英美概况Unit-4-the-political-system-in-the-United

Unit4ThePoliticalSystemintheUnitedStatesFocalpointsThe13BritishcoloniesinAmericaTheArticlesofConfederationThemakingofUSConstitutionTheThreeBranchesoftheFederalGovernmentChecksandBalancesTheBillofRightsPoliticalPartiesOriginal13colonies13unitedcolonieswerenotveryclearabouttheirfuturepoliticalsystemoftheUnitedStatesandabouttheirrelationshipbetweenthestatesandthegovernmentofthenewnation.ArticlesofConfederationThesituationsaftertheWarofIndependence:TheUSwasnotaunifiednationsasitistoday.Eachnewstatehaditsowngovernmentandwasorganizedverymuchlikeanindependentnation.Eachmadeitsownlawsandhandledallofitsinternalaffairs.Afterthewar,thenewstatesagreedtosetaplanofcooperation.ThisagreementwascalledtheArticlesofConfederation.ItwasthefirstconstitutionoftheUnitedStates,agreedtobyCongressNovember15,1777;ratifiedandinforce,March1,1781.Thearticlesestablishedafirmleagueoffriendshipbetweenandamongthe13states.theArticlesreflectthewarinessbythestatesofastrongcentralgovernment.Afraidthattheirindividualneedswouldbeignoredbyanationalgovernmentwithtoomuchpower,theArticlespurposelyestablishedaconstitutionthatvestedthelargestshareofpowertotheindividualstates.UndertheArticleseachofthestatesretainedtheirsovereignty,freedomandindependence.theArticlesofConfederationfailed(why?).ThefailuremademanyAmericansbelievethattheCongressneededmorepower.Inordertostrengthenitspower,theCongressaskedeachstatetosenddelegatestoaconventioninPhiladelphiatodiscussthechangeswhichwouldbenecessarytostrengthentheArticlesofConfederation.ThemeetingwaslaterknownastheConstitutionalConvention,beganinMayof1787.ConstitutionInthecourseoftheConvention,thedelegatesdesignedanewformofgovernmentfortheUnitedStates.TheplanforthegovernmentwaswritteninaverysimplelanguageinadocumentcalledtheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates.TheConstitutionsetsupafederalsystemofgovernmentbydividingpowersbetweenthenational,stateandlocalgovernments.TheConstitutioncalledfortheelectionofanationalleader,orpresident.ItprovidedthatfederallawswouldbemadeonlybyaCongressmadeupofrepresentativeselectedbythepeople.ItalsoprovidedforanationalcourtsystemheadedbyaSupremeCourt.TwomainfearsinwritingtheConstitutionOnefear:onepersonorgroupmightbecometoopowerfulorbeabletoseizecontrolofthecountryandcreatetyranny.Solution:Toguardagainstthispossibility,thedelegatessetupagovernmentconsistingofthreeparts:theexecutive,thelegislativeandthejudicial.(ChecksandBalances)ThethreepartsoftheUSgovernment:theexecutivethelegislativethejudicial.Anotherfear:Thenewcentralgovernmentmightweakenortakeawaythepowerofthestategovernmentstoruntheirownaffairs.Solution:TheConstitutionspecifiedexactlywhatpowerthecentralgovernmenthadandwhichpowerwasreservedforthestates.ThePreambleoftheConstitutionmakesitclearthatthegovernmentissetupby“We,thePeople”anditspurposeisto“promotethegeneralwelfareandsecuretheblessingoflibertytoourselvesandourposterity.”In1791,a“BillofRights”wasaddedtotheConstitutiontoguaranteethefreedomsorthebasicrightsandprivilegesofcitizens.BillofRightsTheBillofRightsadoptedin1791,consistsof10veryshortparagraphswhichguaranteefreedomandindividualrightsandforbidinterferencewithlivesofindividualsbythegovernment.EachparagraphisanamendmenttotheoriginalConstitution.SpecificrightsguaranteedbyBillofrights:Seepages58-59.Other16otheramendmentstotheConstitutionasof1991.(p.56)TheBranchesAtthenationallevel,thefederalgovernmentisfurtherdividedintothreebranches.Thelegislativebranch,symbolizedbytheU.S.Congress,makesthelaws.Theexecutivebranch,symbolizedbytheofficeofthepresidentoftheUnitedStates,enforcesthelaw.Andthejudicialbranch,symbolizedbytheSupremeCourt,interpretstheselawsanddecideswhethertheyarecompatiblewiththeConstitution.LegislativeBranchLegislativebranchismadeupofelectedrepresentativesfromallofthestates.ItconsistsofaCongressthatisdividedintotwoHouses:TheHouseofRepresentativesTheHouseofSenateTheUnitedStatesCapitolservesastheseatofgovernmentfortheUnitedStatesCongress,thelegislativebranchoftheU.S.federalgovernment.ItislocatedinWashington,D.C.,ontopofCapitolHillattheeasternendoftheNationalMall.Powersthatthelegislativebranchhas:MakefederallawsLevyfederaltaxesthatpayfortheworkofthefederalgovernmentDeclarewarsputforeigntreatiesintoeffectEachHousemembersrepresentsadistrictinhisorherhomestate.Thenumberofdistrictsinastateisdeterminedbyacountofthepopulationtakenevery10years.Themostpopulousstate,California,currentlyhas53representatives.Thetotalnumberofvotingrepresentativesiscurrentlyfixedat435.Eachrepresentativeservesforatwo-yearterm.ThepresidingofficeroftheHouseisthespeaker,andiselectedbythemembersofthehouse.TheHouseofRepresentativesTheHouseofSenateItcompriseslawmakerswhoservesix-yearterms.Eachstate,regardlessofpopulation,hastwosenators.ThatassuresthatthesmallstateshaveanequalvoiceinoneofthehousesofCongress.Thetermsofthesenatorsarestaggered,sothat1/3ofthesenateiselectedeverytwoyears.Procedureofmakinglaws:page56.ExecutiveBranchThechiefexecutiveoftheUnitedStatesisthepresident.Thepowersofthepresidency1.propose