The American Political System Is Defined As A...

The American political system is defined as a constitutional democracy. Under the Constitution, the federal government has three branches. The legislative power is vested in the Congress and made up of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress makes laws, controls finances of the country. The President is a head of executive branch, who offers bills to the Congress, enforces federal laws, controls foreign policy, serves as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and with the approval of the Senate, makes treaties and appoints secretaries (ministers). President can veto a bill unless Congress by a two-thirds vote shall overrule it. The Constitution of the USA is the central instrument of American government and the supreme law of the land. The president s relationship with Congress is the most important to American politics. Federalism and the Constitution confirmed for both the president and Congress to work constructively together for the benefits of Ameri ca. As for foreign policy, there are significant limits to the presidents power, but the president is the Head of State. The President has the ability to appoint ambassadors and members of the State Department. He is also the commander-in-chief of the military. However, Congress has asserted its authority in foreign policy over the last dozen years. As same as holdings of the armed forces, the President is also the holder of the foreign policy of the United States. Through the Ministry ofShow MoreRelatedWhen Asking Oneself If The Original U.S Constitution Is1521 Words   |  7 Pagesoneself if the original U.S Constitution is democratic, democracy itself must be defined. Democracy is defined as a form of government where all eligible citizens are able to participate equally, either directly, or through elected representatives-majority rule. The original U.S Constitution, including The Bill of Rights, as written is not necessarily a true democratic document, but it is rather a document that calls for more of a constitutional republic. This is true despite the fact that the originalRead MoreDifferences Between the Political and Value Based Definitions of Democracy1318 Words   |  5 Pagesstates the difference between a democracy as a political definition and one as values. Democracy first begins its definition during the time of the Herodotus democracy. It has grown to become associated as a liberal democracy, although originally it is a form of ruling by the people. According to Samuel P. Huntington, â€Å"Democracy is one public virtue, not the only one, and the relation of democracy to other public virtues and vices can only be understood if democracy is clearly distinguished rom otherRead MoreThe State Of The Electoral College1077 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Tyranny naturally arises out of democracy.† These words from the Greek philosopher Plato summarize the most fundamental concern of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention when they considered what the best way to conduct presidential elections would be. While, in concept, democracy sounds like the fairest form of government, in practice, it is less than ideal. Fear of â€Å"tyranny of the majority† prompted discussion over how the president should be elected. The Founders chose the ElectoralRead MoreThe Challenge For Pro perty Qualifications For Voting907 Words   |  4 PagesOne basis of political democracy in this period was the challenge to property qualifications for voting. It began in the American Revolution but culminated in the early nineteenth century. After the Revolution, no new state required property ownership to vote, and in older states, constitutional conventions in the 1820s and 1830s abolished property qualifications, partly because the growing number of wage earners who did not own much property demanded the vote. In the South, however, where largeRead MoreAn Adaptable Constitution and Human Rights1637 Words   |  7 PagesUnitarily speaking, the political discourse that is associated with the United States Constitution is unsettling. The line drawn amongst what can be considered a right seems to fluctuate between obscurity and clarity. Although the fluctuation comes at a period of convenience, it is at whose expense that fluctuation comes, ought to be question. The United State s Constitution and the term â€Å"rights† are politically, socially, and permanently engaged. Out of the political discourse of assessing what constituteRead More1)Name The Ways That The U.S. Judiciary Is Restricted In1266 Words   |  6 Pagesthese restrictions affect the legal environment? The judiciary system is defined by Article III in the Constitution and Section 2 describes the powers and limitations that court system has. The purpose of the judiciary is to handle interpretations of the laws created by the constitution and any disputes that arises between parties, cases may be brought to the court, the court cannot create cases. There are 3 levels in the court system, which is true for the state judiciary as well as the Federal levelRead MoreThe American Revolution1355 Words   |  6 Pages The American Revolution heralded the birth of a new country which by virtue of its founding fathers made all people equal and guaranteed certain very important freedom to all. Despite all this the founding fathers of the new country felt that their ideals were not incorporated into what they dreamt of the country. The United states of America is a democracy as exhibits all features of a democracy but is limited in scope as it is a Republic . The limits of the American democracy was theRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement Of Fareed Zakaria s The Rise Of Illiberal Democracy 1548 Words   |  7 PagesIlliberal Democracy† details his view on elected governments and the ignorance and abuse of their power. He claims that they do not use their powers in the right way and instead deny basic civil rights and liberties. Democracy can be defined numerous ways in different countries. In Zakaria’s definition, to paraphrase, a democracy is viewed as a process of selecting government and is to always mean the rule of the people. In my opinion this definition is very true when associating democracy with countriesRead MoreModern Democratic Governments 920 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy index map for 2012, nearly half of the world’s population was living under democratic governments. Democracy is spreading throughout the world, although growth has slowed, a nd many nations have drawn their political inspiration from the United States of America, which was one of the first to govern under a constitutional republic in the modern era. One of the more unique features of our government, which other countries have attempted to adoptRead MoreCan Nine Minimum Criteria Be Used for a Democracy in Yemen and Saudi Arabia?859 Words   |  4 Pages Schmitter and Karl (1991) listed Robert Dahls seven minimum criteria for a political democracy and developed two of their own (p. 247). Most of the nine criteria, if not all, are irrelevant in my assigned countries, since both my assigned countries are non-democratic. Criteria one gives elected officials constitutional power to make policy. Under this criteria, Yemen and Saudi both differ. Saudi Arabia has a Shura council, which is an advisory body, but they do not enact and enforce laws, only