1.

Introduction
1.1 A Contextual Outline
The United States Constitution vests executive power in the hands of one individual- the
President of United States of America. His powers are so enormous, wide and overwhelming that
he has been described as the foremost ruler in the world. The office of the American President
has been organised on the basis of non-parliamentary of Presidential form of government. There
are Presidents in parliamentary form of government too. But their authority is greatly limited.
They are Constitutional or nominal head of the States. The Indian President for example, cannot
go against the advice of the Council of Ministers which is responsible to the Parliament. In the
USA, on the other hand, the President and his Cabinet is not answerable to the Legislature. The
President of USA is supreme in executive sphere, making of course due allowance of some
devices of internal checks and balances. The American President is not bound down by Cabinet.
He chooses his own Cabinet, which is at his best personal team of advisers. It has been rightly
characterised as the Presidents Family, and head of the Family, the President, inevitably
dominates them.1 Ogg rightly describe him as the greatest ruler of the world. According to
Henry he exercises the largest amount of authority ever wielded by any man in democracy.
Quite a number of factors are responsible for this State of affairs. The Constitution is very clear
and unequivocal in giving all the executive powers to the President. Secondly, though he is
indirectly elected by the Electoral College, in actual practice his election has become direct. As
such he enjoys a greater measure of popular support.
Indeed, the American Constitution has made the President a real executive head rather than a
titular one as is the case in parliamentary form of government. The American President, in
respect of his powers, is best compared to the Prime Ministers of parliamentary democracies
enjoying the support of a stable majority in the legislatures. Now he is both, the head of the State
as well as head of the government. In many other nations, there is a chief of State whose duties
are largely protocol in nature while the Prime Minister is the centre of power. But the American
President is the nations principal spokesman of both domestic and foreign policy.
1 Gibbs, Nancy (November 13, 2008). "How Presidents Pass The Torch". Time. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
1

The President of United States is both more and less than a king; he is also both more and less
than a Prime Minister.

1.2 Objectives of the Study

a. To understand the significance of the Presidential form of Government.
b. To find out on which Principles on which Presidential form of government runs.
c. To find out the mode of election of President of USA and his Cabinet.
d. To focus on the various powers and functions and comparison with other political systems in
the world.

Hypothesis
The American system of government, begun as an experiment in liberty and democracy in 1776,
has proven to be remarkably resilient and adaptable. While often categorized as a democracy, the
United States is more accurately defined as a constitutional federal republic and a Presidential
system of Government. To a visiting observer, the U.S. government may seem straightforward:
the Congress makes the laws and the President implements them. A closer inspection reveals a
much more complex system of interactions and infl uences. As a republic, the ultimate power
within the American system rests with the people. This power is exercised through regular,
scheduled elections in which voters select the President, members of Congress, and various state
and local officials. These officials and their staffs formulate policy, make laws, and direct the
day-to-day operations of government.

1.3 Methodology and Database

The present study is a doctrinal, descriptive & analytical study based on the critical review of
both primary & secondary sources. Secondary & Electronic resources have been largely used to
gather information & data about the topic. Books & other references have been primarily helpful
in giving this project a firm structure. Websites, dictionaries & articles have also been referred.
Footnotes have been provided wherever needed, to acknowledge the sources.

1.4 Scope and Limitation Of Study

2

The research paper deals with the Presidential form of Government of USA. In this paper the
researcher endeavours to cover the various aspects of the Presidential form of Government of
USA. She has also discussed about the different organs and functions of US government and
dealt with the structure of various institutions related with the government.

1.5 Organisation of Study

The project is divided into 10 major sections. They are:
1. Introduction: This section introduces the topic & highlights the objectives, methodology
scope & limitation of the study.
2. Presidential System of Government: This section explains the concept of Presidential System

3.

of Government and its various characteristics.

The American President: This section deals with the explanation of the American President as

4.

the Head of the Government in the United States.

