The U.S.

Political
system
Lecturer: Lý Thị Hoàng Mến
 Content
The governing system
The party system
The election system
Public participant in politics
 I. The U.S. Governing system
 Form of government: Federal Representative
Democratic Republic.
 Basic principal: limited government
 3 features to ensure the principle of limited
government:
1. Federalism
2. Separation of powers among 3 branches of
government
3. Checks and balances system
 1. Federalism
 Federalism or the federal organization of
government means the governing power is divided
between the federal government and state
government.
 The federal government: has the power to control
issues at national level
E.g. national defense, communication and
transportation among states, declare war, etc.
 1. Federalism
 The individual state government: has power to
deal with issues at state level.
E.g. Criminal and civil laws
Public schools
Trade within the state
 Division of Powers
Powers of F.G. Concurrent Power Powers of S.G.
- regulate foreign - collect taxes - regulate trade
trade & commerce - borrow money within the state
between states - establish and - establish local
- borrow & coin maintain courts governments
money - make and enforce - conduct elections
- conduct foreign laws - determine voter
relations with other - provide for health qualifications
nations and welfare of - establish & support
- establish post people public schools
offices and roads - incorporate
- raise & support business firms
armed forces - license professional
- declare war & workers
make peace - ratify amendments
- govern territories & - keep all the
admit new states “reserved powers”
- pass naturalization not granted to the
laws & regulate national
immigration government nor
- make all laws to prohibited to the
carry out powers states
 Division of Powers
Powers denied to the Powers denied to both Powers denied to S.G.
F.G.
- tax exports - pass ex post to - coin money
- suspend writ of facto laws - enter into treaty
habeas corpus - pass bill of attainder - tax agencies of the
- change state - deny due process of federal government
boundaries without law - tax imports or
consent of states - grant titles of exports
involved nobility
- abridge the Bill of
Rights
 2. Separation of Powers
 Powers are separated among 3 branches of
government:
- Legislative branch
- Executive branch
- Judicial branch
=> Makes sure there’s no concentration of power in
the hands of a few or government power will not be
usurped by any individual or any group of
individuals.
 Legislative Branch
 Main function: to make laws
 Congress has two Houses (bicameral legislative
system)
- The House of Representatives (The House):
+ 435 representatives
+ Term in office: 2 years
- The Senate:
+ 100 senators
+ Term in office: 6 years
 Law Making Procedures
 A law first begins as a “bill”
 A bill is introduced in a House then sent to the
appropriate committee of this House to be carefully
studied
 The committee report back to the House and
suggest any amendments. The bill is debated and
voted on. If it is passed, it is sent to the other House.
 Law Making Procedures
 A similar process takes place in the other House.
 If the bill is passed by both Houses, it is sent to the
President for his signature => the bill becomes a law.
 If the bill is rejected or amended by the other
House, a “conference committee” is made up to
work out a compromise.
 Executive Branch
 Function: Implement laws passed by Congress
 Structure:
- President:
+ elected to a 4-year term
+ can be re-elected to a 2nd term
- Vice – president:
+ elected with the president
+ 2 constitutional duties: to preside over the Senate +
to assume the presidency if the president cannot fulfill
his responsibilities.
 Executive Branch: Powers
of the President
 Chief executive: appoints people to important
positions in the governing system.
 Head of State: represents the country abroad,
works with foreign leaders, addresses the public.
 Director of foreign policy: appoint ambassadors,
makes treaties with other nations.
 Commanders-in-chief of the armed forces.
 Head of his political party.
 Judicial Branch
 Function: determine whether constitution and laws
are violated.
 Structure:
- Federal courts system headed by the Supreme
Court
- State courts system
- Local/ District courts system
 Checks and Balances system
 Each House may initiate legislation and reject a bill
proposed by the other House.
 No bill can become law without the approval of
both Houses and the President.
 The U.S. president and Congress are elected
separately, housed separately, and operate
separately.
 A president may belong to one party while one or
both Houses may be dominated by the other party.
 II. The U.S. Party System

 The U.S. party system has been characterized

with 3 features:
- Two – party system
- Lack of ideology
- Lack of unity and party discipline
 Two – party system
 Two – party system: 2 major parties are
alternating in power
 Minor parties have often been assimilated by the
larger two or faded away
 Neither party has ever completely dominated
American politics; the balance has shifted back
and forth.
 Two – party system
 Two major parties at present:
1. The Democratic Party (The Democrats):
- Started: 1792 as the Democratic Republic Party
- Traditional symbol: a donkey
- Stance: liberal
- Supporters: minorities, labor unions
 Two – party system
2. The Republican Party (The Republicans):
- Established: 1854 with Abraham Lincoln as
the 1st President.
- Traditional symbol: an elephant
- Stance: conservative
- Supporters: businessmen, the rich
 Two – party system
 Democrats and Republicans support the same
overall political and economic goals
 However, they propose different means of achieving
these goals:
- Democrats: value government involvement, support
egalitarianism, believe that governments should provide
social & economic programs for needy people.
- Republicans: wish to limit government control & interference;
favor big businesses & private enterprise; don’t oppose
government programs but consider some of them too costly.
 Lack of ideology
 American prefer vague party programs to
rigors of political ideology
 Lack of unity and party
discipline
 Disagreement among members of the same party is
common
 Personal and constituent's’ views have priority over
party views; members may vote against the party line
 Parties are decentralized with few members;
membership is undemanding
 No official initiation, no membership dues, no
obligation to attend meetings or even vote for the
party.
 III. The Election System
 Elections are held regularly and separately for
the U.S. President, for both Houses of the Congress
and for state and local governments.
 Held according to the single member district
system, based on the principle of “winner takes
all”.
=> Only one candidate is elected to a given
office.
IV. Public Participation in Politics
 American have different ways to exert pressure
and influence government policy
- Write letters to elect officials
- Circulate petitions
- Write letters to editors of newspapers & magazines
- Organize Interest Groups (e.g. Labor union,
business groups, farm groups, professional groups,
etc.)
- Lobby
 Interest Groups
 Organized by people having some common
interests & want to influence public policy decisions
on special issues.
 Concerns may range from broad issues such as civil
rights to narrow ones like control of neighborhood
crime
 Use press, radio, TV or write letters, make phone
calls, hold meetings, to influence voters and
politicians.
 Lobbyists
 A major Interest Group may employ a professional
lobbyist keeping them informed about proposed
legislation & talking to decision makers about the
group’s concerns => exert direct pressure on
legislators.
 A lobbyist: - Specialized in the interest he presents
- Has insider’s view of lawmaking process
- Providing lawmakers with advice & information
which help them make right decisions.
THANK YOU!