Introduction into American Government

INTRODUCTION

This paper will take a critical look at the background of the American Government. It is also important that we discuss the political system of the American government so as to bring up its involvement in the economy and social welfare. Moving forward, it is important that this involvement will emphasize the positive and negative impacts and impressions of the common people or in general the citizens regarding this concern. We will take into consideration the form of legal precedent such as the local, state, and federal law.

The government of the people:

Before we discuss the background of the American Government, it is fitting that we should first define the term government. Government is usually misinterpret as a dictatorial or autocratic in some countries and the common people, but it has a very wide historical basis on how it came about. Even Muslim countries today are starting to adopt the political system. Government is the body that has the ability to influence and the power to implement regulations and policies within a public, business sector, religious, academe or other association or group. Government is to manage, direct or watch over a state, a set group of people, or a collection of assets.

Government is always being related to democracy wherein the power is derive from the people through direct and indirect participation in making policies and choosing officials. The system of government has different ways of categories like autocracy, oligarchies, anarchy and democracy. But we shall tackle on the case of the American government which has the oldest surviving federal form of government. It relies on the representative democracy through a congressional system by its constitution that was termed before as Articles of Confederation for the period of 1781 to 1788.

The federal government of the United States has three branches: the executive, legislative and judiciary. The executive and legislative bodies are determined by a plurality vote of citizens in their respective districts while the judicial and cabinet level offices are recommended by the Executive branch and endorsed by the legislative. At times the judicial and cabinet levels are voted by popular election rather than appointed by the executive level. A legitimate and lawful republic is defended by law not only by minimal representations and is governed by a majority rule over minority. The federal, state and local levels comprise the three levels of government and officials are elected through a secret ballot.

The government participation and intervention in the economy and social welfare:

Protecting the livelihood of every American citizen is the fundamental aspiration of the government whether for economic or social welfare or even political there is. The state in particular handles and controls economic matters, endorsing and standardizing the private companies for active participation in nation building. Loads of businesses came during the early periods of the country were rural and small-time factories were built, inland waterways, channels, roads, and railways. It was followed with several advancement in large-scale factories and highly-industrialized methods of production and manufacturing.

Along with the economic development, there came downturns and criticisms from the business sector regarding the role of states in government regulation and policies. They demanded that the government should only focus on maintaining peace and order, international affairs, and provide public service to the people. Reforms in the economy has grown and more coalition of political blocks stressed the Congress to focus on the large scale big businesses that controls the sugar industry, oil, wine, salt, and meatpacking. Thus, a decree emerged that bans monopolistic domination of the economy. The role of the government in policy making is a good step in organizing and managing the economy of the country. Such pursuit for reforms can modulate as well as balance the relationship between the consumer and the big businessmen.

Economic progression sustained its direction through the legislation of consumer protection, regulation of banking system, safeguarding the industry through tariffs. In addition, the Congress initiated the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Federal Reserve (O’Connor & Sabato, 2004). Moreover, to safeguard the country’s financial supply and interest rates, the regulation of this was made and rests on the Federal Reserve for the monetary policy which consists of Federal Reserve Board, Federal Open Market Committee, and the 12 Federal Reserve Banks (American Government, 2004). While the Fiscal policy involves the budget process prepared by the president and Congress which deals with the taxation and government expenditures.

On the other hand, government not only deals with the economic welfare of the country, it has to extend its role on the aspect of social welfare and advances of the American citizens. There are many issues incorporating social welfare, it has been a very difficult task to most government officials, from public education, food, health and welfare programs. According to the American Government Continuity and Change (2004), the economic policies and charitable trust alone cannot sustain its economic security of American citizens, that’s why the need to change its transformation to find ways of ensuring welfare of the people has been encouraged.

It has formulated different policies that would secure the youngest to the oldest citizens. In 1934, senior citizens were able to seize the opportunity in receiving pensions from the government of less than $10 per month. Programs were created like the Social Security Act which includes old age insurance, community aid for the poor, elderly, disabled, and families with dependent children and unemployment insurance (American Government Continuity and Change, 2004). Additionally, national health insurance, public education, income security, food stamp program and health care. More and more policies for welfare programs are coming and becoming a success in promoting the advancement of the people.

CONCLUSION

There are compelling reasons and maybe debates why people has this kind of notion on the government without pressing underlying outcomes beneath it. Economic and social welfare are the most important part of the government to focus on policy making and attention should be more heightened to continue the guarantee of the people against poverty and unemployment. From the early period of the American government up to the present, it has gained positive outcomes in both economic and social welfare. It is therefore advantageous that the role of the government be enhanced and supported. Efforts of the government through policy making and implementation has been recognized and felt by the people.

But controversies and issues are still on the way among policy makers and government officials because corruption and trust is misleading them from the people, the only positive way that they can reach the majority is to continue its service for the people. The intervention of the government in terms of economic and social welfare is not a big debate and disagreement should not boost because it can only disrupt the possibility of development and prosperity. Intervention should be more classified as participation because its objectives are for the majority of the people. Every citizen needs help from the government and having a government is a must.

Think of our life if we are in the state of nature, we would have limitless inpidual democracy withstanding or not, the scares of society from drug use, extreme monopoly capitalism, and even stealing. If there would be no laws prohibiting these kind of actions, we are in a state of absolute freedom, no man will guarantee us from the harsh effects of class antagonism and economic deprivation. The role of government, then, is to protect the civil liberties gained from the state of nature by limiting every inpidual’s craving for good life especially when craving exceeds its limitations.

Works Cited

O’Connor, K., & Sabato, L. J. (2004). American Government Continuity and Change. Retrieved April 26, 2007