POLITICAL

SYSTEM OF THE
USA
• The United States is a federal constitutional republic. Power is divided between a
central/national government and the States. The national government is referred to as the
Federal Government
 LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Congress
Makes laws
House of Representatives (435 members)
• House can propose tax laws
• House can impeach the President
• Representatives must be 25 years old
• Representatives must be a citizen for
governments 7 years
• Representatives serve a 2 – year term
Senate (100 members)
• Senate can improve Presidential appointments
• Senate approves treaties with foreign
governments
• Senate tries President after impeachment
• Members must be 30 years old
• Members serve a 6 – year term
EXECUTIVE BRANCH

President, Vice-President, Cabinet

Enforces Laws

• Must be 35 years old

• Must be a US citizen by birth
• Must be a US resident for 14 years
• President has power to approve/ veto laws
• Must make treaties with foreign government
• President nominates judges to Supreme Court
JUDICIAL BRANCH

Supreme Court and Federal Courts

Interprets Laws

• Serve for life

• Can declare laws unconstitutional
• Can settle disputes involving the US
• Chief Justice of The Supreme Court presides over the
impeachment trial of the President
CENTRAL DOCUMENTS
• the Declaration of Independence (1776
• the Constitution (1787)
• the Federalist Papers (1788)
• the Bill of Rights (1791) (The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten
amendments to the United States Constitution. These limitations serve to protect the natural
rights of liberty and property.)
• Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" (1863)
• The powers of the federal government are limited by the Constitution which leaves a great deal
of authority to the individual states. Each state has an executive, a legislature and a judiciary.
The head of the executive is the Governor who is directly elected. The legislature consists of a
Senate and a House of Representatives (the exception is the state of Nebraska which has a
unicameral system). The judiciary consists of a state system of courts. The 50 states are
divided into counties (parishes in Louisiana and boroughs in Alaska). Each county has its court.
 POLITICAL PARTIES OF THE USA
• The modern political party system in the United States is a two-party system dominated by the
Democratic Party and the Republican Party. These two parties have won every United States
presidential election since 1852 and have controlled the United States Congress since at least 1856.
Several other third parties from time to time achieve relatively minor representation at the national
and state levels.

• Democratic Party
The party's socially liberal and
progressive platform is largely
considered center-left in the U.S.
political spectrum. The party has
the lengthiest record of continuous
operation in the United States, and
is one of the oldest political parties
in the world. Barack Obama is the
15th Democrat to hold the office of
President of the United States.
• Republican Party • Major Third Parties
Founded by anti-slavery The Constitution Party is a
expansion activists in conservative United States
1854, it is often called political party. The
the GOP (Grand Old Constitution Party advocates a
Party). The party's platform that they believe
platform generally reflects the Founding Fathers'
reflects American original intent of the U.S.
conservatism in the U.S. Constitution, principles found
political spectrum and is in the U.S. Declaration of
considered center-right Independence, and morals
taken from the Bible.
• The Green Party has been
active as a third party since
• The Libertarian Party was founded on December 11, 1971.
the 1980s. Greens
The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects that
emphasize group's particular brand of libertarianism, favoring
environmentalism, non- minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil
hierarchical participatory liberties, minimally regulated migration across borders, and
democracy, social justice, non-interventionism in foreign policy that respects freedom
respect for diversity, peace of trade and travel to all foreign countries.
and nonviolence.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!