Politics in the USA

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The Political System of the United States of America

INDEX

1. Introduction

2. Political running

3. Elections

4. Parliament

5. Main parties

6. Current people in power

Introduction to the country

• July 4, 1776: Declaration of Independance from the UK

• Capital city: Washington DC
• National language: English

• Main religions: 63% Christianity ; 29% No religion ; 6% Other

• Area: 9,833,520 km²
• Population: 331,449,281 (2020)
• Currency: U.S. dollar ($) (USD)
• Ethnic groups: 61.6% White ; 12.4% Black ; 6.0% Asian ; 1.1% Native American

Political running

a Federal presidential constitutional republic

• federal system = the Federal government + the States
• Each of the 50 States has an elected Governor and a legislature consisting of a State House and a State Senate
• Under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, all powers not granted to the Federal Government are reserved for the States and the people.
• State government: elections, public safety, health and welfare
• Federal government: immigration, foreign affairs and minting money
• State and Federal governments: taxation, lawmaking and law enforcement

Elections

Presidential election, every 4 years

1. Primary elections = presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the two main parties are elected from February through June2. Presidential election (always on the first Tuesday following the first Monday of November) = 538 electoral votes are split between the 50 states according to their population → majority vote = "winner takes all": every single one of the states’ electoral votes will be assigned to the winner of the state → a president can be elected although he has lost the popular vote

• January 20th: inauguration ceremony of the US President

Elections

Midterm elections, every 2 years

• in the midpoint of the President's four-year term
• 1/3 of the Senate
• 100% of the House of Representatives
• Election day: on the 1st Tuesday following the 1st Monday of November
• 34 of the 50 States elect their governors for 4-year terms during midterm elections
• often lower voter turnout than presidential elections (around 40%)
• generally the president's opposite-party opponents gain control of one or both houses of Congress

4 - The Parliament: The Congress

Equal power: control federal taxes and spending, control trade among states as well as between foreign countries, maintain armed forces, declare war and make peace, make laws, print money and impeachment

the House of Representatives

the Senate

• 100 Senators = 2 from each State
• 1/3 is elected bi-yearly for six years

• the number per state depends on the population of that state
• each representative serves a two-year term

5 - Main parties

Democratic Party

Republican Party

centre-right liberalism

right-wing conversative

6 - Current Political Leaders

Kamala Harris

Joseph R. Biden

Nancy Pelosi

Donald Trump

President of the United States

Vice-President of the United States and President of the Senate

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

Former President of the United States

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