US Political System

US Political System
Historical background
The Constitution of the USA is the oldest written constitution in force. It dates back to 1787 and is one of the
most significant legal documents in the world, as it has served as a model constitution for many other nations.
It laid the foundations of representative democracy and set up a political structure for the USA.
The Founding Fathers wanted a government where one person did not have too much power. With this in
mind they wrote the Constitution to provide for a separation of powers, meaning there are three separate
branches of Government; each having its own responsibilities. The system of checks and balances enables them
to check the powers of the other two in order to maintain a balance of powers.
The three branches of government are: the Legislative, the Executive and the Judicial branch.
The three basic principles of the Constitution

The most important principles of the US Constitution are: federalism, the separation of powers and the rule of
law
Federalism means that the power is divided between the central (federal) government and the state
governments
The rule of law means that no person, not even the President is above the law
How is Power divided?
Legislative Branch
The Congress (the legislative branch of
the government) consists of two
houses: The House of Representatives
and The Senate
The 435 members of the House of
Representatives are elected directly by
the voters for a two-year-term. The
seats of the House are distributed
among the states in proportion to their
population.
Representatives must: 1. be at least 25
years old, 2. be a US citizen for the past
7 years, 3. live in the state they
represent
Members of the Senate are elected for a
six-year-term (one-third of the Senate is re-elected at a time). Each state sends two senators.
Senators must: 1. be at least 30 years old, 2. be a US citizen for the past 9 years, 3. live in the state they
represent.
Executive Branch
The executive branch of Government makes sure that the laws of the United States are obeyed. The President
of the USA is the head of the executive branch, helped by the Vice President, the Department Heads (Cabinet
Members) and the heads of independent agencies.
President: leader of the country and commander of the military
Vice President: President of the Senate and becomes President if the President can no longer do the job
Departments: Department Heads advise the President on issues and help carry out policies
Independent Agencies: help carry out policies our provide special services
The President of the United States
The President is the head of the executive branch. He (along with the Vice President) is elected for a four-year-
term in a national election. He plays a large role in making America’s laws. His job is to approve the laws that
Congress creates. When the Senate and the House approve a bill, they send it to the President. If he agrees with
the law, he signs it and the law goes into effect.
If the President does not like the bill, he can veto it. If that happens, it will most likely never become a law.
Congress can override a veto but to do so two-thirds of the Members of Congress must vote against the
President.
The President however cannot write bills. He can propose a bill, but a member of Congress must submit it for
him.
The President must: 1. be a natural-born U.S. citizen of the United States, 2. be at least 35 years old, 3. be a
resident in the United States for at least 14 years.
The Judicial Branch

The Judicial branch of government is made up of the court system. The Supreme Court is the highest court in
the land. Courts decide arguments about the meaning of laws, how they are applied, and whether they break
the rules of Constitution.
The Supreme Court is made up of 9 Justices. One of these is the Chief Justice. They are appointed by the
President and must be approved by the Senate. Justices have their jobs for life, unless they resign, retire or are
impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate.
Political Parties
The two main political parties in the United States are the Democrats and the Republicans.
Democrats generally believe that the federal state governments should provide and subsidize social and
economic programs for the poor, the old, the sick, and other needy groups.
Republicans encourage private enterprise and wish to limit the role of the government.
Due to these different economical principles Republicans usually accuse Democrats of wastefulness (tax and
spend economics), while Democrats claim that Republicans are socially insensitive.

US Political System

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US Political System

The three basic principles of the Constitution

How is Power divided?

The Judicial Branch

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