US Political System

The political system of America, as well as other countries, consists of institutions. The three major
branches of U.S government- the executive, the legislative and the judicial- are each important
institutions in American politics. Key institutions of government, which are related to procedures, are
electoral college and the procedures adopted for bargaining between the branches of government.

The institutions of government are the foundations that shape the operation of the overall political
system. Based on existing US institutions, we can say that the form of government in the United States is
a democratic republic, which is a kind of mix of democracy and republic. Democracy in practice today
means popular election of government and basic protections of civil rights and liberties. Republic, in
turn, is a political system, in which public officials are chosen to present the people in assembly, which
makes important policy decisions.

Since the 1930s the American polity has been under the sway of a new populist and bureaucratic
regime and, according to Morton Keller, today this regime is in its full maturity. The establishment of the
regime was triggered by events or approaches such as a new way of doing politics, government, and law
emerged from the Great Depression, the New Deal, World War II, and the Cold War.

Populism is a political approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns
are disregarded by established elite groups. Bureaucracy is a system of government in which most of the
important decisions are taken by state officials rather than by elected representatives.

The new regime is populist in the sense that public affairs are defined increasingly by voices outside of
the party-political apparatus—the media, advocacy groups, experts, bureaucrats, judges—who claim to
speak for particular social interests or for the people at large. The regime is also bureaucratic, relying on
government agencies and the courts to define and enforce public policy.

The populist and bureaucratic regime brought with it a new vocabulary of American public life. The
bureaucratic regime relies on the vocabulary of a managerial society as the party regime did on the
language of agrarian and then industrial America. DONE

The American system is particularly unusual, because of its combination of federal and presidential
structures. In U.S the national government sits atop the political system, but there is much more to a
federal system. Federalism in the United States is a political system with multiple levels of government,
in which each level has independent authority over some important policy areas.

Constitutionalism is also an important feature of the American political system. It is the idea, often
associated with the political theories of John Locke and the founders of the American republic, that
government can and should be legally limited in its powers, and that its authority or legitimacy depends
on its observing these limitations.

It is important to analyze the US political system in terms of bureaucracy as well. Bureaucracy is an

agency or office devoted to carrying out tasks for the government in a manner consistent with the law.
In United States, Congress and the president together pass legislation, and the job of the executive
bureaucracies is to execute, administer, and enforce the laws. DONE
 The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United
States and consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Congress meets in the United
States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

I also want to talk about the judiciary in US. In the United States, the criminal courts belong
to two separate systems — the state and federal. The state courts try defendants charged
with state crimes and the federal system deals with those charged with federal crimes. The federal court
system has three main levels: district courts (the trial court), circuit courts which are the first level of
appeal, and the Supreme Court of the United States, the final level of appeal in the federal system. State
courts also have three levels: supreme courts, appellate courts and trial courts. There are nine judges
appointed to the court – each position is nominated by the president and approved by the Senate. Seats
in the court are given on a life basis and vacancies are typically only created when a judge retires or
passes away in post.

Civil rights and liberties play big role in the U.S political system. Civil liberties are protections against
government actions. For example, the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights guarantees citizens the right
to practice whatever religion they please. Civil Rights, in contrast, refer to positive actions of
government should take to create equal conditions for all Americans.

Public opinion is one of the most frequently evoked terms in American politics. Public opinion is
(measured by surveys) the collection of attitudes, opinions, and preferences of the general public. In
American political system the GOV’s authority is derived from the people. Politicians are sometimes
criticized for being slaves to public opinion instead of leading based on their own opinions of what is the
right thing to do. They have to catch a balance between being trustee (represent your constituents by
using your own judgment) or delegate (the GOV not only derives its authority from the people but
should also be responsive to their expressed desires).