American Politics Lecturer: Qin Jie 1 Aims Get to know the basic political system of America. Get to know the general principles behind the system. 2 Overview: Organization The United States is the world's oldest surviving federation. It is a constitutional republic. The government is regulated by a system of checks and balances defined by the . Constitution. In the American federalist system, citizens are usually subject to three levels of government, federal, state, and local. 3 General Principles The form of government is based on 3 main principles: federalism, the separation of powers, respect for the Constitution & the rule of law. 4 The Constitution A federal union of 50 states The Constitution follows two principles: Federal system Separation of powers 5 The Constitution Federal System The 50 states have the right to self-government. A separation of powers between two levels of government: the federal government and the state government 6 Separation of power Political power divided into 3 branches: 1. Legislative – exercised by the Congress 2. Executive – headed by the President 3. Judicial – executed by the Supreme Court 7 Three Branches Legislative: (The Senate and the House of Representatives) makes federal law, declares war, approves treaties, has the power of the purse, and has the power of impeachment. Executive: The president is mander-in-chief of the military, can veto legislative bills before they e law, and appoints the and other officers. Judicial: The Supreme Court and lower federal courts interpret laws, and can overturn laws they deem unconstitutional. 8 The Governments The state government has the primary functions of providing law and order, education, public health and most of the things concerning day-to-day life. The Federal government at Washington is concerned with foreign affairs & with matters of general concern to all the states merce between the states. 9 The , made up of the heads
