Having the authority to administer power and authority over one's subjects through a structured system that incorporates intensive, carefully planned, and coordinated coordination that guarantees adherence to protocols in every cadre is one component of governance. The degree of integration and linkage between the existing government vessels and their capacity to communicate information from the top to the bottom levels and vice versa determine the efficiency and effectiveness of a given governing system. Given that it has been in operation for more than two centuries, the American government has withstood the test of time. The founding fathers had pioneered and triumphed over the individual greed by coming up with the best policies and vessels of governance that had separate powers vested in them. The separation of powers has held supreme for a good deal of time due to the liaising that transpires between the judiciary, legislature, and the executive (Nelson, Kimberly). The various mechanisms and dynamics that exist in the American Government will be investigated and the operation process is revisited for the benefit of fathoming the governing process.
The US is a federal form of government encapsulating fifty federal states that subscribe to the spirit of the American Dream. The American Constitution provides adequately for the manner in which the government should be run so that the technical hitches can be averted and hence ensure that an effective and efficient system is in place. The powers of governance are rested and vested in the three arms of the government in collaboration with other stakeholders who have the interest of the country at heart.
Separation of Powers
The powers are shared among the executive, the legislature, and the judicial branches. The aspect of the power-sharing and separation was imposed by the founding fathers with a view to avoiding any misuse of power by a particular arm of government or the situation where a given organ of the government oversteps its mandate and hence infringing on the other or the rights of the bona fide populace of the US. The Legislature encompasses the Congress which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. It is charged with the responsibility of making the laws of the land. The Senate is composed of one hundred senators who are elected by the respective citizens through a free ballot. Each federal state produces a couple of senators who represent its affairs in the Senate. The duration for one to be a senator in one term is six years. The senator is at liberty to be elected to the docket for ads many terms as possible since there is no term limit for one to hold the office as long as the people endorse him or her. There are also other numerous agencies that support the Congress in its operation and hence forming part and parcel of the system. The House of Representatives is composed of four hundred and thirty-five members who have been selected by the people. The representatives are assigned proportionately in the fifty states with the respect to the cumulative population of the given states in question. There are additional delegates who are non-voting who represent the District of Columbia and the associated territories. The term for the representatives is two years but the terms one is eligible for are timeless and limitless as long as one is sound (Bowling, C. J., and J. M. Pickerill).
The Executive is given the mandate to execute and impose the laws. It is constituted of the Cabinet, the President, Vice president, executive departments, Independent agencies, boards, committees and other commissions. The president and the respective vice president are elected in a confidential and free voting process. The president is the head of the country, leader of the nation and leader of the federal government. He serves as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the US. He is eligible to serve for a term of four years in office and he can only be elected for a couple of terms only. The vice president buttresses the president and he replaces the president if the one in office dies or rendered incapable of holding the office. The vice president can serve unlimited in terms of four years even with different presidents. The Cabinet offers technical counsel and advice to the president. The members of cabinet are subjected to a presidential nomination but it is obligatory that they get the Senate approval with over fifty-one votes.
The Judiciary has the mandate to interpret the denotation of the laws and then gives a specific application of the given laws to the individual cases. It determines whether the law violates the constitution of the land. It consists of the federal courts and the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the most senior court in the America. It is composed of nine justices that the president appoints. The eight Associate Justices and the Chief Justice drive the branch. Only a quorum of six judges is required to give a verdict of a given case. When there is an even number of judges and then a tie results, then the decision of the subordinate courts prevails (Winger, Gregory H., and Anshul Jain)
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Checks and Balances
This is the document that facilitates the process of limiting the powers of the legislature, judiciary, and the executive and hence preventing them from overstepping their mandate. It helps to prevent a given organ of the government or one particular individual becoming extremely powerful. This helps to check that the branches of the government work within their bounds and the correction of omissions and errors can be done in time. This balances the separate arms of the government. The mandate to take a given action is vested in one branch while the oversight is given to the other in order to determine the legality and validity of the said action can be determined. James Madison and other founding fathers devised the document due to the hard grueling experience they gathered in order to stem effects of unchecked power since power corrupts absolutely. Their intent was to ensure that the government was run in an accountable manner and hence eradicate the chances of the proliferation of corruption and incidences of the abuse of office. They argued that vesting all the powers in one vessel is the surest way that is bound to culminate in tyranny. That is the reason why Madison mentioned in the Federalist Papers number fifty one that was produced in 1788 that powers should be spread among different arms of government. The executive vetoes the laws made by the Congress while the Congress overrides the decision made by the president through the two-thirds majority vote. The Judicial branch uses the spirit of the law and then rules the presidential decrees unconstitutional and hence controlling the activities of the executive.
The Congress has the power to pass laws of the land. The laws act as the guiding light of every activity of the US citizens and hence restoring sanity and normalcy in the running of different events. It also passes the Federal Budget through a close coordination with the president. The Congress has the capacity to change the date of the fiscal year which normally occurs in every 1st October depending on the circumstances that are prevailing.
Federalism entails the aspect of combing the central government together with the federal governments and then subjecting the system to a single political system. The US adopted that in 1787 where the Federal government was established and the separation of powers embraced in the entire system.
Federal Bureaucracy consists of the staff that is composed of officials chosen based on their expertise and experience in the implementation of public policy. The staff is non-partisan though it is affected by the oversight of the Congress on the budget. Members exercise a rational, predictable, impersonal, and non-discretionary way. It offers environmental protection, revenue collection, and economic regulation. It implements a two trillion dollar budget.
The courts help in the dispensation of justice to the afflicted. The Supreme Court serves a great role in aligning cases that call for extreme attention due to the sensitivity urgency of the matter that is tabled. The media helps in propagating the agenda of the ruling political party and in trying to sensitize the society and the public on the essence of participating in matters of public interest and national building. The political parties push the interests that are enshrined in their manifesto and the whims and wishes of the members. The interest groups attempt to lobby the government, educate the public, mobilizing the public and participating in election activities.
Conclusion
The deep grasp of the dynamics in the operation of the US government is vital in ensuring the sustainable growth and adequate social integration of the citizens. The running of errands and government business is pegged heavily on the wide spectrum understanding of the separation of powers and the structure that is in place.
Works Cited
Bowling, C. J., and J. M. Pickerill. "Fragmented Federalism: The State Of American Federalism 2012-13." Publius: The Journal Of Federalism, vol 43, no. 3, 2013, pp. 315-346. Oxford University Press (OUP), doi:10.1093/publius/pjt022.
Nelson, Kimberly. "State-Level Autonomy And Municipal Government Structure." The American Review Of Public Administration, vol 41, no. 5, 2010, pp. 542-561. SAGE Publications, doi:10.1177/0275074010382134.
Winger, Gregory H., and Anshul Jain. "Mr. Worldwide: International Affairs And The American Post-Presidency." Congress & The Presidency, vol 43, no. 1, 2016, pp. 1-54. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/07343469.2015.1117160.
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