Powers and Functions: This section deals with different powers like legislative. Executive

5.

etc.
The Vice President of the United States: This section deals with the owers and functions of

6.

the Vice President of the United States.

Office of Great Power and Dignity: This section focuses on the idea as to how the position

7.
8.

of the President is important and is abundant of power and dignity.

The Presidents cabinet: This discusses the cabinet of the President and its role.
Similarities and Differences: This provides a comparison of the US system with other
systems.
Conclusion: This section concludes the research work.

9.
10.

References: This section underlines the different references used to complete this project.

2. Presidential System of Government

A presidential system is a republican system of government where a head of government is also

head of state and leads an executive branch that is separate from the legislative branch. The
United States, for instance, has a presidential system. The executive is elected and often titled
"president" and is not responsible to the legislature and cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss
it. The legislature may have the right, in extreme cases, to dismiss the executive, often through
impeachment. However, such dismissals are seen as so rare as not to contradict a central tenet of
presidentialism that in normal circumstances using normal means the legislature cannot dismiss
the executive.
The title president has persisted from a time when such person personally presided over the
government body, as with the US President of the Continental Congress, before the executive
function was split into a separate branch of government and could no longer preside over the
legislative body.2
Presidential systems are numerous and diverse, but the following are generally true:
The executive can veto legislative acts and, in turn, a supermajority of lawmakers may
override the veto. The veto is generally derived from the British tradition of royal assent in
which an act of parliament can only be enacted with the assent of the monarch.
The president has a fixed term of office. Elections are held at regular times and cannot be
triggered by a vote of confidence or other parliamentary procedures. Although in some
countries there is an exception, which provides for the removal of a president who is found to
have broken a law.
The executive branch is uni-personal. Members of the cabinet serve at the pleasure of the
president and must carry out the policies of the executive and legislative branches. Cabinet
ministers or executive departmental chiefs are not members of the legislature. However,
presidential systems often need legislative approval of executive nominations to the cabinet,
judiciary, and various lower governmental posts. A president generally can direct members of
the cabinet, military, or any officer or employee of the executive branch, but cannot direct or
dismiss judges.3
The president can often pardon or commute sentences of convicted criminals.
2 Sundquist, James (1992). Constitutional Reform and Effective Government. Brookings Institution
Press. p. 11.
4

Countries that feature a presidential system of government are not the exclusive users of the title
of President. For example, a dictator, who may or may not have been popularly or legitimately
elected may be and often is called a president. Likewise, leaders of one-party states are often
called presidents. Most parliamentary republics have presidents, but this position is largely
ceremonial; notable examples include Germany, India, Ireland, Israel and Italy. The title is also
used in parliamentary republics with an executive presidency, and also in semi-presidential
systems.4
2.1 Criticism and Disadvantages
Critics generally claim three basic disadvantages for presidential systems:
Tendency towards authoritarianism: some political scientists say presidentialism raises the
stakes of elections, exacerbates their polarization and can lead to authoritarianism (Linz).
Political gridlock: the separation of powers of a presidential system establishes the
presidency and the legislature as two parallel structures. Critics argue that this can create an
undesirable and long-term political gridlock whenever the president and the legislative
majority are from different parties, which is common because the electorate usually expects
more rapid results from new policies than are possible (Linz, Mainwaring and Shugart). In
addition, this reduces accountability by allowing the president and the legislature to shift
blame to each other.
Impediments to leadership change : presidential systems often make it difficult to remove a
president from office early, for example after taking actions that become unpopular.

