American Government Chapter 1 Summary

This specific system of government is described by the 21st Century American Government and Politics textbook as, “The allocation of powers and responsibilities among national, state, and local governments and the intergovernmental relations between them.” When deciding whether the Framers intended for federal or state governments to be supreme in the federal system, a divided answer among the Founders surfaces. If one was to present this question to Alexander Hamilton and his fellow Federalists, he would undoubtedly express his support for a strong federal government. Conversely, Thomas Jefferson and the anti-federalists were in favor of state government supremacy in the federal system and even resented the ratification of the Constitution.

Former US Representative, Ginny Brown-Waite states that the “American government was founded on a belief and a faith in God and in doing what is right and just.” Brown-Waite, sums up what the US was supposed to be when it was originally developed in one sentence. The men who wrote our constitution, knew that it was important to build it with the foundation of doing what is right. At its prime, the American government was one of the best in the world. The constitution was a good idea, it’s a practical government, and it is a feasible government.

US History Name: Professor: Class: Date Introduction American’s first government was under the Articles of Confederation. The articles proved insufficient to form a stable government, as the central government was weak. Delegates in charge of the task of reforming the government met at the Philadelphia Convention in an attempt to resolve the same. They decided to enact an entirely new government by forming a constitution.

The British monarchy’s control over the American territory had left a flavor of distrust for power in the palate of Americans. The British set the precedent for the American political system. After the colonial period, the colonies agreed that there was nothing to fear more than the government, or in this case the king. Britain over the years has held its unitary form of government, which in this case means that all governmental power resided within the hands of a single branch. In this type of system, the legislature has all the power to create and enforce legislation.

Now that Colonies have united as one and officially broken from the British for the chance to be independent; now was the time to establish its own laws and regulation. For the first time, America was developing a government that would be the foundation to America’s government. The population was on a steadily increase with cities filling up with over 15,000 people. People were looking for a government, and future President George Washington had the perfect plan.

The creation of the United States is considered by many to be a great experiment in democracy. After the War of 1812, America was filled with tremendous nationalism and as the young country grew, many nations look to it as both an inspiration and a warning. Americans seemed united behind their president James Monroe, who was elected in 1816 and then ran uncontested for his second term in 1820. However, even during this time there were many discussions and arguments within the nation’s own government regarding the benefits of democracy.

Since the settlement of colonial American and the migration of individuals from different ethnicities and backgrounds, the United States of America has been as a melting pot. After the immigration of former Europeans, to colonial Americans, citizens felt displaced with the lack of national identity from 1810 to 1840. Politically, the United States lacked a problem of representation within their government. As former members of Great Britain, Americans were only aware of what they did not want, a monarchy, which led to their dismissal. Voting, Americans could not justify a system that allowed everyone to feel satisfied with.

Throughout the history of any great nation, there can be found the clashing of political titans; the United States is no exception. During the pivotal years following the American Revolution, the Anti-Federalist and Federalist groups emerged to lay the political groundwork for what would one day become one of the greatest democratic republics the world has ever seen. These polar-opposite factions proved to be a source of great division amongst the citizens of the newly established country, especially during the arising constitutional debate. Various influential figures from both sides molded and refined the beginnings of the Constitution in order to quell the expectations and desires of the larger population. Though the process of ratification

It was very essential for the united states of America to come up with the federal system of government. There were a number of reasons for this effect, among which included fear for the power centralization in the American political system. Also, this kind of government was considered appropriate because of the size of the united states as a country. Alexander, & Alexander, (2005) argue that federal governments are usually proper in large countries like the united states because there are very many people and a diverse group of individuals. As such, these groups of people may also have needs that are diverse which could as well mean a common culture that put them together.

The federal government has a major impact on Americans’ lives. It has been in power since 1789. Americans have had many different opinions about the federal government since its inauguration. Because of the role the government has had throughout time their actions had been closely monitored and their actions have had consequences that shaped America. The American Government needs breakthrough and change to ensure justice.

The United States economy has been through many reformations to get where we are today. Our economy is on a global scale, which is affected by many other countries. With the growth of the flat world idea, we have become a global economy that needs other countries to prosper. Either we are selling or buying goods from other countries to keep Americas’ economy growing. “A country should produce and export those goods and services for which it is relatively more productive than are other countries, and import those goods and services for which other countries are relatively more productive.”

writing prompt #6: Explain why the media has been called the fourth branch of government. Include your opinion of whether this is an accurate portrayal. Media is considered the fourth branch of government, but why? Media influences lives on the daily and can influence governmental thoughts, opinions , and decisions as well. Because of this it could be used for or against the government.

n his book A More Perfect Constitution, Larry Sabato proposes the idea of a six year presidential term with a possible extra two years based on a confirmation election. This is a flawed proposal for many reasons. He says that “nothing wastes time, resources, and capital for a president and his chief advisors like planning for a reelection campaign” (Sabato 84). This is correct but in his proposal for the six year presidential term he adds on a confirmation election where the people vote for if they want another two years of the term, making it 8 years. The confirmation election is just another reelection campaign that would be expensive and dirty for both parties, like Sabato stated that reelection campaigns are bad.

American Constitution Introduction History shows that pluralism is linked to democracy which is a system characterized by checks and balances of autonomy or power. Such autonomy is the one in play in forging an agreement of the general interest that dictates administrative strategy or policy framework. On the other hand elitism notion regarding the administration states that a chosen few of the most affluent and influential people or groups direct and influence public policy that works in their favor and satisfies their own interests. Various scholarly standpoints reveal that a more contemporary notion of American administration and partisan matters incorporate the two worldviews of partisan behavior.

The United States government is best defined as a federal constitutional republic. As a constitutional republic, the U.S. government is organized by the Constitution, setting forth the political threshold of the people, which are known as the federal and state governments. As a federal republic, the control stands by the people throughout the voting process of electing the federal and state officials. The federal government is limited by the distribution of authority within the states as outlined in the Constitution. Although many people like to call the United States a democracy, this is not the case, because the public does not directly control legislation.