DO NOW
Study the map. What does it tell you about politics and the system of
government in the United States of America?
Who is responsible?
Marriage = local & state government
Law & order = local, state & federal
government
Education = local & state government
Defence = federal government
Learning objectives
• To gain a broad overview of the US system of
government and how it works
• To gain a flavour of US political discourse,
including some current issues
Differences in constitution
Federal
Codified
Uncodified
Unitary
What do we think we know?
Copy and complete the following table based on your
own knowledge:
Role
Head of state
Head of the executive branch
government
Main committee of the
executive branch
United Kingdom
Monarch
Prime minister
Cabinet
Dominant legislative body
House of Commons
Subsidiary legislative body
House of Lords
Chief judicial body
Supreme Court
United States
What do we think we know?
Copy and complete the following table based on your
own knowledge:
Role
United Kingdom
United States
Monarch
President
Prime minister
President
Cabinet
Cabinet
Dominant legislative body
House of Commons
House of Representatives
Subsidiary legislative body
House of Lords
Senate
Chief judicial body
Supreme Court
Supreme Court
Head of state
Head of the executive branch
government
Main committee of the
executive branch
UK: ‘Fusion’ of powers
Accountability
Executive
(Prime minister &
Cabinet, Govt Depts,
Civil Service)
Accountability
Personnel
Legislature
(House of Commons
& House of Lords)
Electorate
Legitimacy & Accountability
Judiciary
(Supreme Court)
US: Separation of powers
Executive
(President & Cabinet)
Legislature
Constitution
(House of
Representatives,
Senate)
Judiciary
(Supreme Court)
Electorate
Pros and cons?
United Kingdom
Executive
(Prime
minister &
Cabinet,)
United States of America
Accountabilit
y
Executive
(President &
Cabinet)
Accountability
Personnel
Legislature
(House of
Commons
& Lords)
Electorate
Legitimacy &
Accountability
Judiciary
(Supreme
Court)
Constitution
Legislature
(House of
Representatives,
Senate)
Judiciary
(Supreme
Court)
Electorate
Checks and balances
Checks on →
Checks by ↓
Legislature
Legislature
Executive
• Recommend
legislation
• Veto legislation
Judiciary
• Judicial review
Executive
Judiciary
• Amend/delay/
reject legislation
• Override president’s
veto
• Power of the purse
• Power to declare war
• Ratify treaties
(Senate)
• Confirm executive
appointments
(Senate)
• Impeachment, trial,
conviction, removal
from office
• Impeachment, trial,
conviction, removal
from office
• Propose
constitutional
amendments
• Appointment of
judges
• pardons
• Judicial review
The 13 colonies won their independence from Britain
in the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
The Liberty Bell
G. Washington
T. Jefferson
B. Franklin
The Constitution
The free and independent states needed one
strong national government. That’s why in 1787
all the states sent their representatives to
Philadelphia where they wrote the Constitution.
The Presidency
The President is elected every four years. (S)He can
hold office for two terms only (XXII Amendment).
Functions: Head of State; Commander-in-Chief;
controls
foreign
policy;
appoints
secretaries
(ministers).
The Presidency
The Vice-President is elected together with President.
He takes President’s office if President is unable to
finish his term.
The Congress
The Congress makes the laws and controls
finances. The Congress meets in the US
Capitol.
The Congress (cont’d)
The House of Representatives has 435
representatives; the number of congressmen from
each state depends on the number of people who
live in each state; elections take place every two
years.
The Congress (cont’d)
The Senate has 100 senators, two from
every state; one-third of them is elected
every two years for a six-year term.
Comparing representative bodies
U.S.A.
U.K.
Upper House
Senate
House of Lords
– membership
100 Senators
791 peers
– electoral cycle/process
6 years / FPTP
n.a.
Lower House
House of Representatives
House of Commons
– membership
435 Congressmen
650 MPs
– electoral cycle/process
2 years / FPTP
5 years / FPTP
Avg. population of
electoral constituency –
lower house
650 k
67 k
The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court: nine judges are
appointed for life by the President.
Functions: interprets constitution, tests
laws.
Political parties
Democrats
• Low Income
• Union Members/Blue Collar
Workers
• Environmentalists
• Minorities
• Women
• Younger voters
• Urban Areas
• Northeastern & West Coast
States
Republicans
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Wealthy
Business Owners/CEO’s
Men
People who identify themselves
as religious
Military members
Older voters
Rural/Suburban areas
Western & Southern States
The Democratic Party
• Oldest Political Party in the US, dating to 1792
• Symbolized by the Donkey
• Famous Democrats: Thomas Jefferson (1st Dem. To
be President), FDR, JFK, Bill & Hillary Clinton, Barack
Obama
The Republican Party
•
•
•
•
Also known as the GOP (Grand Old Party)
Created as a 3rd opposing slavery in the 1850’s
Symbolized by the Elephant
Famous Republicans: Abraham Lincoln (1st Rep.
President), Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, The
Bush Family
The Parties on the Issues
ISSUE
Democrats
Republicans
Taxes
Raise taxes on wealthy, cut or
maintain tax amounts on middle
class or poor
Cut taxes for all people and on
businesses
Abortion
Pro-Choice
Pro-Life
Gun Control
Place more restrictions on
guns/gun ownership
Less restrictions on guns/gun
owners
Death Penalty
Against
Support
Welfare Programs
Support most of these and making Place more rules and limits on
sure they are available long term these programs to cut down
costs
The Parties on the Issues (cont’d)
ISSUE
Military Force
Dem. Position
Usually slower to use military, want
support from other countries, willing
to cut spending on military
Rep. Position
Quicker to support military action,
willing to usually spend large
amounts of $$ on the military
Immigration
Allow a way for illegal immigrants to Treat illegal immigrants as
gain citizenship, make it easier to
criminals. Supportive of building
become a citizen
a fence along US/Mexico border
Environment
More rules to protect environment.
Against offshore drilling for oil or
drilling in Alaska
Less rules, ok to drill offshore or
anywhere else in US
Business vs.
Workers
Support more rights for
workers/unions. Higher taxes on
business and more rules for them to
follow
Anti-Union, less rules for
businesses to follow
Party membership
•
•
•
•
The largest party in the USA is the
Democratic Party with 42 million
members
Republicans claim 30 million
Independents make up 24 million
people
Both parties have seen huge falls in
membership since 2008.
53
42
32
21
11
0
Party Membership (Millions)
Democrats
Republicans
Indpendents
Party identification
Political Party
Political Ideology
4%
11%
21%
28%
35%
36%
25%
Democrats
Republicans
Independents
40%
Liberal
Conservative
Moderate
The national picture
2012 Presidential Election Result