Contents
What Is USA Politics Today? is a blog that covers current political news and events happening in the United States.
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Introduction
Politics in the United States has been divisive in recent years, with Republicans and Democrats failing to find common ground on a number of key issues. However, there are some areas of agreement between the two parties, particularly when it comes to economic policy.
Both Republicans and Democrats support tax cuts for businesses and individuals, and both parties want to see increased investment in infrastructure. Another area of agreement is trade: both parties have criticized recent trade deals, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and have called for renegotiation.
There are also some significant differences between the two parties on social issues. While both parties support LGBTQ rights, Republicans are generally opposed to abortion and gun control. Democrats, on the other hand, tend to support stricter gun control measures and access to abortion.
The divide between the two parties has led to gridlock in Congress, with few bills being passed in recent years. This has led to frustration among many Americans, who feel that their elected officials are not working in their best interests.
The Two-Party System
The United States has a two-party system. The Constitution gives citizens the right to freedom of assembly, freedom of association, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. When several people do this around the same political issues they are said to have “organized.” From these informal beginnings come political parties.
In the early days of the Republic, there were no formal political parties. People tended to organize themselves informally around issues or around personalities. The first major party was the Federalist Party, which supported a strong central government. The opposing party was called the Democratic-Republicans (or just Democrats for short), who wanted more power for state governments.
Today, there are only two major political parties in the United States: The Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Other parties exist, but none of them has enough members in Congress to exert significant influence on legislation.
The Republican Party
The Republican Party, often called the GOP (short for “Grand Old Party”) is one of two major political parties in the United States. Founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists and modernizers, the Republican Party rose to prominence in 1860 with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president. Under Lincoln and his successors, the Republicans played a central role in the American Civil War and Reconstruction. The party was badly split in the 1890s over the issue of banking and silver coinage, but it eventually reunited behind Theodore Roosevelt, who became president in 1901.
The GOP passed a series of landmark laws during its heyday in the early 20th century, including the Homestead Act, which gave free land to settlers in the West; the Morrill Land Grant Act, which expanded public colleges and universities; and the Transcontinental Railroad Act, which linked East and West by rail. But by 1920, factionalism within party ranks had badly weakened Republicans, and they lost control of Congress and the White House to Democrats.
The Great Depression brought Republicans back to power in 1934, but they were again ousted by Democrats two years later. The party regained its footing during World War II but lost ground again after 1964 as supporters of civil rights alienated many white voters. Since then, Republicans have been more successful at winning presidential elections—they have captured 11 out of 20 since 1952—but they have been less successful at winning congressional elections.
The Democratic Party
The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States, and is the oldest political party in the world. Founded in 1824, the party played a central role in American politics for much of the 19th and 20th centuries, producing many of the country’s presidents and vice presidents. Today, it is one of the two major parties along with the Republican Party, and holds a majority in the House of Representatives as well as in many state and local legislatures across the country. The Democratic Party also has a strong presence in organized labor, and is strongly supportive of progressive causes such as environmentalism, civil rights, and LGBT rights.
Other Political Parties
In addition to the two major political parties in the United States, there are also a number of smaller political parties. These parties include but are not limited to the Green Party, the Constitution Party, and the Libertarian Party. While these parties do not have as much power or influence as the major political parties, they can still play an important role in American politics.
The Electoral College
The Electoral College is a body of electors established by the United States Constitution, which forms every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president of the United States. The College consists of 538 electors, and an absolute majority of 270 electoral votes is required to win an election. Presidential elections are held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The next presidential election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
The Federal Government
The United States Constitution divides the federal government into three branches:
-The Legislative Branch (Congress)
-The Executive Branch (President and Vice President)
-The Judicial Branch (Supreme Court and lower courts)
Each branch has its own powers and responsibilities, which are meant to check and balance the powers of the other branches. For example, Congress has the power to pass laws, but the President can veto those laws. The Supreme Court can declare laws unconstitutional, but the President appoints the justices who serve on that court.
The State Governments
One of the most important aspects of the United States federal government is the system of checks and balances that the Founding Fathers put in place in order to prevent any one branch from having too much power.
This system is designed so that the legislative, executive, and judicial branches are all equal, and each has a role to play in the governance of the country. The states also have their own governments, which are structured in a similar way to the federal government.
The state governments have a great deal of power, and they are responsible for many of the day-to-day functions of governance. The state legislatures make the laws for their states, and the governors are responsible for enforcing those laws. The state courts handle disputes that arise under state law.
The relationship between the state governments and the federal government is governed by the Constitution. The 10th Amendment gives states a great deal of power to govern themselves, and this amendment is one of the foundational principles of federalism.
The Local Governments
The United States Constitution establishes a federal system of government, meaning that power is shared between the federal (or national) government and the state governments. The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution specifically gives states all powers not expressly given to the federal government. This division of power is known as federalism.
In the American federal system, citizens are subject to two sovereigns: the national government and their state government. Bothstate and local governments derive their power from the people they represent.The people have granted state and local governments certain powers through their state constitutions or through their votes for representatives and local ordinances.
The Political Process
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The political process in the United States is unique compared to other developed democracies. In the United States, there are two major political parties, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. There are also several smaller parties, such as the Libertarian Party and the Green Party. The two major parties are often referred to as “the left” and “the right.”
The United States has a presidential system of government, meaning that the President is the head of state and the head of government. The President is elected every four years. The President can serve a maximum of two terms, or eight years.
The Legislative Branch of the United States government is called Congress. Congress is responsible for making laws. There are two houses in Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected to six-year terms, and Representatives are elected to two-year terms. Each state has two Senators, regardless of population size. The number of Representatives from each state is determined by population size.
The Judicial Branch of the United States government is responsible for interpreting laws. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States, and it has nine justices who serve lifetime terms.
