Government and Politics in the United StatesWord文档下载推荐.docx
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Government and Politics in the United StatesWord文档下载推荐.docx
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BeforeYouRead
1.Whatdoyouthinkisthemostimportantroleofagovernment?
2.IntheUnitedStates,whatistherelationshipbetweenthepresidentandCongress?
Whohasmorepower?
3.WhatarethetwomajorpoliticalpartiesintheUnitedStates?
Whatisthemaindifferenceintheirbeliefs?
ASuspicionofStrongGovernment
TheidealofthefreeindividualhashadaprofoundeffectonthewayAmericansviewtheirgovernment.Traditionally,therehasbeenadeepsuspicionthatgovernmentisthenaturalenemyoffreedom,evenifitiselectedbythepeople.Thebiggerandstrongerthegovernmentbecomes,themoredangerousmostAmericansbelieveitistotheirindividualfreedom.
ThissuspicionofstronggovernmentgoesbacktothemenwholedtheAmericanRevolutionin1776.ThesemenbelievedthatthegovernmentofGreatBritainwasdeterminedtodiscouragethefreedomandeconomicopportunitiesoftheAmericancolonistsbyexcessivetaxesandothermeasuresthatwouldultimatelybenefittheBritisharistocracyandmonarchy.ThomasPaine,thefamousrevolutionarywriter,expressedtheviewofotherAmericanrevolutionistswhenhesaid,"
Governmenteveninitsbeststateisbutanecessaryevil;
initsworststate,anintolerableone."
TheOrganizationoftheAmericanGovernment
ThewayinwhichthenationalgovernmentisorganizedintheUnitedStatesConstitutionprovidesanexcellentillustrationoftheAmericansuspicionofgovernmentalpower.TheprovisionsoftheConstitutionaremoreconcernedwithkeepingthegovernmentfromdoingevilthanwithenablingittodogood.Thenationalgovernment,forexample,isdividedintothreeseparatebranches.Thisdivisionofgovernmentalpowerisbasedonthebeliefthatifanyonepartorbranchofgovernmenthasall,orevenmostofthepower,itwillbecomeathreattothefreedomofindividualcitizens.
ThelegislativeorlawmakingbranchofthegovernmentiscalledtheCongress.Congresshastwohouses—theSenate,withtwoSenatorsfromeachstateregardlessofitssize,andtheHouseofRepresentatives,consistingofatotalof435Representativesdividedamongthe50statesbypopulation.(IntheHouse,stateswithlargepopulationshavemorerepresentativesthanstateswithsmallpopulations,whileintheSenate,eachstatehasequalrepresentation.)Thepresident,orchiefexecutive,headstheexecutivebranch,whichhasresponsibilitytocarryoutthelaws.TheSupremeCourtandlowernationalcourtsmakeupthejudicialbranch.Thejudicialbranchsettlesdisputesabouttheexactmeaningofthelawthroughcourtcases.
Ifanyoneofthethreebranchesstartstoabuseitspower,theothertwomayjointogethertostopit,throughasystemofchecksandbalances.TheConstitutionismostcarefulinbalancingthepowersofthelegislativeandexecutivebranchesofthegovernmentbecausethesetwo(Congressandthepresident)arethemostpowerfulofthethreebranches.Inalmosteveryimportantareaofgovernmentalactivity,suchasthepowertomakelaws,todeclarewar,ortoconcludetreatieswithforeigncountries,theConstitutiongiveseachofthesetwobranchesenoughpowertopreventtheotherfromactingonitsown.
ThepresidentandbothhousesofCongresshavealmostcompletepoliticalindependencefromeachotherbecausetheyareallchoseninseparateelections.Forexample,theelectionoftheCongressdoesnotdeterminewhowillbeelectedpresident,andthepresidentialelectiondoesnotdeterminewhowillbeelectedtoeitherhouseofCongress.ItisquitepossibleintheAmericansystemtohavetheleaderofonepoliticalpartywinthepresidencywhiletheothermajorpoliticalpartywinsmostoftheseatsinCongress.Infact,duringthe1970sand1980s,fourofthefivepresidentswereRepublicans,whiletheDemocratstypicallycontrolledoneorbothhousesofCongress.IntheCongressionalelectionsof1994,however,thereversesituationoccurred.WhileBillClinton,aDemocrat,waspresident,theRepublicanswoncontrolofboththeHouseofRepresentativesandtheSenate.ItisimportanttonotethattheelectionsofthemembersofthetwohousesofCongressareseparatefromeachother.(MembersoftheHouseofRepresentativesareelectedfortwo-yearterms,whileSenatorsservesix-yearterms.Thetermsarestaggeredsothatonlyone-thirdoftheSenatorsrunforre-electioneachtimetheHouseelectionsareheld.)Thus,theRepublicansmaycontrolonehouse,whiletheDemocratsmaycontroltheother.BoththeHouseofRepresentativesandtheSenatemustagreeonalllegislation,however,beforeitbecomeslaw.
