A-Study-on-American-Political-Institution

AStudyonAmericanPoliticalInstitutionName:HeYaoClass:3Number:11280120Abstract:Asweknow,TheUnitedStatesofAmericaisasuperpowerwhichhasstablepoliticalinstitution.So,howaboutit?HowdoestheAmericapoliticalsystemwork?Isthesystemeffective?Keywords:legislative;executive;judicial;Constitution;Congress;president;SupremeCourt;federalism;democracy;checksandbalancesI.Introduction:A.GeneralPrinciples:TheUnitedStatesisoneoftheyoungestnationsintheworld.However,theConstitutionofU.S.isworld’soldestcharter.TheConstitutionisbuiltuponthefollowingsixbasicprinciples.“Thefirstoftheseprinciplesisfederalism.Underthisprinciple,thereisadivisionofpowerbetweenacentralandregionalgovernment.Thesecondoneistheneedforavigorousexecutive.AndthenisJudicialReview.Itexplainedthatthenecessityforasupremenationalcourttomanagetheconstitutionalstructure.ThecourtscandeterminewhetherornotthegovernmenthasviolatedthelawsoftheConstitution.Fourthistheprincipleofchecksandbalances.TheUnitedStatesgovernmenthasthreebranches:legislative,executive,andjudicial.Theyareinfluenceeachother.Fifth,thegovernmentrightislimited.Itistosaythatthegovernmentisnotallpowerful.Thelast,theframersintendedtocreateamixedgovernment.InotherworditistheSeparationofPowers.”(《英语国家概况》/王恩铭/上海外语教育出版社/2008/第157页)B.TheAmericansystemofGovernment:AmericansystemofGovernmentisbasedonasetofprinciples.TheUnitedStatesisafederalcountry.Thefederalgovernmentconsistedbythreeparts,includingtheCongress,theSupremeCourtandthepresident.TheCongress:TheCongressislegislativebranchofthefederalgovernment.ItismadeupoftheSenateandtheHouseofRepresentatives.‘Thereare100senators,twofromeachstate.One-thirdofthesenatorsareelectedeverytwoyearsfor6yearstermsofoffice.TheHouseofRepresentativeshas435memberselectedeverytwoyearsfor2yearstermsofoffice.Thenumberofrepresentativesfromeachstateisbaseduponitspopulation”(《英语国家概况》/王恩铭/上海外语教育出版社/2008/第159页)ThemainfunctionsoftheU.S.Congressarelegislation,decidedthetaxesandhowmoneyisspent.What’smore,itregulatescommerceamongthestatesandwithothercountries.Andsoon.Eachhouseofcongresshaspowertointroducelegislation,killthebill,delayavote,andreachacompromise.ThePresident:ThepresidentofUSiselectedeveryfouryearstoafouryearstermofoffice.Theyonlycanallowalmost2fullterms.Thetotalvotesare538;itmeansthattobeapresidentialcandidatemustwinatleast270supportingvotes.Astheexecutivebranchofthefederalgovernment,thepresidentofUShasbroadconstitutionalpowerstomanagenationalaffairsandtheworkingofthefederalgovernment,signorvetolegislationpassedbyCongressandhasthepowertorecommendmeasurestoCongress.AccordingtoTheConstitution“theexecutivepowerbelongstothePresident.Itishisdutytocarryoutthelaweffectively.”(《中外宪法选编》/人民大学出版社1982年第一版/所载“美利坚合众国宪法”李道揆译)However,therearesomedisadvantages.Manyproblemssolvedbyotherdepartment.Thepresidentneedn’tworrytoomuch.“InthePresidentBush’stermof8years,TheUSannualaveragedebtsincreaseof700billions.However,therepaymentsofthesedebtsbecomeObama’stask.Itistosaythatthepresidentcangivethepublichiswordswhichmaynotbeabletoachievetogetmoresupport.”(《美利坚合众国衰落之谜》/黄海振著/厦门大学出版社2009/第9页)TheFederalJudiciary:ThethirdbranchofgovernmentisTheFederalJudiciary.ItsmaindepartmentisTheSupremeCourt.TheSupremeCourtconsistsofnineJustices:theChiefJusticeoftheUnitedStatesandeightAssociateJustices.Thecourtdealswithmattersaboutthefederalgovernment,competitionbetweenstates,andexplainstheConstitution.“InTheUStheChiefJusticehasthefinalsay.AfterTheSupremeCourtjudged,nomatterwhoyouaremustobeythejudgment.Otherwise,itisthoughtofexceedthepoliticalboundariesandviolatedtheConstitutionprinciples.”Forexample,“OnJanuary21,2010,inthecaseofCitizensUnitedV.FederalCommission,TheSupremeCourtannouncedtheterminationoftheenterprisefundsinvolvedinpoliticalelections.Itleadstostrongdissatisfaction.ThepresidentObamaevencondemnedthispubliclyonJanuary24.However,eventhepresidentmustthroughtheproperchannelsandnegotiationwithTheSenatetocarryoutanewlawtocancelthejudgment.”(《大法官说了算》/何帆著/北京：法律出版社，2010.7/序言第3页)II.Comment:“TheFederalGovernmenthasbroadandimportantpower.Itcanmakesomepeoplerich,makesomepeoplegobankruptandalsocanaffecteconomictrendofthewholesociety.Sosomepeoplecalltheadministrativeofficer“powerfulofficer”,andcallthefederalgovernment“centralofpower”.”(《美国研究》季刊，中国社会科学院美国研究所1988年第二期70页)“Inthehistoryofconstitution,Americanisafirstcountrytoestablishthecitizen’sright.Anditalsoinspiredothernationtofightfortheirdemocracyright.TheConstitutionreflectsthespiritofTheDeclarationofIndependenceWhat’smore,thestablepoliticalinstitutionisaveryimportantfactorforAmericantobeasuperpower.”(《美国政府和美国政治》/李道揆/中国社会科学出版社/第65-67页).However,becauseoftheprincipleofchecksandbalances,thefederalgovernment’spowerisdividedto3parts.ItmeansthatTheCongressandThepresidentmayshirktheresponsibilitytoeachother.Itisalsobadforthefederalgovernment’sefficiency.Allinall,howeveritisbadorgood.Weshouldtreatitfairly.Andtaketheessence,discardthedregs.Onlylearnfromotherscanwedobetterandbestrong.III.References:《美国政府和美国政治》/李道揆/中国社会科学出版社《大法官说了算》/何帆著/北京：法律出版社，2010.7)《美利坚合众国衰落之谜》/黄海振著/厦门大学出版社2009)《中外宪法选编》