3. The American President

3 David Sirota (August 22, 2008). "Why cult of presidency is bad for democracy". San Francisco
Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-09-20
4 Nelson, Dana D. (2008). Bad for Democracy: How the Presidency Undermines the Power of the
People. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-8166-5677-6.
5

Article II, section 1, of the US Constitution provides that "the executive Power shall be vested in
a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four
Years, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term..." In addition to the powers
set forth in the Constitution, federal law has conferred upon the President specific authority and
responsibility covering a wide range of matters.5
Advised by the Departments of Defence and Homeland Security, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
the President also serves as Commander In Chief of all United States military forces deployed
around the world.6
The President is the administrative head of the executive branch of the Government, which
includes numerous agencies, both temporary and permanent, as well as the 15 executive (Cabinet
level) department.
Election of the American President:
Qualifications for being the President of United States of America:

Only native-born U.S. citizens (or those born abroad, but only to parents who were both
citizens of the U.S.) may be president of the United States, though from time to time that
requirement is called into question, most recently after Arnold Schwarzenegger, born in
Austria, was elected governor of California, in 2003. The Constitution originally provided a
small loophole to this provision: One needn't have been born in the United States but had to be
a citizen at the time the Constitution was adopted. But, since that occurred in 1789, that ship
has sailed.

One must also be at least 35 years of age to be president. John F. Kennedy was the youngest
person to be elected president; he was 43 years old when he was inaugurated in 1961. There is
no maximum age limit set forth in the Constitution. Ronald Reagan was the oldest president;
at the end of his term in 1988, he was nearly 77.

5 Gerhard Robbers, Encyclopaedia of World Constitutions, Vol. I, 2010, Viva Books Pvt. Ltd.
6 Herbert Kritzer, Legal Systems of the World, Vol I, 2005, Pentagon Press.
6

Finally, one must live in the United States for at least 14 years to be president, in addition to
being a natural-born citizen. The Constitution is vague on this point. For example, it does not
make clear whether those 14 years need to be consecutive or what the precise definition of
residency is. So far, however, this requirement has not been challenged.7

Election to the office of President:

Every fourth November, after almost two years of campaign hype and money, over 90 million
Americans vote for the presidential candidates. Then, in the middle of December, the president
and vice president of the United States are really elected by the votes of only 538 citizens -- the
"electors" of the Electoral College.
How the Electoral College Elects the President:
When one votes for a Presidential candidate he is really voting to instruct the electors from his
state to cast their votes for the same candidate. For example, if one votes for the Republican
candidate, he is really voting for an elector who will be "pledged" to vote for the Republican
candidate. The candidate who wins the popular vote in a state wins all the pledged votes of the
state's electors.
The Electoral College system was established in Article II of the Constitution and amended by
the 12th Amendment in 1804.
Each state gets a number of electors equal to its number of members in the U.S. House of
Representatives plus one for each of its two U.S. Senators. The District of Columbia gets three
electors. While state laws determine how electors are chosen, they are generally selected by the
political party committees within the states.
Each elector gets one vote. Thus, a state with eight electors would cast eight votes. There are
currently 538 electors and the votes of a majority of them , 270 votes , are required to be elected.
7 John Baylis & Steve Smith , The globalization of World Politics, 4th ed. 2008, Oxford University Press.
7

Since Electoral College representation is based on congressional representation, states with

larger populations get more Electoral College votes.
Should none of the candidates win 270 electoral votes, the 12th Amendment kicks in and the
election is decided by the House of Representatives. The combined representatives of each state
get one vote and a simple majority of states is required to win. This has only happened twice.
Presidents Thomas Jefferson in 1801 and John Quincy Adams in 1825 were elected by the House
of Representatives.8
While the state electors are "pledged" to vote for the candidate of the party that chose them,
nothing in the Constitution requires them to do so. In rare instances, an elector will defect and
not vote for his or her party's candidate. Such "faithless" votes rarely change the outcome of the
election and laws of some states prohibit electors from casting them.9

8 Anup Chand Kapur, K.K. Mishra, Select Constitutions, 16th ed. 2014, S Chand & Company Pvt. Ltd.,
New Delhi.
9 Vishnoo Bhagwan, Vidya Bhushan, Vandana Mohla, World Constitution- A Comparative Study, 2013,
Sterling Publishers, New Delhi.
8

