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How Does The US Political System Work?

May 3, 2018 by  
Filed under Politics, Weekly Columns

(Akiit.comDo you find yourself feeling perplexed when anyone talks to you about politics? If your political knowledge only consists of Kanye West’s Twitter feed, read on to discover exactly how the US political system works. It can seem confusing, but once it is broken down, it is fairly easy to understand. Read on to discover everything you need to know.

Firstly, it is important to understand that the government in America is separated into three clearly defined branches. These are as follows: the courts (the judiciary), the US Congress (the legislature), and the cabinet (the executive). The US Congress is the part of the government that is responsible for making the laws that govern America. The Congress is the greatest power in the US, as it has the ability to impeach the President and remove them from the White House. The US Congress is split into two chambers: the Senate, which is the upper chamber, and the House of Representatives, which is the lower chamber. Both chambers are based in Washington, DC, at the Capitol Building. During an election, not only will Americans elect a President and Vice President, but also they elect members to both houses.

So, if the US Congress holds all the power, what power does the president have?

Just how powerful is Donald Trump? The President has the ability to nominate a cabinet, which then has to be approved by the Senate. The President also has the power to veto laws that have been passed by Congress, as well as proposing legislation for houses to approve. You will probably already know that a president is only allowed to serve a maximum of two four-year terms in office.

What about state and local elections?

You will also have local elections, which are the base level of government office. Individuals that are elected to these offices have authority over their municipality. A step up from this is state government positions, for example, the Arizona secretary of state elections that are going on at the moment is for these positions. At the moment, a governor is directly elected by every state in America, as well as state legislature representatives. Aside from this, most of the other positions are appointed ones, which highlights why it is so important for voters to elect governors and legislators with care, as they need to trust them to make wise appointments.

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding regarding the US political system and how it works. Now you know what those weird words like ‘cabinet’ and ‘congress’ actually stands for, as well as the powers the president has. While it can be confusing, it is important to understand the system so you know exactly whom you are voting for and the impact they can have.

Staff Writer; Ron Wall


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