Political System Of The United States Of America

Political system of the United States of America

The nation's capital, Washington, DC, with over 4.4 million inhabitants is the tenth most populous metropolitan area in the nation. Designed by French architect Pierre L'Enfant, the late eighteenth century, was the first planned city and especially central government. The city of Washington, located in the District of Columbia, along the PotomacRiver, is the capital of a federal union of 50 states. When the United States declared independence from Great Britain, the July 4, 1776 (now celebrated as a national holiday), there were 13 states, each sovereign, each eager to control their own affairs. The states sought to retain their sovereignty and independence within a loose confederation, but his attempt proved to be ineffective.Consequently, in 1789 adopted a new constitution that established a federal union subordinate to a strong central government.

The 13 original states were clustered along the Atlantic coast. The border ran westward, as large parts of what is now the continental United States were added through purchases, treaties and annexations were populated states, governments emerged, and when their territoriallegislatures sought admission to the Congress passed join the Union as states. Since 1959, when they entered the Union Alaska and Hawaii.

According to the Constitution, the states delegated much of their sovereign powers to the federal government in Washington, DC, but kept many important powers. For example, each of the 50 states retain the right to direct their own education system, to licensephysicians and other professionals, to provide police protection to its citizens and to maintain their roads.

In actual practice and according to the American tradition of having government as close to the people as possible, many of these states delegate powers to political subdivisions: counties, cities, towns, and villages. Thus, the lowest political level the inhabitants of a small communityin United States elect representatives of their village to take charge of their police departments and fire departments, and elect a board of education to run their schools. At the county level, voters elect officials responsible for roads, parks, libraries, drainage, and other services, and elect or appoint judges to the courts. The citizens of each state also elect the governor and members ofthe state legislature.


In addition to the 50 states and the District of Columbia, citizens of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa vote in federal elections. U.S. Possessions include Wahe Islands, Midway, Jarvis, Howland, Baker, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef and in the Pacific. United States, underthe auspices of the United Nations, given the Republic of Palau. Two entities, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, have become sovereign states and self-governing in free association with the United States.

According to the Constitution, the federal government is divided into three branches, each chosen differently, each capable of supervising andregulating the other.

The executive branch is headed by the President who, along with Vice President is elected in national elections every four years (in years divisible by four). The process of electing a president of the United States is unique. Americans vote for presidential voting rolls equal in number to the senators and representatives that state has in Congress (a total of 535 people). Ineach state, the candidate with the most votes wins all of that state's electoral votes. Presidential candidate needs 270 electoral votes to be elected, if no candidate wins a majority, the House of Representatives makes the decision. (In all other state and local elections, voters vote directly for the candidate or referendum on the ballot presented concerned). Any citizen by birth, 35 years or...