Chap 5: The political system

Reading 1: The political system

I.                   The governing system

-          Form of government: Federal Representative Democratic Republic à pp vote for gov. representatives

-          3 features created by the Constitution to ensure the principle of limited gov.:

+ Federal organization of government

+ Separation of powers among 3 branches

+ System of checks and balances to restrict the power of each branch.

1.      Federalism

-          The principle of limited gov. => authority = the central gov. & the states gov.s

+ Federal gov.: power to control issues at national level (communication among states, borrow money, declare war…)

+ State gov.s: deal with issues at state level (criminal & civil laws, public schools…)

2.      Gov. structure

-          The national government is divided into 3 separate branches: (tam quyen phan lap)     

+ Legislative branch

+ Executive branch

+ Judicial branch

èReason: to avoid concentration of power in hands of a few

-          3 branches limit each other’s power through a system of Checks and Balances

·         Legislative branch:

-          Function: make laws

-          Congress: 2 houses (bicameral legislative system)(lưỡng viện)

+ The House of Representatives (the House): 435 lawmakers are elected fr all the states to serve in the House; term in office 2 years

+ The Senate: (thượng nghị viện) 100 senators; term in office 6 years

-          Law making procedures:

+ a law 1st begin as a “bill” à introduced in a House then sent to the appropriate committee of this House to be studied

+ committee report back to the House & suggest amendment

+ the bill is debated & voted on à pass à sent to the other House

+ the other House made a similar process

+ sent to President for his signature à LAW

·         Executive Branch:

-          Function: Implement laws passed by Congress

-          The president presides over executive branch (elected 4 - year term; can re-elected)

-          Vice – president: 2 constitutional duties: to preside over the Senate; to assume the presidency if the president cannot fulfill his responsibilities

-          Powers of the president:

+ Chief Excutive: appoints secretaries of major departments making up his cabinet and senior officals of agencies.

+ Head of state: represents the country

+ Director of foreign policy: appoints foreign ambassadors, makes treaties with other nations

+ Commander-in-chiefof the military

+ Head of his political party

·         Judicial Branch

-          Function: determine whether constitution & laws are violated or not.

-          Structure:

+ Headed by the Supreme Court

+ Under the Supreme Court is state and federal courts

+ Supreme Court members: 9 members appointed by the president and serve for a life time.

3.      Checks & balance system

-          Each branch checks or limits the power of the other branches to ensure that no branch of gov. has superior power.

-          Congress make laws but the president can veto them

-          Even if the president vetoes a law, Congress may override his vato with 2/3 vote

-          The Supreme Court can overturn laws passed by Congress & president by declaring them unconstitutional…

II.                The US party system

-          3 main features:

+ 2-party system

+ Lack of ideology: Americans prefer vague party programs to rigors of political ideology.

+ Lack of unity & party discipline: disagreement among members of the same party is common; personal views have priority over party’s view; parties are decentralized with few members; membership is undemanding; there’s no official initiation, no membership dues, no obligation to attend meetings or even vote for…

-          2-party system: 2 major parties alternate in power

-          Neither party has ever completely dominated American politics; the balance has shifted back and forth.

-          Roles of parties:

+ To organize the party’s National Convention dividing who will be the party’s candidate for president & vice – president.

+ In the 2 House: the major party controls the most powerful committees, decide what laws are made & how the administrator spends money.

-          Election system:

+ The single - member district system basing on the principle of “winner take all”

+ Elections are held regularly & separately

-          Democrats & Republicans: support the same overall political & economic goals, but propose different means of achieving these goals

+ Democrats: believe that federal and state government should provide social and economic programs for needers.

+ Republicans: think that social programs are too costly; tend to favor big businesses and private enterprise; and want to limit the role of the government.

-          Minor party:

+ Any party other than the two major parties can be called a “Third party.”

+ No third party has ever gained control of the White House. Sometimes, third parties win seats in Congress or gain office in lower levels of government.

+ In most cases, they have been assimilated by the larger two or have just faded away.

+ Their most important role is to influence policy on one or more issues.

Ex: Socialist Labor Party, American Independent Party, Green Party, the Libertarian Party, etc.

III.             Public participation in politics

Americans have different ways to exert pressure and influence gov. policy.

-          Write letters to elected officials

-          Circulate petitions

-          Write letters to editors of newspapers & magazines

-          Organize Interest Groups

1.      Interest groups:

-          are organized by people who want to influence public policy decision on special issues such as the environment, civil rights, peace, etc.

-          have the desire to sway public opinion and political policy through

+   Press, radio, and television;

+   Letters, phone calls, hold public meetings and sponsorship of newspaper ads.

-          Largest organizations : labor unions (the AFL-CIO), business groups (the US Chamber of Commerce), farm groups (the National Farmers’ Union) and professional groups (the American Medical Association)

2.      Lobbyists:

-          A lobbyist is a lawyer or a former legislator, who specializes in the interest he or she represents possesses an insider’s view of the lawmaking process.

-          Lobbyists work for interest groups

+ by keeping them informed about proposed legislation

+ by talking to decision-makers about their group’s concerns.

Explanation:

-          Checks & balance: each branch checks or limits the power of other branches. No branch has superior power & constitution effectively ensures that gov. power will not be usurped by a small powerful group of a few leader.

-          Separation of powers: gov. powers are given to 3 branches with 3 separated functions to avoid superior powers.

-          A limited gov.: gov. powers should not be concentrated in hands of a few. Strong gov. appears to be the natural enemy of individual freedom.

-          Interest groups: organized by pp who want to influence public policy decision on special issues, put pressure on officials to gain more rewards & avoid gov. restrictions

-          Lobbyists: generally lawyers or formers legislators, employed by interest groups, keeping interest groups informed about proposed legislation & talking to decision – maker about their group ‘s concern, providing valuable data to decision-makers & legislators when needed.

-          Winner-take-all election system: the candidate with the most votes in that state receives all of the state’s electoral votes.

-          The electoral college: the representatives of the people in the presidential election.