ThePolityofTheU.S.A.

Briefintroductory

TheUnitedStatesofAmericaisthefirstcountrywithnuclearweapons,apermanentmemberoftheUnitedNationsSecurityCouncil,andafoundingmemberofNATO.TheendoftheColdWarandthedissolutionoftheSovietUnionlefttheUnitedStatesasthesolesuperpower.Thecountryaccountsforapproximately(近似的)50%ofglobalmilitaryspendingandisaleadingeconomic,political,andculturalforceintheworld.ThepoliticalsystemoftheUnitedStatesBeganin1776.Atfirstitwasjustaexperiment

basedontheideaofEquality,FreedomandJustice,whichhasalreadybecomeourworld’suniversalvalue(普世價值)now.USAisfrequentlycalledademocraticgovernment(民主政體).Butproperlyspeaking,itisaconstitutionalfederalrepublic(憲政聯(lián)邦共和制).

ConstitutionalmeansAmericangovernmentisbasedonitsconstitution,whichisthesupremelaw,notonlyestablishthefederation

andthestategovernment’spowerstructure,butalsoconfirmtheauthorityofthegovernment.Federal

isembodiedinthatthesystemoftheUnitedStatesiscomposedofanationalgovernmentandfiftystategovernmentsRepublicrefertoapoliticalentitythatisreignedbyaelectivegovernment

Governmentandelections

TheUnitedStatesistheworld'soldestsurvivingfederation.Itisaconstitutionalrepublic,"inwhichmajorityruleistemperedbyminorityrightsprotectedbylaw."Itisfundamentallystructuredasarepresentativedemocracy.Thefederalgovernmentiscomposedofthreebranches:Legislative:ThebicameralCongress,madeupoftheSenateandtheHouseofRepresentatives,makesfederallaw,declareswar,approvestreaties,hasthepowerofthepurse,andhasthepowerofimpeachment,bywhichitcanremovesittingmembersofthegovernment.Executive:Thepresidentisthecommander-in-chiefofthemilitary,canvetolegislativebillsbeforetheybecomelaw,andappointstheCabinetandotherofficers,whoadministerandenforcefederallawsandpolicies.Judicial:TheSupremeCourtandlowerfederalcourts,whosejudgesareappointedbythepresidentwithSenateapproval,interpretlawsandcanoverturnlawstheyfindunconstitutional.Parties,ideology,andpoliticsTheUnitedStateshasoperatedunderatwo-partysystemformostofitshistory.Forelectiveofficesatalllevels,state-administeredprimaryelectionschoosethemajorpartynomineesforsubsequentgeneralelections.Sincethegeneralelectionof1856,themajorpartieshavebeentheDemocraticParty,foundedin1824,andtheRepublicanParty,foundedin1854.SincetheCivilWar,onlyonethird-partypresidentialcandidate—formerpresidentTheodoreRoosevelt,runningasaProgressivein1912—haswonasmuchas20%ofthepopularvote.WithinAmericanpoliticalculture,theRepublicanPartyisconsideredcenter-rightor"conservative"andtheDemocraticPartyisconsideredcenter-leftor"liberal".ThestatesoftheNortheastandWestCoastandsomeoftheGreatLakesstates,knownas"bluestates",arerelativelyliberal.The"redstates"oftheSouthandmuchoftheGreatPlainsandRockyMountainsarerelativelyconservative.Presentsituation

Thewinnerofthe2008presidentialelection,DemocratBarackObama,isthe44thU.S.presidentandthefirstAfricanAmericantoholdtheoffice.AllpreviouspresidentsweremenofsolelyEuropeandescent.The2008electionsalsosawtheDemocraticPartystrengthenitscontrolofboththeHouseandtheSenate.Inthe111thUnitedStatesCongress,theSenatecomprises57Democrats,twoindependentswhocaucuswiththeDemocrats,and40Republicans(oneseatremainsindispute);theHousecomprises256Democratsand178Republicans(oneseatisvacant).ThePoliticaldivisionsoftheUSAPoliticaldivisions

TheUnitedStatesisafederalunionoffiftystates.TheoriginalthirteenstateswerethesuccessorsofthethirteencoloniesthatrebelledagainstBritishrule.MostoftheresthavebeencarvedfromterritoryobtainedthroughwarorpurchasebytheU.S.government.OnesetofexceptionscomprisesVermont,Texas,andHawaii:eachwasanindependentrepublicbeforejoiningtheunion.Anothersetofexceptionscomprisesthosestatescreatedoutoftheterritoryoftheoriginalthirteen.Earlyinthecountry'shistory,threestateswerecreatedinthismanner:KentuckyfromVirginia;TennesseefromNorthCarolina;andMainefromMassachusetts.DuringtheAmericanCivilWar,WestVirginiabrokeawayfromVirginia.Themostrecentstate—Hawaii—achievedstatehoodonAugust21,1959.Thestatesdonothavetherighttosecedefromtheunion.Givemeyourtired,yourpoor.

Thewretchedrefuseofyourteemingshore.

Sendthese,thehomeless,tempesttosttome.

Iliftmylampbesidethegoldendoor.---StatueofLiberty

把你們疲憊的人,你們貧窮的人/你們渴望呼吸自由空氣的擠在一堆的人都給我/把那些無家可歸,飽經(jīng)風(fēng)浪的人都送來/在這金色的大門旁,我要為他們把燈舉起.——自由女神像銘文節(jié)選AmericanpoliticalideologyAmongthecoretenetsofthisideologyarethefollowing:Democracy:Thegovernmentisanswerabletocitizens,whomaychangeitthroughelections.2Equality:Thelawsshouldattachnospecialprivilegetoanycitizen(thatis,citizensshouldbeequalbeforethelaw).

3FreedomofReligion,separationofChurchandState:Thegovernment'spowerinmattersofreligionarelimitedtopreventabuseofpower.4FreedomofSpeech:Individualsandpoliticalpartiesdebatehowthisideologyappliestoparticularcircumstances,andmaydisagreeopenlywithanyofit.IntheUSA,Individualfreedomsareimporta