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12 Government and Politics
Government and Politics
The United States of America is composed of 50 states, each of which has its own local elected officials. Every state consists of counties, townships, cities and villages. The executive functions of the federal government are administered officially from the White House in the District of Columbia; the powers of the national as well as the state governments are defined in the United States Constitution, adopted in 1787.
The Constitution
The American Constitution holds historical value for being the oldest written constitution in the world and for keeping its strength and force through time and changing political leadership.
It is the supreme law of the United States, laying out the basis and source of legal authority by defining the three coequal branches of the government: executive, legislative and judicial. Since its ratification, 27 amendments have been passed, the first 10 of which are focused on the Bill of Rights, a fundamental symbol of the freedoms and culture of America that assures individual rights and freedoms.
The division of powers and functions of the three branches of government are as follows:
The Executive Branch
This branch of government is responsible for enforcing the laws of the land. The president, chief executive and
the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, is elected for a four-year term
together with the vice president. The president cannot be elected for more than two terms, as set out in the 1951 constitutional amendment.
The president is responsible for formulating national policy assisted
by the vice president, the 15 executive department heads or cabinet members, and numerous independent agencies. Each of the department heads oversees different areas such as economics, agriculture or transportation, but these responsibilities are not expressed in the Constitution.
The Legislative Branch
Briefly, this branch is tasked to raise national revenue and draft the laws of the land. It is composed of a bicameral body known as the U.S. Congress, comprised of elected representatives from each
of the 50 states. As the only branch of the U.S. government that can make federal laws, declare war and put foreign treaties into effect, it influences American policy by exercising the “power of the purse strings.”
The course of action in Congress follows a hierarchy. For example, for a bill to become a law, it must pass through both the House of Representatives (lower house) and the Senate (upper house).
Left: U.S. Supreme Court.
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