The Political System in the__ United States[1]

ThePoliticalSystemintheUnitedStatesGreatSeal国玺baldeagle,thenationalbirdoftheUS.•Thepeacetreatyof1783recognizedtheindependenceoftheUnitedStatesandtheformer13BritishcoloniesalongtheeastcoastoftheAtlanticbecame13statesofthenewnation.Butthepoliticalsystemandtherelationshipsbetweenthestatesandthegovernmentofthenationwasnotclear,aconstitutionwasbadlyneeded.former13BritishcoloniesI.theArticlesofConfederation《联邦条款》•AftertheWarofIndependencewaswon,thenewnationoftheUnitedStateswasorganizedundertheagreementoftheArticlesofConfederationwithaweaknationalgovernmentcalledtheCongress.Eachstatehaditsowngovernment,madeitsownlawsandhandleditsinternalaffairs.ThestatesdidnotcooperatewiththeCongressandwitheachother.•TheCongresshadnopowertoforceanystatetocontributemoneytothenationalgovernmentandtheCongresscouldnottaxanycitizeneither.Asaresult,theArticlesofConfederationfailed.II.themakingoftheU.SConstitution•TheArticlesofConfederationfailed.TheCongressdecidedtoholdaconstitutionalconventiontorevisetheArticlesofConfederation.•Thedelegatesfrom12states(RhodeIslandrefusedtoparticipated)gatheredinPhiladelphiain1787andendupinwritinganewconstitutionandsetafederalsystemwithastrongcentralgovernment.ThePhiladelphiaConvention•TheConstitutionprovidedthatanelectionofthepresidentwouldbecalledfor,federallawswouldbemadeonlybyaCongressmadeupoftheHouseofRepresentativesandtheSenateandaSupremeCourtwouldbesetup.ThisnewConstitutionwasfinallyapprovedbythemajorityofthecitizensinover9ofthe13statesandwasofficiallyputintoeffectin1787.•*Afederalsystemisoneinwhichpowerissharedbetweenacentralauthorityanditsconstituentparts,withsomerightsreservedtoeach.•*toprotectcitizensfromtyranny,a“BillofRights”wasaddedtotheConstitutionin1791.theUnitedStatesCapitol,whichhousestheUnitedStatesCongressIII.TheFederalGovernment•·Thethreebranches—theExecutive,headedbythepresident;theLegislative,includingbothhousesofCongress(theSenateandtheHouseofRepresentative)andtheJudicial,headedbytheSupremeCourt.the3branchesoftheU.Sfederalgovernment•thelegislativebranch(立法机构)ismadeupofelectedrepresentativesfromallofthestatesandistheonlybranchthatcanmakefederallaws,levyfederaltaxesanddeclarewarorputforeigntreatiesintoeffect.ItconsistsofaCongressthatisdividedintotheHouseofRepresentativeandtheSenate.•TheHouseofRepresentativeshas435memberswhoservetwo-yearterms.•TheSenatecomprises100lawmakerswhoservesix-yearterms,while1/3ofthemiselectedeverytwoyears.•Eachstate,regardlessofpopulation,hastwosenators.•theexecutivebranch(行政机构)isthepresident,whoiselectedtoafour-yearterm.Apresidentcanbeelectedtoonlytwotermsaccordingtoanamendmentpassedin1951.•Thepowersofthepresidencyareformidablebutwithlimitations.Thepresident,asthechiefformulatorofpublicpolicy,oftenproposeslegislationtoCongress.•ThepresidentcanalsovetoanybillpassedbyCongress.Thevetocanbeoverriddenbya2/3voteinboththeSenateandHouseofRepresentatives.theWhiteHouse,homeandworkplaceoftheU.S.president•Thepresidentcanappointfederaljudgesasvacanciesoccur,includingmembersoftheSupremeCourt.AllsuchcourtappointmentsaresubjecttoconfirmationbytheSenate.•Thepresidenthasbroadpowers,withtheexecutivebranch,toissueregulationsanddirectivesregardingtheworkofthefederaldepartments.Heisthecommanderinchiefofthearmedforces.•UndertheConstitution,thepresidentisprimarilyresponsibleforhandlingforeignrelations.PresidentGeorgeW.BushwithUKprimeministerGordonBrown•thejudicialbranch(司法机构)isheadedbytheSupremeCourtwithachiefjusticeand8associatejustices.TheFederalcourtshavejurisdictionovercasesarisingoutoftheConstitutionandothercaseswhichdonotariseoutofindividualstates.•TheSupremeCourthasthejudicialreviewpower,thepowerdeterminingwhethercongressionallegislationorexecutiveactionviolatestheConstitution.theUnitedStatesSupremeCourtbuilding•Systemof“checksandbalances(制约与平衡的原则)”ofthethree-partnationalgovernmentworkstokeepseriousmistakesfrombeingmadebyonebranchoranother.IV.theBillofRights(anotherbasicfoundationintheU.SConstitution)•Itwasadoptedin1791andconsistsof10veryshortparagraphswhichguaranteefreedomandindividualrightsandforbidinterferencewithlivesofindividualsbythegovernment.EachparagraphisanAmendmenttotheoriginalConstitution.•IntheBillofRights,Americansareguaranteedfreedomofreligion,ofspeechandofthepress.Theyhavetherighttoassembleinpublicplaces,therighttoownweaponsandsoon.•BecauseoftheBillofRights,neitherpolicenorsoldierscanstopandsearchapersonwithoutgoodreason.Theyalsocannotsearchaperson’shomewithoutlegalpermissionfromacourt.•*Therewere16otheramendmentstotheConstitutionasof1991.So,thereare26amendmentstotheU.SConstitution.V.TwomajorPoliticalParties•theDemocraticParty,whichisthoughttobemoreliberalandthesymbolofwhichisthedonkey•UnderPresidentFranklinRoosevelt’s“NewDeal”,DemocratssetupgovernmentprogramsthatprovidedpaidemploymentforpeoplebuildingdamsandroadsandpublicbuildingsandSocialSecurity(社会保障制度),whichensuresthatthosewhoareretiredordisabledreceivemonthlypaymentsfromthegovernment.(Relief,Recovery,andReform“)TheNewDealandWorldWarII:1933-1945DemocratsregardThomasJeffersonasthefounderoftheparty.Presid