Stars and Stripes
The American Government is based on the same idea of democracy derived from the political thoughts of Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, a French political theorist and commentator who believed that:
“Government should be set up so that no man need be afraid of another.”
In light of the US Presidential election, I thought this week an overview of the way the American government functioned would be a good idea. The processes are long-winded and complicated; I’m positive that even Congress doesn’t know them all, so for both our sakes, yours as the reader and mine, I am going to try and keep this as clear and concise as possible.
The Executive Branch of the American Government is made up of the President of the United States, Cabinet and federal agencies. The power of the Executive Branch is entrusted in the President, who is also the head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President administers and enforces the laws passed by Congress, mainly through the development and appointment of federal agency heads, including Cabinet.
These federal agencies are responsible for the daily administration of federal laws as in Cabinet which is made up of the ministers of each policy department. Taking the members of the Armed Forces into account, over four million Americans make up the Executive Branch.
Article I of the United States Constitution established the Legislative Branch which is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. These two institutions together form the United States Congress. The Constitution also grants Congress authority to pass legislation, declare war, and the right to challenge Presidential appointments.
The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion of their population. In addition, there are six non-voting members representing the territories the US holds. The Speaker of the House, elected by the Representatives, is the presiding officer. The House may initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an Electoral College tie.
The Senate is composed of 100 Senators, 2 for each state. They are elected to six-year terms by the people of each state. Each term is staggered so that about one-third of the Senate is up for re-election every two years. In order to pass legislation and send it to the President for his signature, both the House and the Senate must pass the same bill by majority vote. If the President vetoes a bill, Congress may override this by passing the bill again in each chamber with a minimum of a two thirds majority in favour of the motion.
The Judiciary is appointed by the President, with help from the Executive. The defining characteristic of the US judicial service and that of New Zealand is that we do not have a constitutional document by which we may review laws. This system allowed any law established in the US to be reviewed on constitutional grounds. This seemingly provides a check on the law making powers of the legislative.
That argument here, I will save for another time!
I know researching to write this article definitely helped me get a grip on the confusing maze that is the American government. I hope, it has done the same for some of you.
Pooja Sundar is a third year law and politics student at the University of Auckland
The American Government is based on the same idea of democracy derived from the political thoughts of Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, a French political theorist and commentator who believed that: “Government should be set up so that no man need be afraid of...
The American Government is based on the same idea of democracy derived from the political thoughts of Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, a French political theorist and commentator who believed that:
“Government should be set up so that no man need be afraid of another.”
In light of the US Presidential election, I thought this week an overview of the way the American government functioned would be a good idea. The processes are long-winded and complicated; I’m positive that even Congress doesn’t know them all, so for both our sakes, yours as the reader and mine, I am going to try and keep this as clear and concise as possible.
The Executive Branch of the American Government is made up of the President of the United States, Cabinet and federal agencies. The power of the Executive Branch is entrusted in the President, who is also the head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President administers and enforces the laws passed by Congress, mainly through the development and appointment of federal agency heads, including Cabinet.
These federal agencies are responsible for the daily administration of federal laws as in Cabinet which is made up of the ministers of each policy department. Taking the members of the Armed Forces into account, over four million Americans make up the Executive Branch.
Article I of the United States Constitution established the Legislative Branch which is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. These two institutions together form the United States Congress. The Constitution also grants Congress authority to pass legislation, declare war, and the right to challenge Presidential appointments.
The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion of their population. In addition, there are six non-voting members representing the territories the US holds. The Speaker of the House, elected by the Representatives, is the presiding officer. The House may initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an Electoral College tie.
The Senate is composed of 100 Senators, 2 for each state. They are elected to six-year terms by the people of each state. Each term is staggered so that about one-third of the Senate is up for re-election every two years. In order to pass legislation and send it to the President for his signature, both the House and the Senate must pass the same bill by majority vote. If the President vetoes a bill, Congress may override this by passing the bill again in each chamber with a minimum of a two thirds majority in favour of the motion.
The Judiciary is appointed by the President, with help from the Executive. The defining characteristic of the US judicial service and that of New Zealand is that we do not have a constitutional document by which we may review laws. This system allowed any law established in the US to be reviewed on constitutional grounds. This seemingly provides a check on the law making powers of the legislative.
That argument here, I will save for another time!
I know researching to write this article definitely helped me get a grip on the confusing maze that is the American government. I hope, it has done the same for some of you.
Pooja Sundar is a third year law and politics student at the University of Auckland
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