4. Powers and functions of the American President

4.1 Legislative functions of the American President
The President of the United States is commonly referred to as the most powerful person in the
free world, but his legislative powers are strictly defined by the Constitution and by a system of
checks and balances among the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the government.
4.1.1 Approving Legislation
Although it is the responsibility of Congress to introduce and pass legislation, it is the president's
duty to either approve those bills or reject them. Once the president signs a bill into law, it goes
immediately into effect unless there is another effective date noted. Only the Supreme Court may
remove the law, by declaring it unconstitutional.
The president may also issue a signing statement at the time he signs a bill. The presidential
signing statement may simply explain the purpose of the bill, instruct the responsible executive
branch agencies on how the law should be administered or express the president's opinion of the
law's constitutionality.
4.1.2 Vetoing Legislation
The president may also veto a specific bill, which Congress can override with a two-thirds
majority of the number of members present in both the Senate and the House when the override
vote is taken. Whichever chamber of Congress originated the bill may also rewrite the legislation
after the veto and send it back to the president for approval.
The president has a third option, which is to do nothing. In this case, two things can happen. If
Congress is in session at any point within a period of 10 business days after the president
receives the bill, it automatically becomes law. If Congress does not convene within 10 days, the
bill dies and Congress cannot override it. This is known as a pocket veto.
9

 No Congressional Approval Needed

There are two ways that presidents can enact initiatives without congressional approval.
Presidents may issue a proclamation, often ceremonial in nature, such as naming a day in honour
of someone or something that has contributed to American society. A president may also issue
an executive order, which has the full effect of law and is directed to federal agencies that are
charged with carrying out the order. Examples include Franklin D. Roosevelt's executive order
for the internment of Japanese-Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbour, Harry Truman's
integration of the armed forces and Dwight Eisenhower's order to integrate the nation's schools.
Congress cannot directly vote to override an executive order in the way they can a veto. Instead,
Congress must pass a bill cancelling or changing the order in a manner they see fit. The president
will typically veto that bill, and then Congress can try to override the veto of that second bill.
The Supreme Court can also declare an executive order to be unconstitutional. Congressional
cancellation of an order is extremely rare.
4.1.3 The Presidents Legislative Agenda
Once a year, the president is required to provide the full Congress with a State of the Union
address. At this time, the president often lays out his legislative agenda for the next year,
outlining his legislative priorities for both Congress and the nation at large.
In order to help get his legislative agenda passed by Congress, the president will often ask a
specific lawmaker to sponsor bills and lobby other members for passage. Members of the
president's staff, such as the vice president, his chief of staff and other liaisons with Capitol Hill
also will lobby representatives to try to garner support for the legislation.
A presidential veto is the rejection of a bill passed by the majority votes of both the House of
Representatives and the Senate. While Congress can vote to override a presidential veto, causing
the bill to become law without the president's approval, this is rarely done. More often than not,
the threat of presidential veto is sufficient motivation for Congress to modify the bill prior to its

10

final passage. This article provides a brief overview of procedures involved in vetoing a bill and
the ways Congress can respond to a presidential veto.10
4.1.4 The Veto Process
When a bill is passed by both the House and Senate, it is sent to the president for his signature.
All bills and joint resolutions, except those proposing amendments to the Constitution, must be
signed by the president before they become law. Amendments to the Constitution, which require
a two-thirds vote of approval in each chamber, are sent directly to the states for ratification.
When presented with legislation passed by both houses of Congress, the president is
constitutionally required to act on it in one of four ways: sign it into law within the 10-day period
prescribed in the Constitution, issue a regular veto, let the bill become law without his signature
or issue a "pocket" veto.
Regular veto
When Congress is in session, the president may, within the 10-day period, exercise a regular veto
by sending the unsigned bill back to the chamber of Congress from which it originated along
with a veto message stating his reasons for rejecting it. Currently, the president must veto the bill
in its entirety. He may not veto individual provisions of the bill while approving others.
Rejecting individual provisions of a bill is called a "line-item" veto. In 1996, Congress passed a
law granting President Clinton the power to issue line-item vetoes, only to have the Supreme
Court declare it unconstitutional in 1998.
Bill becomes law without Presidents signature
When Congress is not adjourned, and the president fails to either sign or veto a bill sent to him
by

the

end

of

the

10-day

period,

it

becomes

law

without

his

signature.

