How Does The US Political System Function?

Are you wondering how the world’s largest economy operates its political system? Don’t Worry! This article will help you understand how the US accomplishes this job.

The US follows a bi-party or two-party system where you have two parties that compete against each other for power.

The Democratic Party consists of famous personalities like the Clintons, Obama, and the current US president. Whereas, the Republican Party includes leaders like Donald Trump and other prominent national figures who have paved the way for modern politics.

Regardless of whichever party rules the government, there is a distinctive structure as to how the political system will function. This article will help you understand the workings of the American political system.

But before moving forward, let’s take a brief insight into the two political parties.

Republicans And Democrats

Although the US has multiple parties, Democrats/Republicans are the two most prominent parties in the United States. The Democratic Party started its operations in 1828, making it the oldest US political party.

Meanwhile, the Republicans became operational after 26 years in 1854. Both parties had intrinsic connections with each other. In fact, you can trace the roots to the Founding Fathers of America, colliding historical backgrounds and identical opinions for the new world.

But how did two parties emerge from a single ideology? After conflicts between the Founding Fathers sparked, George Washington, along with his friends, John Adams and Alexander Hamilton formed a new group called The Federalists.

This faction backed a robust central banking system to boost the economy and ensure a better future.

However, James Madison and his friend Thomas Jefferson opposed this idea and wanted to form a decentralized government. The duo confirmed their stand by forming a new faction called the Democratic-Republicans.

This faction further elaborated in the future, which now became the present Republican and the Democratic Parties. In short, you can assume that all parties formed in the US had a significant connection with the Founding Fathers.

Republican vs. Democratic – Division

The Democratic-Republicans stood against the Federalists with their different opinion on government functionality. Although Madison and Jefferson shared identical ideas, the party eventually split over the years.

Before splitting, the Democratic-Republicans dominated their opponent, winning elections with their superior policies. The Federalists had to dissolve due to continuous defeat against the Democratic-Republicans.

However, as the years passed by, a political division surfaced in the Democratic-Republicans party, leading to the split.

In short, the surge of different opinions within the party escalated the formation of two different parties, which we now know as the Republicans and the Democrats.

How Does The US Political System Works?

Political systems around the world follow different formats to choose a national leader. There are multiparty systems, bi-party systems, and even communist countries that follow a dictator-style regime in their country.

For instance, in India, people vote for candidates who represent them in parliament. These candidates then exercise their power and elect a leader to become the Indian prime minister. In short, people don’t have the option to choose their national leader directly.

On the other hand, people in the US vote independently to choose the country’s President. This way, Americans can evaluate a candidate’s history and how he fairs in the eyes of the common public.

However, there are primary elections before the top elections, where parties select a leader to represent them in the top election.

What Steps Do Political Parties Take During Primary Elections?

Primary elections are crucial for any party as they help the party to pick the right candidate for the top-tier or presidential election. These elections also help the parties to reach out to Americans with their policies and bills, which they will process if elected to power.

Here are the steps taken by political parties during primary elections.

Political campaigns

Primary elections are the perfect time to get close to the general public with their election campaigns. These campaigns allow the parties to portray their vision if the people elect them to power.

You can learn about different policies, bills, and systems that a particular party will implement after it wins the election. Furthermore, political parties also use this time to propose their propagandas about existing government policies and how they can implement them better.

To select the right candidate

Primary elections also allow political parties to select the right candidate to represent them on the bigger stage or the presidential election. The parties can consider various aspects while selecting a candidate, including hierarchy, popularity, and background.

For instance, a candidate popular among the general public will likely gather more votes than a candidate that is not. Likewise, a candidate with tons of experience with the political system will have more advantage over his opponent.

Primary elections help political parties to understand how a candidate performs and whether he is capable of representing them in the top spot.

How Does The US Political System Operate?

The US political system acquired deep inspiration from Montesquieu (a famous French philosopher). In fact, most countries follow Montesquieu’s idea that power should be divided and not given to a group or a single individual.

The United States understood this concept, and so you can find three relevant actors in the US political system. These actors include the Congress (representing the legislative), the President (representing the executive), and the Supreme Court (representing the judicial).

The three branches have different roles to play in the political system. Congress with the legislative power passes the laws, the President with executive power implements them, and the Supreme Court interprets these laws based on the judicial guidelines.

In short, each branch has a significant role in the US political system, and one would fail to achieve results if the other made a mistake. Furthermore, the three branches must work together and find solutions if there is some discrepancy while passing, implementing, or interpreting these laws.

Wrapping Up

The US political system is one of the most robust systems in the world, which allows citizens to elect their top leader directly.

We hope that this article has cleared your doubts about the US political system and its operation under the three branches.