Week 8- The American political system Flashcards
KEY FEATURES OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM
What is federalism?
Federalism: a political system in which sovereignty is shared between a central government, which has the **majority **of powers, and state governments.
Central power:
The United States did not escape the social-democratic wave. What was set instore to cope?
In order to cope with a disastrous recession… the central government, under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, launched the** New Deal in 1932. **
This federal program consisted of huge **investments in the country’s infrastructure **(construction of roads, hydroelectric dams, reforestation works, etc.) in order to solve the country’s main economic problem, unemployment, and, ultimately, to get the country out of the crisis
Defending the constitution
What happened during the the 1950s and 1960s
During the 1950s and 1960s, the federal government intervened massively in the southern states of the country (for example, Alabama, Louisiana, etc.) with the **aim of abolishing the racist laws adopted by these states since the end of the Civil War in 1865.
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These laws had instituted total racial segregation, the aim of which was to establish an “absolute, organized and regulated separation of the population of color from the whites (in schools, transport, shops, etc.).” (Le Petit Robert).
For example, in the 1950s and 1960s in the southern United States, when they took the bus, white and black people had to sit in different places, the first in front and the second in back; universities, schools, and even… The toilets were segregated.
The separation and balance of powers (Checks and Balances)
How is the US different from the parliamentary system?
the American presidential system, on the contrary, is characterized by a total separation between legislative powers, executive and judicial: a particular institution deals exclusively with a particular power.
Explain the legislative power?
The legislative power is the Congress (the American Parliament) a bicameral institution consisting of **two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. All Congress does is pass laws.
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Role of the The executive
the institution that is responsible for enforcing the laws and governing the country, is the presidency. The President governs the country through a cabinet composed of secretaries (ministers) responsible for departments (ministries).
SECRETARIES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. They are primarily academics, lawyers and specialists.
Role of the judicary
the institution that interprets the laws and the American Constitution, is the Supreme Court of the United States. In the United States, the activities of the Supreme Court are often much more controversial because the distribution of judges reflects the American popular divisions that are much deeper than in Canada. The appointment of certain judges can have an impact on American society during decades.
Elections
How do you elect an American president?
Presidential elections are popular (all citizens of voting age participate), but indirect (American citizens do not directly choose their president): on election day, they elect great electors, members of an electoral college of 538 people, who in turn choose the president.
Presidential is a very complex system. Why?
The original concern was that the President would be subject to the whims of public opinion. In other words, it was a question of avoiding giving the president too strong a popular mandate in the event of a direct election.
Very low participation rates sometimes reaching 30%.
A certain disgust towards politics and politicians.
Lack of uniformity in voting procedures: The American constitution gives each state the right to develop its own election procedures
Specific roles of each of the two Houses of Congress
Role of Senate
Ambassadors, Supreme Court justices, cabinet members are appointed by the President, but these choices must be confirmed by the Senate.
Peace agreements and treaties signed by the President must be ratified by the Senate.
Specific roles of each of the two Houses of Congress
Role of the House of Representatives:
One representative per electoral district with an average population of 570,000, for a total of 435 seats. Only the House of Representatives has the power to propose financial laws (e.g., tax increases) even if the Senate has to decide on them. Why? The House of Representatives represents the entire American population much more faithfully than the Senate
Why split Congress in half?
In the House of Representatives, the states are represented according to their demographic weight within the Union:
In the Senate, each state, regardless of its population and size, will be represented by 2 senators, for a total of 100 (50 states x 2 = 100)
The balance of power in action between Legislative Power Vs Executive Power:
Although the legislative agenda is primarily in the hands of members of Congress (both in the Senate and the House of Representatives), **the President may also propose legislation (known as the right of initiative), **but the bill must be sponsored by a Congressman and receive the support of a significant number of senators and influential representatives to ensure that Congress does not reject it if it does not like it.
Can the president thwart the congress
yes, the president can thwart the Congress by refusing to sign a law passed by the Congress, that is, by attaching his presidential veto to it. To overturn the President’s veto, it is necessary to obtain a two-thirds majority in each of the two chambers of Congress, which is very often difficult to achieve.
Political parties in the United States
What does bipartism mean
by bipartism, that is, two parties dominate the political scene. In fact, bipartisan politics is absolute in the United States because only two parties are represented in Congress, the Republican and Democratic parties.
