Chapter 3US politics.docx

Chapter 3US politics.docx

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Chapter3USpolitics

ChapterthreeU.S.politics

Outline

I.USconstitution

II.USgovernments

NationalflagoftheUSA

NationalAnthem

NationalEmblem

GreatSeal

Federal（national）,stateandlocalgovernments

III.Executivebranch

President

IV.Legislativebranch

TheCongress

V.Judicialbranch

Courts

VI.Parties

VII.Interestgroups

VIII.PresidentialelectionintheUSA

IX.NoteworthyChineseAmericanpoliticians

X.Quiz

I.USconstitution

TheBasics

Basically,theConstitutionisthehighestlawintheUnitedStates.AllotherlawscomefromtheConstitutioninsomeway.TheConstitutionalsoprovidesaframeworkforthegovernmentoftheUnitedStates.ItcreatesthingslikethePresidency,theCongress,andtheSupremeCourt.Eachstatehasitsownconstitutionthatisthehighestlawforthestate-buteventhen,theUnitedStatesConstitutionishigher.

Overtime,somethingshavebeenaddedtotheConstitution.Called"amendments,"theseadd-onslistsomeoftherightsofthepeople.Bylistingtheserights,theyaremadespecial,anditisillegalforthegovernmenttoviolatethoserights.Asof2006,thereare27amendmentstotheConstitution.Notalloftheminvolverights,butmanydo.Thefirsttenamendments,inparticular,havethespecialnameoftheBillofRights.

Historyinbrief

TheConstitutionisadocumentwrittenbyagroupofmen,knownastheFramers,in1787.ThemastercopiesarestoredattheNationalArchives（www.archives.gov）inWashingtonD.C.

Amendments

AnamendmenttotheConstitutionisachangethatcanaddtotheConstitutionorchangeanolderpartofit.Anamendmentcanevenoverturnapreviousamendment,asthe21stdidtothe18th.ThereareafewmethodstoamendtheConstitution,butthemostcommonistopassanamendmentthroughtheCongress,onatwo-thirdsvote.Afterthat,theamendmentgoestothestates,andifthree-quartersofthestatespasstheamendment,itisconsideredapartoftheConstitution—ithasbeenratified.

Slavery

（OneverypositivethingemergedfromtheCivilWar,though:

theendofslavery.）Inthe13thAmendment（1865）,slaverywasforeverabolishedintheConstitution.The14thAmendment（1868）saidthateverypersonbornintheUnitedStateswasafullcitizenoftheUnitedStates,evenifthatpersonwasaformerslave.The15thAmendment（1870）madesurethatblackpeoplecouldvote.Manypeoplefeltthatevenifblackpeoplewerenotslaves,theywerestillinferiortowhitepeople,andfor100years,somelawswerepassedtokeepblackpeoplefrombeingequaltowhites.（TheelectionofPresidentBarackObama,in2008,wasonefurthersteponthewaytoourfulfillmentofthedreamofequality.）

Women

（FormostofthehistoryoftheUnitedStates,themostimportantpeoplewhohaveshapedthecountryhavebeenmen.ThisisnotbecausewomenwerenotwillingorabletobeapartoftheUnitedStates.Instead,becausemenheldallthepositionsofpower,fromPresidentstomembersofCongress,rightdowntomayorsandownersofcompanies.Womenhadverylittlechancetoadvanceinlife.Forover100yearsaftertheConstitutionwasratified,womenhadnowaytovote.Insomeplaces,itwasactuallyillegalforwomentovote.）In1920,the19thAmendment,whichsaidthatwomencouldvoteinallelections,wasratified.（Today,womenplayaverylargeroleingovernmentandpolitics.）

TheBillofRights

WealreadytalkedaboutwhytheBillofRightswaspassed:

somepeoplewereafraidthatthegovernment,orthepolice,wouldbeabletokeeppeoplefromdoingsomeveryimportantthingssimplybypassinglawsagainstthosethings.

Thefirstofthe10amendmentsguaranteesfreedomofspeech,press,andreligion;therighttoprotest,assemblepeacefully,anddemandchanges.Thefourthprotectsagainstunreasonablesearchesandarrest.Thefifthprovidesfordueprocessoflawinallcriminalcases.Thesixthguaranteestherighttoafairandspeedytrial.Andtheeighthprotectsagainstcruelandunusualpunishment.

TheConstitutionsetsupthreemainbranchesofgovernment.ThesearecalledtheLegislative,theExecutive,andtheJudiciary.

II.USgovernments

NationalflagoftheUSA,NationalAnthem,GreatSeal,NationalEmblem（thebaldeagle）

TherearefourlevelsofgovernmentintheUSA,namingfederalgovernment,stategovernment,localgovernment,andtribalgovernment.

ThethreebranchesofU.S.government—legislative,judicial,andexecutive—carryoutgovernmentalpowerandfunctions.（withafigure）

Figure:

ThegovernmentoftheUSA

III.Executivebranch

Theexecutivebranchofthegovernmentisresponsibleforenforcingthelawsoftheland.Thepresident,vicepresident,departmentheads（cabinetmembers）,andheadsofindependentagenciescarryoutthismission.