10
11

 The Pocket Veto

When Congress is adjourned, the president can reject a bill by simply refusing to sign it. This
action is known as a "pocket veto," coming from the analogy of the president simply putting the
bill in his pocket and forgetting about it. Unlike a regular veto, Congress has neither the
opportunity nor constitutional authority to override a pocket veto.
How Congress responds to a veto
When the President returns a bill to the chamber of Congress from which it came, along with his
objections in the form of a veto message, that chamber is constitutionally required to
"reconsider" the bill. The Constitution is silent, however, on the meaning of "reconsideration."
According to the Congressional Research Service, procedure and tradition govern the treatment
of vetoed bills. "On receipt of the vetoed bill, the President's veto message is read into the journal
of the receiving house. After entering the message into the journal, the House of Representatives
or the Senate complies with the constitutional requirement to 'reconsider' by laying the measure
on the table (essentially stopping further action on it), referring the bill to committee, postponing
consideration to a certain day, or immediately voting on reconsideration (vote on override)."
Overriding a veto
Action by both the House and the Senate is required to override a presidential veto. A two-thirds
majority vote of the Members present is required to override a presidential veto. If one house
fails to override a veto, the other house does not attempt to override, even if the votes are present
to succeed. The House and Senate may attempt to override a veto anytime during the Congress in
which the veto is issued. Should both houses of Congress successfully vote to override a
presidential veto, the bill becomes law. According the Congressional Research service, from
1789 through 2004, only 106 of 1,484 regular presidential vetoes were overridden by Congress.11

11
12

4.2 The Executive Powers

The presidents executive powers are derived from the Constitution, from the Statutes, and from
the implications of his office.
i)

Head of Administration: He is the head of the administration. It is his duty to see that
the Constitution, laws and the treaties of the United States and judicial decisions rendered
by the federal courts are duly enforced throughout the country. In the fulfillment of his
duty, he may direct the heads of departments and their subordinates in the discharge of
the functions vested in them by the Acts of Congress. The Constitution empowers him to
require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive

ii)

departments. This gives him control over the Cabinet.12

Power of Appointments: As administrative head, the President appoints, with the advice
and consent of a simple majority of the senators present, ambassadors, ministers, consults
federal judges, and other officers of the United States whose appointments are not
otherwise provided for in the Constitution. If vacancies occur in such offices while the
Senate is not in session, the President may fill them until the end of the next session of
the Senate. Congress may by law vest the appointment of the inferior officers in the
President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments. It is now a
convention that the Senate does not normally refuse its consent to the Presidents choice

iii)

of the heads of the departments who acts as his principal advisers.

Senatorial Courtesy: There are a number of federal officers, especially those of a local
nature, who are subject to a rule known as senatorial courtesy. This rule decrees that the
senate will refuse to confirm the Presidents nomination of an appointee in a particular

iv)

State if either senator from the state objects.

