American Politics And Government: The President, Congress And Supreme Court

Submitted By ihateschool987
Words: 2227
Pages: 9
Open Document
The President, Congress and Supreme Court
American politics and government is based on the Constitution. This describes the rights US citizens have and separates the power of the three branches of Government: the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary.
At national level the Executive is the federal government headed by the President and Vice President, who are elected for at most two four year terms. The USA President is often said to be the most powerful elected world leader. He (it has never been a she so far) is Commander in Chief of the armed forces, head of the federal government with the power to appoint the cabinet (who are not elected unlike most of the UK cabinet) judges and other important officials. He recommends laws to Congress. However the separation of the power and the checks and balances built into the system impose limits on presidential powers. The President and cabinet cannot be part of Congress and have to get Congress' approval to pass laws, approve the budget or declare war. Even when the President's party has a majority in one or both houses, Senators and Congressmen/women are more independent than British MPs and will not always support the President's plans. When a President is getting near the end of his eighth year in office he is seen as ‘lame duck' since everyone knows he will soon be out of power.
The Supreme Court is an important feature in American politics and has the power to declare governmental actions unconstitutional.
Both houses in Congress have important powers. Both are involved in the passing of laws. The Senate has 100 Senators, two from each state, elected for 6 years. The Senate tends to spend quite a bit of time on foreign affairs and national issues. The House of Representatives has 435 members, elected for two years. The House of Representatives is more concerned with domestic and local issues.
In 2008, US citizens elected Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. This was a historical event as it marked the first time a non-white has held the highest office in American politics. President Obama’s candidacy and election victory received intense worldwide media coverage. State and Local Government
The USA, as its name implies, has a federal system. Each of the 50 states has its own government headed by a State Governor, like a President on a smaller scale, and it own legislature split into two houses, Senate and House of Representatives as well as a State Supreme Court. American states have more power than Scottish councils or even the Scottish Government. For example they decide on state taxes and policies on law: the penalty for murder varies from state to state, some have the death penalty some do not.
At a more local level there are cities and counties which elect their own mayors and councils. Many posts in the US are elected, eg the local head of police (in the UK this would be the Chief Constable) is appointed by the local authority police board. This means that officials in the USA are very concerned about public opinion.

US Parties and Elections

The two main parties are the Republicans and the Democrats. It is important to realise that these only operate as national parties at election times. Comparisons with the two big UK parties can be misleading. The Democrats tend to be supported by poorer people, ethnic minorities and city dwellers. The Republicans draw more support from rural areas, longer established and better off families. However local issues can have a big effect.
Candidates, especially for President, have to secure the nomination of the party through a complicated system of primaries, caucuses and then conventions. In practice to succeed in American politics you need money. Presidential candidates spend million of dollars on their campaigns. Presentation and personality are often more important than policies. Looking good and competent on TV is seen as essential.
The 2008 Presidential campaign was also notable
Show More

Related Documents: American Politics And Government: The President, Congress And Supreme Court

US politics Essay

Mr. West, in a radio interview Monday morning, said he feels used by Mr. Obama and he’s not going to think about the president anymore. “I’m not gonna mention him no more, I’m past that,” Mr. West said of the president on Philadelphia station Hot 107.9. “That’s out my thoughts. That’s lowering my priority of thinking at this point.” The rift is probably not causing the president to lose any sleep. Mr. Obama has referred to Mr. West at least twice publicly as a “jackass,” including once in 2009…

Words 400 - Pages 2

Polarization in Us Politics Essay

Analyze the evidence that American politics is becoming more polarized. If so, is this a reaction to the polarization of political elites? Approx 1500 words 13/12/10 "The election of 2008... marked the end of an epoch. No longer could Republicans count on the basic conservatism of the American people, the reflexive hostility to candidates who favour big government" (Darman, 2010, 34) In the 1970s and 1980s there was a consensus that the importance of political parties was in decline…

Words 1683 - Pages 7

Us Politics Research Paper

Pollution of U.S. Politics 72 trillion gallons of water and 360 billion gallons of chemicals.1 That is the amount needed to run the current U.S. gas wells for hydraulic fracturing. This destructive and polluting method of extracting natural gas has been going on since 1998 by giant U.S. energy corporations. How is it possible that such an extreme extraction method has been going on for all these years? In the documentary Gasland, director Josh Fox exposes the corrupt fracking industry and how…

Words 1557 - Pages 7

Essay on us politics affirmative action

One of the main arguments for affirmative action is that, it works. Between 1960 and 1995, the percentage of black people aged 25-29 who graduated from university rose from 5% to 15%. However affirmative action soon received criticism from the US supreme court, in the case of Regents of the university of California v. Bakke (1978). The court imposed limitations on affirmative action, to ensure that providing greater opportunities for the minority did not come at the expense of the rights of…

Words 602 - Pages 3

Isam and US Politics Midterm Notes Essay

for you to go. *US rescued 100 people going on pilgrimage. 3) Fasting during Ramadan. Not eating reminds to focus on religious-self-spiritual development. 4) Jahada- I testify there is one God and Muhammad is only the messenger. Public proclamation of faith. Different with Shiis. 5) Zakat (charity); focused on means of the community. -Sharia: not really Islamic law. Answers questions not answered by God. To help encourage people on path towards God in Quran? -Suffra: EARLY US AND MUSLIM WEEK…

Words 2693 - Pages 11

A. P US Gov And Politics Study Guide Answers

A.P US Gov. and Politics Study Guide Answers 1. Democracy is a system of government in which, the people regularly have a say in what goes on in their lives. 2. Three things that are wrong with the Articles of Confederation are that there was no foreign policy, the government couldn’t levy taxes, and there was no standing army. 3. A unitary system of government is where there is a powerful central government and some regional governments. A federal system…

Words 3607 - Pages 15

Britons to British Essay

Religion and Politics: Differences Between the US and the UK When asked to respond to the prompt, “the ‘religious right’ in the US continues to exert political sway. Why is this not also true in the UK?” there are many ideas that come to mind. Firstly, it is important to understand what the ‘religious right’ is, and why it has anything to do with politics, let alone have sway in political matters. In addition, one must consider the differences between the US and the UK in terms of how the mix of…

Words 843 - Pages 4

Questions On Relative To Other States

PDP Tech innovation Deficit/debt Natural resources Domestic politics/internal stability Military power (international capabilities/scope/network of allies across the world) Technology e.g. drones, sophisticated means of projecting influence Defence spending US – 37% China – 11% Russia – 5% Saudi Arabia – 3.8% France – 3.5% Soft power (influence, attraction, cultural influence) Media Pop culture Education (US with the largest number of international students – training future…

Words 2826 - Pages 12

Fear In Society

Second, the condition must harm a significant number of people. Third, society must recognize the condition as a problem and believe that it must be changed in order to progress in the future as a society (Best 1999:6). The Social Origin The politics of fear meets the first criterion of a social problem. Fear, when used politically, is a social construct. It is exploited in American societies to promote control and compliance. It is also considered social in nature because it has the potential…

Words 1127 - Pages 5

Political Participation In Canadian Politics

As a result of these tragedies, Canadians become less interested in politics, even skeptical at the thought of Canadian politics and the level of political participation has declined. More accurately, EKOS Research data shows that the proportion of Canadians who trust their government has decreased from sixty percent to twenty-eight percent over the span of forty years. In return, MPs were asked to discuss strategies moving forward. To start with, orientation and training is described as essential…

Words 540 - Pages 3