美国课件7政治课件.pptVIP

American Politics Lecturer: Qin Jie Aims Get to know the basic political system of America. Get to know the general principles behind the system. Overview: Organization The United States is the worlds oldest surviving federation. It is a constitutional republic. The government is regulated by a system of checks and balances defined by the U.S. Constitution. In the American federalist system, citizens are usually subject to three levels of government, federal, state, and local. General Principles The form of government is based on 3 main principles: federalism, the separation of powers, respect for the Constitution the rule of law. The Constitution A federal union of 50 states The Constitution follows two principles: Federal system Separation of powers The Constitution Federal System The 50 states have the right to self-government. A separation of powers between two levels of government: the federal government and the state government Separation of power Political power divided into 3 branches: 1. Legislative – exercised by the Congress 2. Executive – headed by the President 3. Judicial – executed by the Supreme Court Three Branches Legislative: (The Senate and the House of Representatives) makes federal law, declares war, approves treaties, has the power of the purse, and has the power of impeachment. Executive: The president is the commander-in-chief of the military, can veto legislative bills before they become law, and appoints the Cabinet and other officers. Judicial: The Supreme Court and lower federal courts interpret laws, and can overturn laws they deem unconstitutional. The Governments The state government has the primary functions of providing law and order, education, public health and most of the things concerning day-to-day life. The Federal government at Washington is concerned with foreign affairs with matters of general concern to all the states including commerce between the states. The Cabin