Power of removal: The power to appoint according to the Supreme Court interpretations,
includes the power to remove. Thus the senates consent is not necessary for the removal

12 Our Government ,The Executive Branch, The White House, www.Whitehouse.com, accessed on 5th
March, 2011.
13

of officers by the President. The President is the commander-in-chief of the Army, Navy,
v)

Air Force and of the militia of the States when called into the service of the United States.
Power in Foreign Affairs: The conduct of foreign affairs is in the hands of the President,

vi)

but a treaty made by him requires ratification of two third of the senate.
Power in war: Though the power to declare war belongs to congress as a whole, clearly

vii)

executive action may bring negotiations to such a pass as to make war almost inevitable.
Control over Cabinet: It should be noted that the Cabinet, as a collective body for the
purpose of formulating the policy of the nation, is not mentioned in the Constitution. It is
made up of his personal choices and is completely subordinate to him. He is not bound by
its decisions.13

4.3 The Judicial Powers

The President has the power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the Unites
States, except in cases of impeachment. It is this constitutional power that President Ford
exercised in 1974 when he pardoned former President Nixon, for his role in the Watergate coverup.

4.4 Powers of the Head of the State

The President of the United States is not only the head of the executive branch of the government,
he is also the head of the State and performs, like the British Queen, the ceremonial dignified
functions. The functions of the head of the State and the head of the government are combined in
hiss person. This fact imparts special dignity and prestige to his office.14

13
14 http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/61025/stephen-m-walt/taming-american-power, accessed on
5th March, 2011.
14

5. The Vice President of the United States

The vice president, who also is a member of the Cabinet, serves as president in the event that the
president is unable to do so for any reason or if the president steps down. The vice president also
presides over the Senate and can cast a deciding vote in the event of a tie.
The Vice President of the United States is the second-highest public office created by the United
States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is
indirectly elected by the people through the Electoral College to a four-year term of office.The
vice president is the first person in the presidential line of succession, and would ascend to the
Presidency upon the death, resignation, or removal of the President.15
The vice president is also president of the United States Senate. In that capacity, he is allowed to
vote in the Senate when necessary to break a tie. While Senate customs have created
supermajority rules that have diminished this Constitutional power, the vice president still retains
the ability to influence legislation (e.g. the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005).Pursuant to the
Twelfth Amendment, the Vice President presides over the joint session of Congress when it
convenes to count the vote of the Electoral College.16
While the Vice President's only constitutionally prescribed functions aside from Presidential
succession relate to his role as President of the Senate, the office is commonly viewed as a
component of the executive branch of the federal government. The United States Constitution
does not expressly assign the office to any one branch, causing a dispute amongst scholars
whether it belongs to the executive branch, the legislative branch, or both.The modern view of
the Vice President as a member of the executive branch is due in part to the assignment of
executive duties to the Vice President by either the President or Congress, though such activities
are only recent historical developments

15 Nagourney, Adam (September 30, 2008). "Concerns About Palin's Readiness as Big Test Nears". New
York Times. p. A16. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
16 The "Veepstakes": Strategic Choice in Presidential Running Mate Selection, by Lee Sigelman and
Paul J. Wahlbeck, American Political Science Review, December 1997.
15

6. Office of Great Power and Dignity

The Presidency of the United States is an office of great power and dignity. Its occupant has
become the most powerful head of democratic government known today. The American President
really governs, though he does not reign.17
The President of the United States, says Harold Laski, is both more and less than a king, he is
both more and less than a prime minister.
Amaury de Reincourt observes, In truth, no mental effort is required to understand that the
President of the United States is the most powerful single human being in the world today. Future
crisis will inevitably transform him into a full-fledged Caesar, if we do not beware.
In the words of Justice William O Douglas of the Supreme Court, the great office of President is
not a weak and powerless one. The Presidents represents the people and is their spokesman in
domestic and foreign affairs. The office is respected more than any other in the land.It gives a
position of leadership that is unique. The power to formulate policies and mould opinion inheres
in the Presidency and conditions our national life.

