The government of the United States - Essay Example

The system of politics in the United KingdomPart 1The United States of America is a democratic nation whose government is headed by the president collectively elected by the citizens (Johnson, 2002). On the other hand, a prime minister elected by parliamentarians heads Her Majesty’s government of the United Kingdom. Of the two figures, the president of the United States of America has a higher decision making power. The prime minister of the united Kingdom is elected by a select few members of the society after being elected to the parliament by the citizens.

He, thereafter, appoints other ministers to form the cabinet which is the top decision making organ of the country. Every decision that the prime minister makes is subject to approval of the cabinet and the parliament by extension. This limits the decision making powers of the prime minister unlike in the United States of America where the constitution vests power on the president, the federal courts, and the congress to oversee the function of the executive, judiciary as well as the legislative arms of government.

The system of politics in the United Kingdom vests more power on the citizens. This is reflected on the progressive nature of representation in the form of leadership that constitutes the top governance of the country. This form of government develops progressively since the people initiate every change directly or through representation. The powers of the prime minister are subject to the constitutional reviews carried out in the parliament and other state commissions and seek the approval of the citizens in the form of referendums.

This gradual political development is still rife in the country. For a long time, the country has not initiated any constitutional change in its political structuring despite the numerous constrains in the functionality of the prime minister and the longing for an executive president.Part 2The government of the United States is based on a constitution first developed in 1789 making it the first constitutional state in the world. The constitution relies on the principles of federalism which provides for a mechanism of power sharing between the federal states and the central government.

The fact that the country has fifty semi-autonomous states coming together under one central government influenced the formation of an effective and concrete constitution that captures the interests of all the states. Additionally, the racial segregation later in the history of the country and the subsequent abolition of the slave trade resulted in the formation of the American bill of rights to safeguard the interest of every citizen (Jonathan, 2005). The bill of rights provides for the respect of human life and to oversee this is the judicial arm of the government constituted of independent courts which exercise their powers thus ensuring obedience to the laws of the land.

The constitution defines powers of both the executive and the congress which are crafted in a way to defend the interest of the citizens and uphold the values of equality among all Americans irrespective of their diverse backgrounds (Davis, 2008). Wood (1998) asserts that the American government has three arms namely the judiciary, the executive, and the legislature all of which are independent in their operations. The three tires approach to governance protects the citizens from exploitation thus resulting in a more responsive form of governance over time.

ReferencesDavis, S. (2008). Political thought of Elizabeth Cady Santon: Women’s rights and the American political transition. New York: New York University Press.Jonathan, K. (2005). The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America. New York: crown.Johnson, M. (2002). Reading the American Past: Selected Historical Documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's.Wood, G. (1998). The creation of the American Republic. Williamsburg: Gordon S. Wood, Institute.