AMERICAN GOVERNMENT REPORT

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Running head: AMERICAN GOVERNMENT 1 AN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT REPORT NORMA I. BOWEN POL201: American National Government (ACK1716D) Instructor: Dwight Alvis MAY 22, 2017

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT 2 America’s Democracy The American government is perceived as the strongest political system in the world. The United States of America is a leader amongst the nations. A government of power but not without flaws. The American Government is a democracy which by definition is a Republic founded by the people and for the people. Although it is the most influential country in the world, there are areas of improvement as there are strengths and weaknesses that are present today. From the creation of America's Constitution, protection of its citizens from this very government was the principal concern of the Framers of the United States of America. The Constitution guarantees certain basic rights while ensuring a limited government power. The Constitution divides the three branches of government (Legislative, Executive and Judicial) providing they are separate but equal. Through checks and balances, the rights of citizens are preserved and not violated by either branch of government. The Constitution protects these and other rights. While not stated in the doctrine, Federalism is one of the most prominent notions of the U.S. Constitution. By definition, Federalism is "A government system where power and authority are shared by national and state governments with ultimate authority derived from the people." (Fine & Levin- Waldman 2016). With a peaceful transfer of power in mind the Framers of America formed the American political system. As a democracy, the United States uses elections to choose its elected officials at the state, federal and local levels. On a federal level the Commander in Chief, the President, is elected by the citizens of each state via the electoral college. U.S. Constitution Signed on September 17,1787, The constitution is the country's fundamental law but has not been without opposition. One strength of the U.S. Constitution is the division of power. The

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT 3 system of checks and balances that are provided to all American citizens by the United States Constitution is a critical one. This system allows for no one branch of the government to become too powerful. Through the different branches of government legislative, executive, and judicial these powers are kept separate but equal. Checks and balances protect the American people ensuring that the Constitution is for the people. The U.S. Constitution is part of today's ongoing political struggle and conflict, particularly among conservatives and liberals. While it continues to be relevant today, the Constitution was written in vague and ambiguous language open to interpretation. A weakness today is that those in power do not always follow it and many Americans don't have a clear understanding of it. "Most Americans today have no idea what the document says; the constraints that the document imposes on federal power are routinely ignored;" (ABBOTT, G. 2016). The Constitution is the nation's fundamental law and yet a growing population of people oppose is without understanding what it is. This is a weakness because the people of America are electing government official into power without knowledge of the Constitution when its very purpose is to limit the power of the Federal Government and protect the individual rights of the people. Elected officials more than anyone, have an obligation to uphold the law. "When the president enters office, he or she is required to take the following oath: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” (Fine & Levin-Waldman 2016). To maintain the strength of division of power afforded by The U.S. Constitution, the Constitution has to be enforced. Checks and balances must continue to effectively ensure that no branch has more power over the other.

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT 4 The Framers of the Constitution intended for the doctrine to be interpreted and reinterpreted. For this reason, the language of the Constitution is vague and ambiguous. "Article V of the Constitution provides for a convention of states to propose constitutional amendments." (ABBOTT, G. 2016). In 2016 scholars and federal electors called for a convention of states under Article V, "because all three branches of the federal government have shrugged off the rule of law." (ABBOTT, G. 2016). To correct the weakness of the U.S. Constitution the Article V of the Constitution itself could be utilized to make amendments or to re-enforce existing laws. Federalism Federalism is the relationship of authority and power between states and national government. In the United States, there are many national policies implemented by one agency of the federal bureaucracy. A significant benefit to federalism is that policies are uniform throughout the states and that there is transparency. There cannot be different standards across different states. An advantage of this is when Congress passed the National Highway Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Highway Safety Act of 1966. “Under this legislation, the federal government has the power to establish safety standards for new motor vehicles and to create standards for a variety of highway safety programs implemented at the state level.” (Waller, P.F. 2002) While at first, the death toll continued to rise before eventually decreasing, these laws were Instrumental in bringing down that number. One option to maintain the advantage of the national policy, such as federal motor vehicle safety Standards, would be to continue to do research on deaths due to traffic accidents. It would be beneficial to review these statistics and see where Standards need to be updated or implemented. Laws also need to be enforced when needed.

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