american politics and government branch美国政治与政府机构.doc

American Politics and Government System The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States (the head of state and head of government), Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments. Federal and state elections generally take place within a two-party system. The Constitution The government of the United States is based on a written constitution, the Constitution of 1789, which creates the basic structure of the federal government. The Constitution is built on six basic principles. These are deeply ingrained in the mindset and landscape of US Government. ● Popular Sovereignty - This principle states that the source of governmental power lies with the people. ● Limited Government - The US government does not derive its power from itself. It must follow its own laws and it can only act using powers given to it by the people. ● Separation of Powers - The US Government is divided into three branches so that no one branch has all the power. Each branch has its own purpose: to make the laws, execute the laws, and interpret the laws. ● Checks and Balances - Each branch of government has a certain number of checks it can use to ensure the other branches do not become too powerful. For example, the president can veto legislation, the Supreme Court can declare acts of Congress unconstitutional, and the Senate must approve treaties and presidential appointments. ● Judicial Review - This is a power that allows the Supreme Court to decide whether acts and laws are unconstitutional. ● Federalism - One of the most complicated foundations of the US is the principle of federalism. This is the idea that the central government does not control all the power in the nation. States also have powers reserved to them. 2. Three Branches of Government The Constitution created three separate branches of government. Each branch has its own p