USA Flashcards
Structure of the US government / branches of power
P- One part of the US political system is the executive branch
E- In this section they are in charge of running the country which includes the president and his cabinet.
E- Example the current US president is Joe Biden and his Vice president is Kamala Harris
P- One part of the US political system is the judicial branch
E- In this section they are responsible for making sure everything is legal
E- for example they have 9 supreme court judges in the judicial branch
Participation in elections and politics
P- one way americans can participate is by voting
E- they can vote for several types of representatives including the president and senators
E- People can vote at a polling station or by post. In the 2020 presidential election there was a record number of postal votes due to covid-19
P- One way americans can participate is by standing for election
E- they could stand to become president by entering the primary race
E- they must meet certain requirements to run for election. For example, to be president you have to be at least 35 and an american citizen from birth
Over- representation / those most likely to participate
P- males are over represented in politics and are more likely to participate.
E- politics is often seen as a male dominated field in the USA and males have many more role models encouraging them to vote and stand for election
E- For example currents 76% of senators are males and the president has only been male
P- White people are also over represented and more likely to participate in politics
E- People with higher education and income levels are more likely to run in elections and vote. White people are successful in both these areas .
E- Currently over 70% of the house of representatives are white
Under-representation / those least likely to participate
P- Participation of hispanics is unequal because they are under represented at federal government level
E- This leads to a lack of positive ethnic minority role models which may prevent people from voting or standing as a candidate
E- In 2021 hispanics make up around 18% of the population but only 5% of senators are hispanic
P- females are less likely to participate/ are underrepresented
E- Women are under-represented in the federal government and therefore there is a lack of positive role models to inspire women to run.
E- Currently woman make up over 50% of the population but only 24% of senators are female
Economic power of the USA
P- The US influences other countries due to its gross domestic product
E- The USA has the highest GDP in the world
E- The US dollar is currently the most used international transactions. For example oil is sold in dollars per barrel
P- The US influences other countries through its multinational companies
E- American companies such as nike and amazon operate stores around the world
E- These companies bring profit back to america. However, starbucks has been accused of not paying tax in the Uk
Military power of the USA
P- The USA influences other countries as it is ranked in the global firepower index as having the most powerful military and therefore is a threat
E- The US military budget is the highest in the world at around $700 billion
E- This means that the US military is able to invest in expensive weapons such as nuclear weapons which can be used to threaten other countries
P- The USA also influences other countries by participating in conflicts around the world
E- America is involved in conflict such as leading airstrikes against Islamic state in Iraq and Syria
E- In 2021 Joe biden announces the withdrawal of the Us troops in afghanistan. This led to the taliban gaining control impacting international citizens
Political Power of the USA
P- the usa has a global influence due to its political membership of international bodies
E- The USA is a member of several international bodies including NATO and the UN through which it influences other countries by making decisions on things such as sanctions
E- For example, the USA is one of the 5 permanent members of the UN security council
P- The USA influences other countries to helping tackle global issues
E- The US tries to promote democracy human rights and other global goals in other countries
E- For example Joe Biden attended Cop 26 this will encourage other countries to support climate change measures. If powerful countries like the USA don’t take part others will also be less interested
Rights and Responsibilities of US Citizens ( learn 2 of each)
P-One right is the freedom of speech and responsibly is not to verbally abuse anyone
E- This means that people in the US are free to say what they want or express themselves. Whilst Americans have the right to free speech, they have the responsibility to tell the truth at all times and not verbally abuse anyone.
E- For example they should not be hateful in their speech such as being racist of homophobic.
P- One right is to bear arms and the responsibility is that this should only use this in self defence
E-This means that people have the right to bear arms but it should only be used in self defence. The right to bear arms actually means Americans have the right to own a gun but it should only be used when they need to protect themselves.
E- For example, there are estimated to be as many as 120 guns for every 100 people in the USA.
Causes of economic inequality
P- One reason why hispannics have a low income is due to language barriers
E- Some hispanics struggle to get well paid jobs due to their ability to read,speak and write english
E- This restricts the number of jobs they are qualified to apply for and heightens the chance of a low paid job
P- One reason why african-americans tend to have lower incomes is due to less educational qualifications
E- African- americans are more likely to leave high school before graduation and are more likely to be excluded
E- Those who have not graduated are less attractive to employers. 26% of those who have not graduated high school live in poverty
Causes of social inequality
P- Health inequalities continue to exist in the USA as people have to pay for their healthcare.
E- In 2017 a total of 28.5 million americans did not have health insurance
E- For example 26% of those who have not graduated high school do not have insurance as they have lower incomes and can’t afford it
P- One social inequality that exists is education inequalities
E- Those from poorer areas such as Bridgeport (Conneticit) tend to have lowers levels of education as the houses in that area are lower in price which leads to less people with money living there, which then causes schools to receive less money this is vastly different from those living in affluent areas such as greenwich (connecticut)
E- For example In bridgeport where class sizes hover from a minimum of 29 students use 15 to 20 year old textbooks
Measures to tackle inequality
P- one way in which the government can tackle social and economic inequality is temporary assistance for needy families
E- This is where cash assistance is given to eligible low income families who either have a child or are pregnant. This enables low income families to receive help and allows them to gain money whilst in the process of looking for jobs.
E- however a drawback of TANF is that TANF can only be given for up to 5 years
P- One measure that the US government has used to tackle inequality is Obama care
E- this helps to make health insurance more affordable by creating an insurance exchange where individuals can easily compare policies and find one at a more competitive rate
E- In addition with obama care in place companies can no longer turn people down for having pre existing conditions