WhenthedelegatestotheConstitutionalConventioncreatedtheexecutivebranchofgovernment,theygavethepresidentalimitedtermofofficetoleadthegovernment.ThiswasverydifferentfromanyformofgovernmentinEuropeandcausedmuchdebate.Thedelegateswereafraidofwhattoomuchpowerinthehandsofonepersonmightleadto.Intheend,withasystemofchecksandbalancesincludedintheConstitution,asinglepresidenttomanagetheexecutivebranchofgovernmentwasadopted.（ChecksandBalances:

Asystemoflimitsimposedonallbranchesofagovernmentbyvestingineachbranchtherighttoamendorvoidthoseactsofanotherthatfallwithinitspurview（权力的范围）.）

WhenGeorgeWashingtonwaspresident,peoplerecognizedthatonepersoncouldnotcarryoutthedutiesofthePresidentwithoutadviceandassistance.TheVicePresident,departmentheads（Cabinetmembers）,andheadsofindependentagenciesassistinthiscapacity.UnlikethepowersofthePresident,theirresponsibilitiesarenotdefinedintheConstitutionbuteachhasspecialpowersandfunctions.

∙President:

LeaderofthecountryandCommanderinChiefofthemilitary.

∙VicePresident:

PresidentoftheSenateandbecomesPresidentifthePresidentisunabletoserve.

∙Departments:

DepartmentheadsadvisethePresidentonpolicyissuesandhelpexecutethosepolicies.

∙IndependentAgencies:

Helpexecutepolicyorprovidespecialservices.

ThePresidentoftheUnitedStates:

RequirementsandTerm

ThePresidentandtheVice-Presidentaretheonlyofficialselectedbytheentirecountry.However,therearerequirementsforholdingeitherofthesepositions.Inordertobeelected,onemustbeatleast35yearsold.Also,eachcandidatemustbeanatural-bornU.S.citizenandhavelivedintheU.S.foratleast14years.

Whenelected,thePresidentservesatermoffouryears.Atmost,aPresidentmayservetwoterms.

（NOTE:

Before1951,thePresidentcouldserveasmanytermsashewanted.However,everyPresidenthadfollowedGeorgeWashington’sexampleofsteppingdownaftertwoterms.FranklinD.Rooseveltbrokewithtradition.Rooseveltsuccessfullyranforofficefourtimes.Earlyinhisfourthterm,in1945,hedied.Sixyearslater,Congresspassedthe22ndAmendment,whichlimitsPresidentstotwoterms.）

ThePresidentcanberemovedfromofficethroughtheprocessofimpeachment（Aformalaccusationissuedbyalegislatureagainstapublicofficialchargedwithcrimeorotherseriousmisconduct.）.IftheHouseofRepresentativesfeelthatthePresidenthascommittedactsof"Treason,Bribery,orotherHighCrimesandMisdemeanors（不正当的行为）"theycanimpeachhimwithamajorityvote.Animpeachmentisverysimilartoalegalindictment（控告）.Itisnotaconviction,however,andnotenoughtoremovethePresidentfromofficealone.

ThecasethengoestotheSenate.OverseenbytheChiefJusticeoftheSupremeCourt,theSenatereviewsthecaseandvoteswhetherornottoconvictthePresident.Iftheyvoteinfavorofconvictionbyatwo-thirdsmargin,thenthePresidentisremovedfromoffice.

ThePresidentoftheUnitedStates:

LegislativePowers

MostpeopleviewthePresidentasthemostpowerfulandinfluentialpersonintheUnitedStatesgovernment.Whilehedoeswieldagreatdealofpoliticalmight,hiseffectonthelaw-makingprocessislimited.OnlyCongresscanwritelegislation;thePresidentmayonlyrecommendit.Ifhedoesso,thenamemberofCongressmayintroducethebillforconsideration.

WhereasonlyCongressmaycreatelegislation,itisdifficultforthemtopassabillwithoutthePresident’sapproval.WhenCongresspassesabill,theysendittotheWhiteHouse.ThePresidentthenhasthreeoptions:

signthebillintolaw,vetothebill,ordonothing.

WhenthePresidentsignsabillintolaw,itimmediatelygoesintoeffect.Atthispoint,onlytheSupremeCourtcanremovethelawfromthebooksbydeclaringitunconstitutional.

WhenthePresidentvetoesabill,itdoesnotgointoeffect.ThePresidentvetoesabillbyreturningittoCongressunsigned.Inmostcases,hewillalsosendthemanexplanationofwhyherejectedthelegislation.Congresscanoverride（不考虑）apresidentialveto,buttodoso,two-thirdsofeachchambermustvoteinfavorofthebill.However,anoverridedoesnotoccurveryoften.

IfthePresidentchoosesthethirdoption,doingnothingwiththebill,oneoftwothingswilloccur.IfCongressisinsessiontenbusinessdaysafterthePresidentreceivesthebill,thelegislationwillbecomealawwithoutthePresident’ssignature.However,ifCongressadjourns（休会）withintenbusinessdaysofgivingthebilltothePresident,thebilldies.WhenthePresidentkillsabillinthisfashion,itisknownasapocketveto（搁置否决/口袋否决）.Inthiscase,Congresscandonothingtooverridehisdecision.

ThePresidentialvetoisanextremelypowerfultool.Often,togetCongresstoreconsiderlegislation,thePresidentneedonlythreatentovetoabillif