President must submit a bill for federal reckon to Congress Congress never passes it as it is, twain the House and the Senate make changes If president gets a bulk, he may then accept a compromise. He can refuse to sign the bill, and send it back to the Congress, both must a compromise Appointing a Supreme Court Justice When a justice dies, the President nominates a judge to fill the coffin nail Since the President can ch oose mortal he dumbfounds beneficial for the job, he Senate must first approve ratify the choice before the President can appoint a nominee If it does not, the President must find someone else (checks and balances) Separation of powers advantages and disadvantages It has worked as intended It has kept government under democratic control When Ric threatening Nixon broke the law (Watergate scandal) he was forced from ability On the other hand, when the President is a Democrat and Congress has a majority of Republicans (or vice versa), the division of powers can paralyze the governmental remains some(prenominal)(prenominal) say it wouldve been better with a parliamentary democracy (the Congress chooses the President).In that way, the budget would always pass in congress However, this would give the President a lot to a greater extent power State government American states are real states oThey make their own laws, collect their own taxes, have their own upbeat strategys, poli ce forces, educational constitutions and so on intimately governing goes on at the state and local levels Any American is bound to respect federal law, state law and local metropolis and county law Most states use the federal government as a model for their state government oAll have a written constitution All practice the separation of powers into three branches The executive branch is headed by a Governor The legislative branch is split up into two chambers (except Nebraska) All states have a state supreme court and dampen court systems The 50 states are all assorted, and are looked at as 50 laboratories of democracy, which means that they come with new solutions to new and rare problems The US is proud to have an extremely large degree of local democracy and variationAdvantages and disadvantages Local democracy source of strength and innovation, but hard to govern E. g. the school system. The President and Congress can have an public opinion on what is best for the schoo l systems, but they cant baffle the states to adopt these measures, because education is a state right and not a federal responsibility Variety in cope withity. Some states are rich, some are poor Political Parties in the United States The electoral system thither are two basic things to keep in mind close the electoral system in America oAll federal and state resources are in single-seat alternative dominions Only one representative from each district will be elected oA medical prognosis can win an choice with either a majority of votes, or a plurality of votes The superior is candidate C, because that candidate has a plurality of votes. The winner takes it all. The other votes are wasted. 85306 If A and B goes together and pledges one candidate, that candidate could easily win with 60% of the votes Problems finding someone they both support The US only has two break danceies The Democrats and the Republicans. Both are giant coalitions of wildly different political grou ps. Shooting for the center Both parties are coalitions uncomplete party presents a very clear political profile A clear ideology would send away some interest groups, modify the party Both parties are vague about what they stand for No one wants to come out with strong ideologic statements that might dull away any voters, because to win you have to win the votes of the electorate, which basically is divided into twoThe Democratic political party (donkey) Supports stronger federal authority, more big, willing to use government in the service of the people at the spare down of states rights Wants to involve the federal government in shaping American society (more than the Republicans), reducing the shift between rich/poor Support welfare course of studys more strongly than Republicans Taxes are a resource that can be wisely used Have support in large cities and states on the coasts The Republican Party (GOP, the elephant) More conservative party, support state rights and r esist a large role for the federal government Wants to give a great brood of free play to market economy and are opposed to government regulations of the economy Lower level of taxation Every-man-for-himself tradition, are suspicious of welfare systems Have support in the Midwest and the south and among businesspeople Democrats and Republicans Some Democrats are more conservative than Republicans and some Republicans are more liberal than Democrats. Different histories and tradition Serious political consequences the Republicans have grown more powerful because conservative southerners have left the democrats Advantages and disadvantages of a two-party system Gives a stable foundation to build on Forces the parties to look for voter support from the center of American politics, encouraging moderation, an agreement, a consensus The two-party system helps create such broad agreement Wastes votes of millions who vote for candidates who are not elected oUndermines democracy No directi ons other than leading the country Blocks new ideas and movements (they are drawn into the coalitions) Interest Groups and Lobbyists Joining or supporting a political party is not the only way to influence the political process in America A more direct roadway INTEREST GROUPS oPolitical organizations which seek to influence government policy about one specific issue or related set of issues oCompromise without being part of one of the great party coalitions oCan be more straightforward, aggressive and ideological PACs Political Action Committee Organized specifically to elect (or defeat) politicians or to promote legislation Collects contributions and use them to support or oppose candidates oHard money goes directly to the candidates oSoft money pays for campaigns in various ways Lobbyists Interest groups make use of lobbyists who try to persuade individual politicians to support the interests they represent. They have tardily become more active (16 00034000) Can be done in ma ny ways Taking them out for dinner, paying their way to conferences and seminars, finding jobs for their relatives and so on Lobbyists are found near the centers of power.Spent 2. 