Le fédéralisme (document en anglais)

I) FEDERALISM: Powers are shared between the national government (called Federal Gov.) and the state governments.

The enumerated power given to federal governments in the constitution:

They can print money, international trades, and make treaties of another country and only the Federal Gov. can declare war.

SEPARATION OF POWERS: powers are separated between 3 branches:

National Gov.:

→ Executive branch: President and Vice

→ Legislative branch: those who vote for the laws, the congress, made of 2 Chambers: House of representative and the Senate.

→ Juridical branch: Federal courts and Supreme Court

State Gov.:

Executive: Governor, Legislative: State Congress, Juridical: State courts

CHECKS AND BALANCES: To balance the powers of each branch in order to avoid a concentration of power in any of the 3 branches, equality of control for each branch.

REPUBLICAN PARTY:

- The Grand Old Party (Old name)

- Symbolized by an elephant and red color

- Associated with big companies

- In favor of ‘laissez-faire’ (less intervention of the State in the economy)

As a consequence:

- In favor of a small/limited Gov.

- They want balanced budget and lower taxes

- Private solutions to social problems

- They’re conservative on social issues

- Defend the traditional family (against Gay marriage and Abortion)

- Strongly influenced by religion

DEMOCRATIC PARTY:

- Symbolized by and donkey and blue color

- In favor of the Gov. intervention in the company and social issues

- Favor higher taxes to fund social services

- More liberal on social and moral issues (Gay marriage, Abortion)

- Defend minority rights (Black people, gay…) and equal opportunity

II) LIBERALISM: general means the belief in liberty and equality but the word does not have the same meaning in France and the USA. In France liberal believes free economy and free trade but in USA, liberals are in favor of progressive and social reforms supported by the state. This American meaning comes from Roosevelt who was a democratic president.

THE GREAT SOCIETY: A program made by the president Johnson (1963-69). This program used some of ideas of the New Frontier but it was beyond Kennedy’s program.

First big ideas of the Great Society:

- Abundance and liberty of all and it

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