ObserversfromothercountriesareoftenconfusedbytheAmericansystem.Thenationalgovernmentoftenseemstospeakwithtwoconflictingvoices,thatofthepresidentandthatofCongress.ItisnecessaryforthepresidenttosignbillspassedbyCongressinorderforthemtobecomelaw.IfthepresidentvetoesalegislativebillpassedbyCongress—thatis,ifherefusestosignit—thebilldiesunlesstwo-thirdsofboththeHouseandSenatevotetooverridetheveto.Thisrarelyhappens.Ontheotherhand,atreatywithaforeigngovernmentsignedbythepresidentdiesiftheSenaterefusestoratifyit—thatis,votestoacceptit.
AlthoughtheAmericansystemofdividedgovernmentalpowerstrikesmanyobserversasinefficientandevendisorganized,mostAmericansstillstronglybelieveinitfortworeasons.Ithasbeenabletomeetthechallengesofthepast,anditgivesstrongprotectiontoindividualfreedoms.
Inadditiontodividinggovernmentpowersintothreebranches,theConstitutionincludesaBillofRights,whichisdesignedtoprotectspecificindividualrightsandfreedomsfromgovernmentinterference.SomeoftheguaranteesintheBillofRightsconcernthefreedomofexpression.Thegovernmentmaynotinterferewithanindividual’sfreedomofspeechorfreedomofreligiousworship.TheBillofRightsalsoguaranteestherightofafaircriminalprocedureforthoseaccusedofbreakinglaws.Thus,theBillofRightsisanotherstatementoftheAmericanbeliefintheimportanceofindividualfreedom.
TheIdealoftheFreeIndividual
Inthelate1700s,mostAmericansexpectedthenewnationalgovernmentcreatedbytheConstitutiontoleavethemalonetopursuetheirindividualgoals.Theybelievedthatthecentralpurposeofgovernmentwastocreatetheconditionsmostfavorabletothedevelopmentofthefreeindividual.
BeforetheCivilWarofthe1860s,theAmericanidealofthefreeindividualwasthefrontiersettlerandthesmallfarmer.PresidentThomasJeffersonexpressedthisidealwhenhesaid:
"
ThosewholaborintheeartharethechosenpeopleofGod,ifeverhehadachosenpeople...."
Jeffersonglorifiedfarmersforbeingfreeindividualswhoreliedonnoonebutthemselvesfortheirdailyneeds.Hebelievedthatfarmers,beingdependentonnonebutthemselves,werethemosthonestofcitizens.Throughouthislife,Jeffersonfavoredasmall,weakformofgovernment,whichhebelievedwouldencouragethedevelopmentofanationoffree,self-reliantfarmercitizens.
FromtheendoftheCivilWaruntiltheGreatDepressionofthe1930s,thesuccessfulbusinesspersonreplacedthefarmerandthefrontiersettlerastheidealexpressionofthefreeindividual.TheprevailingviewofAmericansduringthistimewasthatgovernmentshouldnotinterfereintheactivitiesofbusiness.Ifitweretodoso,itwouldthreatenthedevelopmentoffreeindividualswhosecompetitivespirit,self-reliance,andhardworkweredevelopingtheUnitedStatesintoalandofgreaterandgreatermaterialprosperity.
Government,therefore,remainedsmallandinactiveinrelationtothegreatsizeofthenationandtheamountofpowerofbusinesscorporations.Thereweresomegovernmentregulationsoverbusinessduringthisperiod,butthesehadonlyasmallimpactonbusinesspractices.Fromthe1870suntilthe1930s,businessorganizationsandideasdominatedAmericangovernmentandpolitics.TheRepublicanparty,oneofthenationstwomajorpoliticalparties,providedthemeansformaintainingthisdominance.TheRepublicansweremoresuccessfulthantheirrivals,theDemocrats,inelectingpresidentsandcongressmenduringthisperiod,andtheRepublicansstronglysupportedgovernmentpoliciesfavorabletobusiness.
TheDevelopmentofBigGovernment:
TheWelfareState
Traditionally,Republicanshavefavoredlettingbusinessescompetewithlittleornogovernmentregulation:
Letthefreeenterprisesystemregulateitselfinthemarketplace.Ontheotherhand,Democratshavetraditionallyfavoredusinggovernmenttoregulatebusinessesandprotectconsumersandalsotosolvesocialproblems.Notsurprisingly,itwasaDemocraticpresidentwhopresidedoverthecreationof"
biggovernment."
TheGreatDepressionofthe1930sgreatlyweakenedthebusinessperson'
spositionastheAmericanidealofthefreeindividual,and"
bigbusiness"
lostrespect.TheDepressionalsocreatedtheneedforemergencygovernmentactiontohelptheneedyonascaleneverbeforeseeninpeacetime.Asaresult,theideathatgovernmentshouldbesmallandinactivewaslargelyabandoned.Moreover,theidealofthefreeindividualunderwentsomeveryimportantchanges.
ThewidespreadunemploymentandothereconomichardshipsoftheDepressiongaverisetothenewassumptionthatindividualscouldnotbeexpectedtorelysolelyonthemselvesinprovidingfortheireconomicsecurity.Thisnewassumption,inturn,ledtoalargeandac
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