Forms of government

 Forms of government

Communism

Living under a communist government is both advantageous and disadvantageous. The advantage is that the government can create massive industrial power and other projects since economic resources can be mobilized quickly and on a large scale. However, communism eliminates the free market; the law of supply and demand gets defied since the government that sets prices. That way, the planners fail to get feedback about the type of needs of the people and therefore lack a guideline on how to improve their services.

Socialism

Living under a socialist government gives one a sense of responsibility. In this type of government, everyone in society receives a share of production according to the contribution they made towards it. There is no chance of exploitation as profits get shared according to individual contribution. Living under a socialist government also eliminates poverty since there is an equal distribution on social amenities such as health facilities and education institution. However, a socialist government has a lot of power, and there are chances of the leaders abusing the position and power for their gains.

Republic

The power of a republican government lies in the hands of the people. This type of government gives the people a sense of belonging since they choose their leaders and if the leader fails to meet their expectations, the people can vote them out. This type of government also looks out for the inclusion of the minority in all state affairs. All people get an equal chance to select a leader, and the one chosen by the majority takes up power and serves all people including the minority who did not vote them in. One disadvantage of living under a republican government is the slow pace of acting. Even a small or urgent change in the president donald trumpmust pass through Congress before it is either given or declined according to the say of the majority.

Totalitarianism

Living under a totalitarianism government denies one a sense of freedom. A single person in power makes all rules without opposition. The government gains control of all sectors ranging from the economy to the military. The private lives of citizens are controlled too since one cannot make a decision that opposes the government. Although the lack of opposition makes execution of policies more efficient, the people have no political voice, and they are forced to become unwillingly complacent.

Anarchy

Living under an anarchy form of government gives one a sense of total freedom. However, privilege comes with lawlessness and disorder because of the absence of governmental authority. Such a state is characterized by individualism where it is survival for the fittest. Since there are no guidelines of how things are supposed to run, every individual does things according to their volition leading the state to chaos. Such a government is slow since decisions do not get implemented on a particular protocol.

Historical documents

Federalist papers

The Federalist papers were a series of eighty-five essays urging the citizens of  New York to ratify the new United States Constitution. The compositions were in the form of letters written to newspapers to reach many citizens. The letters got written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pen name Publius between 1787-1788. The message intended to convince the citizens to ratify the new constitution by urging that the proposed system would preserve the Union and empower the federal government to act firmly and coherently in the national interest. The Federalist papers are important because they are an essential source for interpreting and understanding the original intent of the Constitution.

Declaration of independence

The declaration for independence was a formal statement written to declare freedom of thirteen American colonies from Great Britain. It was authored by a five-person committee,  Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson in mid-June, 1776. Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the document. The intent of writing the declaration of independence was to explain to foreign nations why the thirteen state colonies had decided to separate from Great Britain.

Bill of limits

The Bill of limits was written in 1791 by James Madison. The bill of rights was meant to indicate a list of specific prohibitions on governmental power, in response to calls from several states for greater constitutional protection for individual liberties.

Constitution

The constitution was written in 1797 by James Madison. The law was meant to develop a plan to divide the federal government into three branches-legislative, executive and judicial-each with checks on its power.

Federalism

Federalism is a mode of political organization that divides power between the national government and other governmental units. Two or more governments share authority over the same geographical area. In 2017, there was a court case about the contrast in federal law versus state law concerning football and sports gambling. In the Christie case, the Justices will consider if a federal law that limits sports betting in New Jersey violates the 10th Amendment’s anti-commandeering clause (NCC, 2017). Such cases are because many states feel that the federal government limit their authority by such amendments.

Finances

Federal Reserve

The federal reserve system is the central banking system of America. It was created by the Congress in 1913 to provide the nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial policy.

Free Market

It is an economic system based on supply and demand without government control. The prices get determined by free competition by private business owners.

State and national debt

Also known as public debt, it is the amount of money the government owes external creditors. It constitutes of the total borrowings of a nation from either national or foreign creditors.

Government (Federal and State) Spending.

Government spending includes all government expenditures in terms of consumption or investment. The money is spent by the public sector to acquire goods and provision of services.

Political issues

Immigration

Immigration in America today faces a lot of political turmoil. When president Donald Trump was elected, he vowed to take action against illegal immigration to America. One of his plans was to build a border wall with Mexico, deport millions of undocumented immigrants, and temporarily ban Muslims (Claire et al., 2018). The planned measures have raised political debates over the methods used of curbing illegal immigration.

Racism

Racism is a sensitive topic that always gives rise to sharp political divides or debates. However, contrary to the traditional racism against black people and other minorities, racism has taken a new route of reverse discrimination. In line with Paul (2017), white people feel discriminated against since all privileges get accorded to blacks in fear of being branded racists. Therefore, white people think that they get treated unequally and in the process, denied fair chances at opportunities.

Donald Trump

Current US president Donald Trump gives rises to many political issues not only in America but also around the globe. The most significant is how he was elected in by the majority despite the controversies surrounding his campaign as well as ideologies.

Conclusion

I have learned about the different forms of government how they run their affairs. Furthermore, I have gained insight into critical historical documents that played a significant role in shaping America. I have also learned about finances and budgets as well as current political issues in America today.

References

Federalism fight leads off big Supreme Court week. Retrieved from https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/federalism-fight-leads-off-big-supreme-court-week

The U.S. Immigration Debate. Retrived from https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-immigration-debate-0

Why white people think they’re the real victims of racism. Retrived from https://theweek.com/articles/732849/why-white-people-think-theyre-real-victims-racism