17 Basu Durga Das, Constitution of the World, Lexis Nexis Butterworths Publications, Fourth Edition, 2004.

16

7. The President's Cabinet

The Cabinet, a creation of custom and tradition dating back to George Washington's
administration, functions at the pleasure of the President. Its purpose is to advise the President
upon any subject, relating to the duties of the respective offices, on which he requests
information (pursuant to Article II, section 2, of the Constitution).
The Cabinet is composed of the heads of the 15 executive departments--the Secretaries of
Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and
Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, Homeland
Security and the Attorney General. Additionally, during the Clinton administration, Cabinet-level
rank was accorded to: the Chief of Staff to the President; the Director of Central Intelligence; the
Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers; the Counselor to the President; the Administrator,
Environmental Protection Agency; the Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency; the
Director, Office of Management and Budget; the Director, Office of National Drug Control
Policy; the Administrator, Small Business Administration; the U.S. Representative to the United
Nations; and the U.S. Trade Representative.
The Vice President also participates in Cabinet meetings, and from time to time, other
individuals are invited to participate in discussions of particular subjects. A Secretary to the
Cabinet is designated to provide for the orderly handling and follow-up of matters brought before
the Cabinet.
Fifteen cabinet members are appointed by the president after he is elected to run the
government's executive departments; the Senate must approve all appointments. The Cabinet
includes:

17

The Department of Agriculture, among other functions, ensures that the food
Americans consume is safe and regulates the nation's vast farming infrastructure.

The Department of Commerce helps regulate trade, banking and the economy; among
its agencies are the Census Bureau and the Patent and Trademark Office.

The Department of Defence, which includes the U.S. Armed Forces, protects the
nation's security and is headquartered at the Pentagon.

The Department of Education is responsible for ensuring equal access to a quality

education for all.

The Department of Energy keeps the U.S. plugged in, regulating utilities, ensuring the
security of power supplies and promoting new technology to conserve energy resources.

Health and Human Services helps keep Americans healthy; its agencies include the
Food and Drug Administration, the Centre for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health
and the Administration on Aging.

The Department of Homeland Security, established in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, is
charged with preventing terrorist attacks in the U.S. and helping to fight the war on terror and
includes the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Housing and Urban Development promotes affordable home-ownership and ensures

that no one is discriminated against in the pursuit of that goal.

Interior is dedicated to protecting and nurturing natural resources, national parks and
wildlife. Among its agencies are the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Indian
Affairs.

Justice, led by the Attorney General, enforces the nation's laws and includes, among
other agencies, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and
the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The Department of Labour enforces labour laws and keeps workers' safety and rights
protected.

State is charged with diplomacy; its representatives reflect the United States as part of
the world community.

The Department of Transportation established the Interstate Highway System and

keeps the U.S. transportation infrastructure safe and functioning.
18

Treasury ensures the country's financial and economic stability, manages federal
finances and collects taxes.

Veterans Affairs provides medical care for wounded or ill veterans and administers
veterans' benefits.

8. Similarities and differences between the U.S. system of government and

other forms of Democratic Government
As a constitutional federal republic, the United States is not unique. Many democracies are in
fact constitutional republics, and share with the United States long traditions of democratic
representation, the rule of law, and constitutional protections.18
One significant difference between the United States and some other major democracies is the
selection and role of the head of government. In parliamentary systems, the head of government
is a prime minister selected from the parliament, and is typically the leader of the majority
political party or coalition. The prime minister appoints a cabinet of ministers often consisting of
other members of parliament. A separate head of state may be a monarch or an elected President
(or comparable official). In the United States, the President is both head of government and head
of state. The President is elected separately from the legislature and may or may not be of the
legislatures majority political party. The Presidents cabinet consists of individuals who are
constitutionally prohibited from being members of Congress at the same time.19
The United States is primarily a two-party system, in stark contrast to many parliamentary
systems where there may be ten or more parties represented in the legislature. This results in
clearly defined political lines in the United States, without the formal need for coalition-building
often required to create a ruling majority in a parliamentary system. One factor contributing to
the two-party system in the United States is the single-member district system of electing
Representatives. In some parliamentary systems, proportional representation is used, which
allows many parties to be represented in parliament. One other significant difference is that
elected officials in the United States serve for a defined period of time before facing reelection.
18 "The Conquest of Presidentialism". Huffington Post. August 22, 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
19 Pylee, M V, Constitutions of the World, Universal Law Publishing Company, Second Edition, 2003.
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In many parliamentary systems, elections may be called suddenly by the ruling party or if there
is a vote of no confidence in the government. In some parliamentary systems, parliament may be
dissolved by the head of state and new elections ordered. Differences in the judicial system are
not as significant as in the legislative, because the United States legal system is based
predominantly on English common law. Defendants in criminal cases have the right to a public
trial by jury and the right to be represented by counsel. One major difference in the judiciary,
however, is the power of the U.S. Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional, thereby
nullifying them. Few other countries vest such authority in their judiciaries. Finally, the revenues
and expenditures of the U.S. government are much smaller than most of its counterparts in other
industrialized nations when measured as a percentage of gross domestic product. Much of the
difference is due to the social services and benefits (such as health care and old-age pensions)
that governments in some other nations pay for. In the United States, many of these services are
delivered by the private sector or are not funded to the same extent by the government, and thus
are not counted in government expenditures.20

