美国政治

nullChapter 3 PoliticsIntroduction to British and American CultureChapter 3 PoliticsPart Two The Political System of the United StatesLearning FocusIntroduction to British and American CultureLearning FocusThe Federal System The U.S. Constitution The Congress Checks and Balances The Democratic Party Before You ReadIntroduction to British and American CultureBefore You ReadWarm-up 1. Which legal document decides the organization of the United States government? _____________________________ 2. Who is the present President of the United States? Which party does he or she stand for? _____________________________ 3. What are the two major political parties in the United States? _____________________________The ConstitutionIntroduction to British and American CultureThe Constitutiona single political document in1787 7 articles The Constitution follows three principles: Federal system “Checks and balances” Respect for the ConstitutionThe Federal SystemIntroduction to British and American CultureThe Federal System Definition Power is shared between the central government and the state government Americans are under two governments The state government The federal government Power of the federal government To declare war, to tax, to borrow or coin money and to regulate business and tradeBill of RightsIntroduction to British and American CultureBill of Rights A list of 10 amendments in 1791 Rights guaranteed Freedom of religion Freedom of speech Freedom of the press Freedom to assemble peaceably in public places Freedom to own weapons Significance A fundamental symbol of the freedoms and culture of the nationChecks and balancesIntroduction to British and American CultureChecks and balancesThree-part government The legislative The executive The judicial Function Limits the powers of the three branches Belief If any one part or branch of government has all the power, it will become a threat to the freedom of citizens. U. S. GovernmentIntroduction to British and American CultureU. S. GovernmentThe Legislative Branch Introduction to British and American CultureThe Legislative Branch Law-making branch The Congress The supreme legislative A similar function to the Parliament of the U.K. Two houses: the Senate & the House of Representatives Transferring InformationIntroduction to British and American CultureTransferring Information2435306297The Executive BranchIntroduction to British and American CultureThe Executive BranchThe head of the branch is the President Consists of 15 departments The President’s function Both the British Prime Minister and the Monarch The first citizen of the U.S.The White HouseIntroduction to British and American CultureThe White HouseThe official presidential residence Since 1814, it has been called the “White House”.The Judicial BranchIntroduction to British and American CultureThe Judicial BranchConsists of a series of courtsThe Supreme CourtIntroduction to British and American CultureThe Supreme Court1 Chief Justice and 8 Associate Justices It is the only court that has right to decide whether the law is constitutional. Political Parties Introduction to British and American CulturePolitical Parties The Democratic Party Logo: donkey The Republican Party Logo: elephant The Republican Party Introduction to British and American CultureThe Republican Party The second largest party More conservative Ideology A small government and free market Letting business compete with little or no government regulation in the marketplace Advocates strong national defense The Democratic Party Introduction to British and American CultureThe Democratic Party The more liberal party Idea Government should do more for all classes of Americans. They favor a strong social security system. Supporters Poorer and less-privileged AmericansBarack ObamaIntroduction to British and American CultureBarack ObamaThe 44th president American story Hard work and education as the means of getting ahead A life so blessed should be lived in service to others.Parties Introduction to British and American CultureParties ElephantliberalmarketGovernmentSupportSummary Introduction to British and American CultureSummary The Federal System The U.S. Constitution The Congress Checks and Balances The Democratic Party nullIntroduction to British and American CultureThank You!