2. The United States

Study

Chapter 2 traces the evolution of American constitutional democracy from the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to the controversy of the Supreme Court's Bush v. Gore decision and the politics of post–September 11, 2001. Such a constitutional democracy is based on essential constitutional principles such as limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and an independent judiciary. The reading highlights the important distinctions between the U.S. system of presidential democracy and the European system of parliamentary democracy (discussed in later chapters). As intended by its Framers, in the U.S. Constitution there is an essential tension between the executive and the legislative branches of government. Although demands of the cold war and U.S. "superpower" status have often encouraged Congress to delegate much of its authority to the executive branch, the Watergate scandal and the outcome of the Vietnam conflict have encouraged Congress to exercise its oversight and investigative powers to reassert authority within the system of separation of powers.

Chapter 2 also highlights how mechanisms facilitating constitutional change have enabled the American constitutional republic to adapt to the challenges and opportunities presented by social dynamics such as immigration, demographic change, and the country's increasingly multiethnic, multiracial, and multireligious society. Finally, the chapter discusses how citizens participate in the political process as individual voters, elected politicians, and members of interest groups and political parties to achieve their common and often competing individual and group objectives.

Review Questions

After reading the chapter, students should be prepared to answer the following questions:

  1. Explain the six constitutional principles that are the basis for governance in the United States.


  2. What are the three most important ways the U.S. Constitution changes and adapts to meet the demands of citizens?


  3. How are the functions, activities, and objectives of interest groups similar to, and different from, those of political parties in the United States?


  4. What is the relationship and balance of power between the president and Congress in the U.S. system of presidential government?


  5. Why does the president often seem to dominate policymaking in such areas as the national economy, social welfare, and foreign affairs?