20 "Constitution of the United States of America Amendment XII". U.S. National Government. June 15,
1804. Retrieved June 5, 2008.
20

9. Conclusion
The President of the United States is by far the best known politician both within the United
States and around the world. Americans who struggle to recall the name of their representative,
senator, or governor almost certainly know the name of the president. Citizens of other countries
from Iraq to China, Australia to Russia, are generally familiar with the president's name and
photograph and have an opinion on his performance in office. The fame that U.S. presidents
enjoy today is appropriate, for the person who holds that office is at the centre of both American
politics and world affairs. Yet the president is not all-powerful at home or abroad. U.S. presidents
are often frustrated overseas (for example, in their attempts to bring peace to the Middle East or
Northern Ireland), and domestically it is well to remember that, as the political scientist Charles
O. Jones has emphasized, the United States does not have a presidential system of government in
the sense that presidents are free to make and implement policy. It is not true that presidential
democracies are chronically prone to deadlocks between the executive and the legislative. The
best estimate is that deadlock situations, that is, situations in which the legislature approves a bill
that is vetoed by the president and the legislature cannot overcome the presidential veto, could
emerge represent no more than one-third of all cases of presidential democracies. It is also
known that a decentralized mode of decision-making is not inherent to presidentialism. There are
ways to structure the decision-making process in presidential democracies so as to neutralize
most of the centrifugal forces that may operate in these regimes. What this means, thus, is that
presidential regimes may work and that, if there is some independent reason for adopting one, it
may be more efficient to concentrate in designing a presidential system that works, rather than
spending resources in pre-empting that choice

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10. References
I. Bibliography
Books
1. Basu Durga Das, Constitution of the World, Lexis Nexis Butterworths Publications, Fourth
Edition, 2004.
2. Bhagwan, Vishnu & Bhushan, Vidya, World Constitution, Sterling Private Limited
Publications, Seventh Revised Edition, 1998.
3. Kapur, Anup Chand, Select Constitution of World, S. Chand and Company Ltd. Ram Nagar
New Delhi, Edition 2002
4. Kritzer, Herbert, Legal Systems of the World, Vol I, 2005, Pentagon Press.
5. Pylee, M V, Constitutions of the World, Universal Law Publishing Company, Second Edition,
2003.
Articles
1. Our Government ,The Executive Branch, The White House, www.Whitehouse.com, accessed
on 5th March, 2011.
2. http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/61025/stephen-m-walt/taming-american-power,
accessed on 5th March, 2011.
3. The "Veepstakes": Strategic Choice in Presidential Running Mate Selection, by Lee
Sigelman and Paul J. Wahlbeck, American Political Science Review, December 1997.
II. Webliography
1. www.scribd.com
2. www.sparklenotes.com
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3. www.whitehouse.com
4. www.jstor.org
5. www.brookings.org

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