South Korean Government vs. US Government - Research Paper Example

The South Korean government and the U.S. government differ in terms of its basic structure, the branches of the government, electoral system, and political parties; however, they are similar in terms of corruption allegations and violations of human rights; and that the solution to these is an independent judiciary and a rigid constitution. Review of Literature First Argument: Differences The South Korean and the United States governments differ in terms of their basic structure, as well as in the branches of the government, especially in the legislative and executive branches.

Moreover, both governments follow different electoral systems and political parties. Basic Structure. The South Korean government is presidential in nature except for the cabinet, which is partly parliamentary in carrying out its tasks. Moreover, the South Korean government is a central government that oversees all affairs of the nation and declares everything and all the laws are uniform throughout the country. The United States government, on the other hand, is based on the principle of federalism, where power is shared between federal and state governments.

This is also a system where the autonomy of every State is recognized by the people. Each state, however, submits to the U.S. Constitution and to federal law when there is a dispute. Legislative Branch. The South Korean legislative body is known as the National Assembly of South Korea. It has 299 members who represent the four political parties of South Korea. The South Korean National Assembly formulates laws and does many things that any other legislative body of any democratic government would usually do, such as regulate the armed forces and make decisions regarding the national budget proposed by the executive branch (Savada & Shaw, 1990).

On the other hand, the legislative body of the United States government is known as the Congress, which represents mostly two political parties – the Democratic and the Republican parties, as well as Independent members. The United States Congress is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress is authorized to create laws, levy and collect taxes, issue patents, declare war and support the military, regulate military forces, create federal courts, establish infrastructures, and to regulate money.

The United States Congress is made up of 435 members of the House of Representatives, representing every congressional district, each member serving two-year terms, and without any limit as to the number of terms its members may serve. The other component, the Senate, is made up of 100 members, two from each state, each serving six-year terms, without term limits. The role of the Senate is to approve Presidential appointments and to jointly approve bills with the Congress (Wilson & Dilulio, 2011).

Executive Branch. The head of the South Korean executive branch is a president that is directly elected through national elections. The President serves only one five-term year. The President is also the head of state and government as well as the commander-in-chief of the military. Just like many presidents of democratic countries, the South Korean President can declare a state of martial law, a state of emergency, or a state of war. He can also propose laws