USA - POLITICAL SYSTEM Flashcards
(1) One key political feature of a world power that I have studied is the Judicial Branch.
The Judiciary, led by Supreme Court is the name given to the courts in America
For example, the Supreme Court approved same-sex marriage in all 50 states, cancelling out bans that were previously put in place.
(1) Another key political feature of a world power that I have studied is the Legislative Branch.
The Legislative Branch is made up of the Congress (House of Representatives and Senators). One of their roles is to made federal laws that apply to all 50 states.
For example, in 2020, Congress passed the veterans STEM Act to get former soldiers to become scientists, and in 2019 the Animal Cruelty Act to stop people from making “Animal Crush” videos.
(2) (3) One way that people can participate in a world power that I have studied is by voting in elections.
Every year millions of people are given the opportunity to vote for who they want their president to be in the USA.
For example, in 2020, millions of people chose to vote for Joe Biden over Donald Trump.
(2) (3)Another way that people in a world power that I have studied can participate is by holding a protest.
In the USA many protests are held by the citizens as they express their opinions on important issues.
For example, when Trump was president (2016 - 2020) there were many protests held against his views on women, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people and his inaction against mass shootings.
(4) One group that is more likely to participate in a world power that I have studied is older workers.
The older workers have grown wealthy on cheap housing, and so are more likely to vote against a president that wants to increase taxes on the wealthy.
For example, 45-59 year olds have an average voter turnout of 67%
(4) Another group that is more likely to participate in a world power that I have studied is white people.
White people have always had the right to vote, so it is considered a sort of tradition. White people are also more likely to be wealthy and educated, which is also linked to a higher voter turnout.
For example, voter turnout for white people has always been higher (except from Obama’s elections) at around 65 - 70%
(5) One group that is less likely to vote in a world power that I have studied is younger people.
Many young people in America may not vote as they do not feel like it matters, as politicians have not dealt with issues that are relevant to young people, such as the high costs of healthcare and university, or the large number of school shootings.
For example, under 50% of 18-29 year olds are the average turnout.
(5) Another group that is less likely to vote in a world power that I have studied is people with a lower level of educational attainment.
Higher levels of education are linked to a higher voter turnout, as those with a higher level of education have a better understanding of political issues and feel better connected to politics.
for example, in 2016 34% of those with an education of less than high school compared to people with a postgraduate degree with a turnout of 80%
(6) One group that is underrepresented in a world power that I have studied is women.
This means that there are fewer women in government than there should be if everything was fair and representative of the wider population. We would expect that 50% of congress
should be female as would 50% of presidents. Examples of this underrepresentation are shown in the fact that no woman has been president and only 20% of congress is female.
(6) Another group that is underrepresented in a world power that I have studied is ethnic minorities.
This means that there are significantly fewer non-white politicians than there should be for politics to be reflective of the diversity of the USA.
For example, only 61% of the US population is White but 80% of congress is white and almost every president but one has been white.
(7) One reason why women may be underrepresented in a world power that I have studied is because of sexism.
Many women in the USA are reluctant to put themselves forward because they are often treated differently from men simply because they are female which is known as sexism.
For example, many women will have seen how Hilary Clinton faced a lot of media criticism on her dress sense, that she didn’t “smile enough” and wasn’t feminine enough though Donald Trump, her rival and a man, faced none of this attention. This could put them off standing.
(7) One reason why groups such as ethnic minorities struggle to get into politics is because of poverty.
Candidates in the US elections must raise huge sums of money to fight elections. Ethnic minorities are more likely to live in poverty, so are less likely to have the money they need to get into politics.
For example, there have only ever been 32 Ethnic Minorities in the US Senate in all of US history.
