US Political System Overview (for Pecha Kucha)

To show understanding of the US political system, present an overview of it. 

The political system of the United States

is often described

as one of the most complex

and sophisticated in the world.

The country operates as a federal republic,

with power divided

between the national government in Washington, D.C.,

and individual states.

The American political system is also characterized by :

• a two-party system,
• third parties,
• political polarization,
• lobbies and special interest groups,
• and a unique system of voting.

What does all this mean?

Let’s see:

The United States Constitution

serves as the supreme law of the land

and establishes the framework

for the country's political system.

The federal government consists of three branches:

• the legislative branch,
• the executive branch,
• and the judicial branch.

The legislative branch 

is responsible for creating laws

and is composed of two houses:

_ the Senate

_ and the House of Representatives.

The executive branch, 

led by the President,

is responsible for enforcing laws.

The judicial branch 

interprets laws

and resolves disputes through the court system.

This political system

is subject to various checks and balances 

to prevent any one branch or actor

from becoming too powerful.

For example,

the president's power

is limited

by the judicial branch’s ability

to strike down executive orders

and by legislative branch’s ability

to override presidential vetoes.

The US operates under a two-party system,

which means

that the Republican and Democratic parties

dominate the political landscape.

Both parties have a broad range of views

on issues such as :

taxes,

healthcare,

and national security,

but they generally represent different political ideologies.

The Republican Party is generally seen

as more conservative,

favoring smaller government and lower taxes,

while the Democratic Party is seen

as more liberal,

closer to minorities issues,

favoring larger government programs

and higher taxes to fund them.

Did you know?

The first president of the United States,

George Washington,

never aligned with any political party

and warned against them in his farewell address to the nation.

Ironically,

the first political parties came from his advisors,

including Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson.

Madison and Jefferson founded the Democratic-Republican party

which advocated

for a smaller central government,

while Alexander Hamilton

led the Federalist Party

which preferred a strong central government

Third parties

also exist in the US political system,

although they have not been

as successful as the major parties in winning elections.

Third parties often emerge

around a particular issue, or set of issues

and can influence the political debate

by drawing attention to these issues.

Some examples of third parties in the US include :

the Libertarian Party,

the Green Party,

and the Constitution Party.

Many believe that third parties don't affect American politics

by winning elections,

but they can act as "spoilers"

by taking votes from one of the two major parties.

As we said before,

they act like barometers of change

in the political mood

since they push the major parties to consider their demands.

The US political system is also characterized

by political polarization,

which refers to the increasing ideological divide

between the two major parties.

This polarization has been driven

by a variety of factors, including :

the rise of cable news and social media,

the increasing influence of special interest groups,

and the changing demographics of the country.

Political polarization has made it more difficult

for the two parties

to work together

and has led to increased partisanship in government.

Hence, the nation has alternated between periods

of intense party rivalry and partisanship,

as well as periods of bipartisanship :

bipartisanship can refer to any political act

...