Democracy in U.S

Democracy in America is more than just electoral politics. It is based on the shortest and the oldest written constitution of any sovereign state. This constitution provides the framework for the organization and functioning of the US government which is federal in nature. It also defines three main legs of the government: the legislative branch, the executive branch and the judicial branch. The legislative with a bicameral congress consisting of the House of Representatives as the lower house and the Senate as the upper house, the executive led by the president and the judiciary headed by the supreme court. This organization is quite similar to that of Indian constitution.
The executive leg of the government holds the responsibility for enforcing laws. The president, the vice president, cabinet ministers and heads of independent agencies are responsible for the functions of executive branch. As per Article I of the constitution, the Legislative is the law making branch of the government. The Judicial branch decides the meaning of laws and how they are applied. The violation of laws is checked by the judicial review. The judicial branch, in a similar way as the Indian judiciary does, keeps a check on the legislative and executive branches. There are separate laws governing the federal and the state and at any given point of time, if at all there is a conflict between the federal and the state, the ideas of the federal will be honored over those of the state. Unlike Indian electoral system, in US, people vote to select the Electoral College, which is a body of people who vote for the presidential representative of any one of the political parties. This provides equal importance to each state irrespective of its population and other factors which might influence the electoral process.


SUNEET SHUKLA