The American Political System
The American political system is based on two historical yet very important documents, the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the Constitution (1789). Each document serves a distinct purpose; The Declaration of Independence states the country as a free independent nation, separate from the European countries many settlers migrated from, and the Constitution lays the baseline from which the federal government is formed and executed. The US Constitution lays the framework for the separation of power between the nation’s three governing branches, the executive branch, the judiciary system, and the legislature. The separation of power amongst the three branches along with the different terms served by each member of the corresponding branches, avoids the monarchial system most Americans of the time were familiar with from Great Britain, France and the likes of the various European nations America’s immigrants hail from. The political system up to this day is unique but leaves too many national issues to be lost in legalities, slowing the nation down while political and economic developments move faster and faster in our modern world. We will examine the US governmental process through political, economic, and social dimensions. In addition, we will discuss the character of American society, and the change in society throughout American history.
The political aspect of American government is built on bureaucracies who handle the different flavors of public service, i.e. health care reform, education, and national security just to name a few. In order to understand the political aspect of government it must be first observed on a grand scale, and the social and economic aspects must be included in the discussion. When examining American government, one thing that stands out the most is the system of checks and balances carried out between the three branches. Checks and balances are of great interest because today’s government agendas are politically driven but the budget is heavily restricted. In checks in balances you have three main branches of government Executive, Legislative and Judicial. While it may seem justified to have one check behind another, is it really productive or counterproductive? When new personnel are elected or appointed to positions within the bureaucracy, most have been chosen based on promises that were made to their constituents. How can open ended promises be made when government is faced with such budget restriction?
This leads us to the economic aspect of American government. The main focus of many of Congress’ policies is finding ways to fund the country’s programs without going broke or incurring tons of debt. When one thinks’ about the economic aspect of government you automatically think of the Treasury Department. The Treasury Department is the bureaucracy that manages the federal budget that it set forth by the President and Congress. This is accomplished by paying bills incurred by the federal government, collecting debt and various other functions. A major problem that America has faced for years is incurring debt from projects that are undertaken without the capital to finance them, i.e. the war on terrorism, the Affordable Care Act, etc. Another major problem that we are facing is allowing foreign nations to invest in our countries premier banks in order to try and lower our deficit, i.e. China; the rising super power has invested billions if not trillions of dollars into the United States.
This ultimately leads us to the social aspect of American government. The social aspect of government cannot fit into any one department because it ultimately affects everyone across the board. When you think of social aspects you think of the human side of the situation. Bureaucracies that affect everyday life come to mind, Social Security Administration, Dept. of Health & Human Services just to throw out some names. A major aspect of social government is healthcare reform. Healthcare reform is a great example because it displays the governmental role in helping American’s receive better, more affordable healthcare. This aspect shows how the humane side of government can and is causing a ripple effect. Many constituents are no longer concerned about miscellaneous issues but more about social issues that are affecting the well-being of so many Americans. Crucial decisions regarding the future of health care reform need to be made and it is the government’s responsibility to protects it people from carelessness. Another social aspect can be recognized through the different areas of federal law enforcement. Agencies such as FBI, DEA, ATF, and ICE come to mind. A major player in today’s politics, immigration reform can be directly affected by these agencies and laws surrounding issues such as citizenship and rights of non-citizens.
American society, the process of government and its character has evolved over the years. According to Matthews the governmental process was established around the 16th century. This practice came about through town meetings and open forums. Meetings were generally held to discuss issues that were affecting the community. During this time people were concerned about addressing issues that were affecting their area as a whole “we have a problem, we need to fix it” (Matthews 1987). American society is ever-changing, and over several decades society has been exposed to many diverse challenges. Because of such diversity, government has been faced with constraints, issues, disturbance, and disorder. Bureaucracies were formed due to the influx of diversity. The character of American society was formed by that of subcultures. A subculture is a smaller group which is formed with in a larger group. Over the centuries many subcultures have been formed as a result of immigration. Because of this bureaucracies are formed to address public needs as they arise. A bureaucracy is an administrative system that breaks work down into categories. The work is then distributed to specific departments who execute the assignment. These assignments are passed down to local constituents many times through independent sector surrogacies, both for profit and nonprofit. Judith Saidel states in her article Resource Interdependence: The Relationship between State Agencies and Nonprofit Organizations “nonprofit organizations actually deliver a larger share of the services government finances than do government agencies themselves.” (545) This leaves government free to work on legislation or appropriation of funds as opposed to hand delivering the services they have subsidized. Because of nonprofit involvement in public service there is an increasing interdependence between government and nonprofit entities with the amount of dependence equaling the same for both sides presently.
Big business has arisen and changed forms many times throughout American history. Societal Change, which began as agricultural, changed to industrial, and currently presents itself technologically. Drucker wrote in his 1994 article The Age of Social Transformation, “by the end of this century knowledge workers will make up a third or more of the work force in the United States – as large a proportion as manufacturing workers ever made up, except in wartime” (62). This has proven true as now machines have replaced many of the workers in factories and Software Developers, Project Managers, Business and Systems Analysts have replaced the hard workers of the field in the new millennium. Technological advances occur daily and continue to boggle the mind. Just ten years ago it was a big deal to have a cell phone, now children have even the most technologically advanced phones and gadgets. PCs, which many in our immediate population still did not own are ever so increasingly being replaced by tablets. Checkbooks are being replaced by electronic payments. Even medical records are being saved and transferred electronically. Many of these advances in the financial and medical realm of society are being mandated by the federal government and bureaucracies are being tasked with carrying out the transfer from old to new methods of handling these lines of business.
The American political system is made of three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. These three branches adjudicate to the independent sector which includes citizens and organizations who deliver public service to the citizens. The interdependence between the government and its constituents is evident in public policy and the ever evolving state of changes in society. American government promotes change, be it societal, economic, technological, or political. Our government is one created for the people by the people, and while it may not be perfect it serves its citizens right and just. It affords its citizens opportunities for success and growth.

Works Cited
Drucker, P. F. (1994). The Age of Social Transformation. The Atlantic Monthly November, 53-80.
Mathews, D. (1987). The Independent Sector and the Political Responsibilities of the Public. Spring Research Forum "The Constitution and the Independent Sector".
Saidel, J. R. (1991, Nov-Dec). Resource Interdependence: The Relationship Between State Agencies and Nonprofit Organizations. Public Administration Review, 51(6), 543-533.