4 jillion in 2005 Advantages and disadvantages Make the citizens politically active They show that the rights of freedom of vocabulary and freedom of assembly are being put to good use Some worry about the increasing role of interest groups oWeakened political parties? oSplits the electorate up in warring groups? Another reason for concern is the skyrocketing expense of getting elected Senate campaigns costs minimum 3 million dollars, uprise to 10 million in big states House of Representatives 1 million dollars every two years oA great worry of the money comes from lobbyistsElecting a President To major stages in the election process oDeciding nominees for candidates for President and iniquity President oElecting President and transgression President Primaries winner national linguistic rule nomi nation Vice President/platform campaign election (people) election (electoral college) President The nomination race Exhausting process January June Primaries are held in most states oChoosing a party nominee Earlier they were chosen by state party hosts Not good, because they ended up being controlled by a party elite Decided to choose nominees by a special state-wide election Protects the public from the leadership of its own political parties Primaries are held at different times in different states and often with different rules Each party emerges with a man or a cleaning woman as winner in each of the states holding a principal(a) oWinner is the states delegates at the partys national convention As the primaries proceed, the number of persons test for the nomination is gradually reduced to two or three per party Failure losing support Succeed impulsion and fresh funding Earlier the primary season was longer, and that gave relatively unbeknown(predicate) candidates the chance to gain support oExample Jimmy Carter Recently, primaries are held in the first place and earlier oNo point in holding a state primary after other primary elections have already determined which candidate has a majority of delegates at the national party convention Held as first as possible, on the same day in several states This favors well-known(a) candidates with a lot of money who can campaign in several states Ironically, the money comes from powerful special interests, forces primaries were created to avoid Tickets and platforms Late August/ wee September, a national convention is held in a major metropolis A party chooses its final candidate for President Used to be an exciting event (unknown who would become candidate) These days, the results are almost always already decided from the primaries The nomination is ritual, with balloons and speeches and cheering crowds However, a good deal of interest is still connected to the choosing of a party ticket and the mental home of a party platform. The party ticket is the team of candidates running for President and Vice President The choice of Vice President is up to the President Often a secret until the presidential nomination is reliable A BALANCED TICKET, to reach a broad section of the electorate oCandidate from South, other one from North/West oCandidate is woman, other one is a man oCandidate is conservative, other one is liberal oCandidate is inexperienced, other one is a flavor politician or statesman All interests cant be balanced in two people, but an effort is made once the ticket is clear, the two sit down with the party leadership and write a party platform oThe team will run for election Party platform closest thing to an ideological statement It consists of political statements or promises which together make the partys political program They differ from year to year and election to election, addresses the different issues of the day and unified with new political trends They want to meet the expectations of as wide a group of voters as possible oFuzzy and broad, both parties promise the same thingsThe election and the Electoral College Finally there is the actual election Serious electioneering starts in September and lasts until voting day, the first Tuesday in November The candidates expedition all over the country, speaks at meetings, takes part in official debates, appears on TV, gaining recommendations from serious people, TV-ads, press releases, e-mails, books, pamphlets and etc Expensive, in 1996 it amounted together 448. million dollars. In 2008 it doubled to over 1 billion dollars, 500 million dollars on each. The President and Vice President are not elected directly by the customary vote They are elected indirectly by a majority of the electoral votes cast by the nations fifty states system The 41 days comes from the old days (1787), when it was a lot harder to travel around. Most people didnt know who the candidates were, but they tr usted someone in town.Votes were cast for these men as electors from each state. They assembled, discussed the candidates, and sent their termination to Washington D. C. The candidate who had won a majority of the popular vote in a state got all the electoral votes in the state (Winner takes it all) The Electoral College Each state is given a number of electors mates to its presentation in Congress oTwo Senators + a varied number of Congress man D. C. , which belongs to no state has three electors The number of electoral votes is equal to o435 congressmen o100 senators o3 from the District of Columbia 538 electoral votes To win the Presidential election a candidate must have a majority of these votes, that is 269+1 = 270 votes. It is possible for a President to be elected with a majority of the votes in the Electoral College while having a minority of the popular vote nationwide. oSmall states are over-represented in the Electoral College