A Comparison of the U.S. and Venezuelan Governments

A Comparison of the U.S. and Venezuelan Governments

Governments play a crucial role in contemporary societies, modeling political and economic systems as well as individual and social behavior through laws and policies at different levels of governance. The action of national authorities is primarily influenced by government structures and their interaction in enforcing established codes. The U.S. and Venezuelan governments are founded on different and as well as similar foundations, leading to divergences and parallels in operation.

The U.S. and Venezuelan governments share notable resemblances in their structures. Markedly, both are federal republics where power is shared between the national and state administrations (Worldfacts, 2008: World facts, 2009). Each region elects local leaders and operates autonomously without imposition over the central government. However, the federal authority is dominant and takes precedence in matters of national interest. In both countries, the government is organized into three primary organs, namely the executive, legislature, and Judiciary (Worldfacts, 2008: World facts, 2009). The arms function complementarily with the ability to veto each other. The presidency, which is determined by national elections, is limited to two successive terms. Additionally, the right to vote in both nations is universal for every person aged 18 years and above (Worldfacts, 2008: World facts, 2009). The countries also organize their military into five units, with shared identities for the Army, Navy, Air force, and the marines (Polga-Hecimovich, Trinkunas, & Fonseca, 2016; The University of Utah, 2019). Such elements are some of the overlaps in the two countries.

Likewise, the U.S. and Venezuela have notable differences in governance. For instance, the U.S. is divided into 50 administrative states, while Venezuela has 23 (Worldfacts, 2008: World facts, 2009). The presidency of the U.S. is limited to two four-year life terms, while Venezuelan leaders can vie again at a later time after completing their two six-year terms (Worldfacts, 2008: World facts, 2009). The Venezuelan legal system is founded on organic law, is adversarial, and does not recognize the compulsory reservations of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Contrary, the U.S. legal system is based on a federal court organization guided by British Common law and compliant to ICJ (Worldfacts, 2008: World facts, 2009). Moreover, each state in the U.S. has an independent legal system, while Venezuela exercises universal a scheme at all al levels. Such variations are an illustration of the divergences in the governance of both countries.

References

Polga-Hecimovich, J., Trinkunas, H., & Fonseca, B. (2016). Venezuelan Military Culture, 1–30. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.1.2331.6084

The University of Utah. (2019). U.S. Military: Rank & Structure: Branches. Retrieved from https://campusguides.lib.utah.edu/military

World facts. (2008). Facts about Venezuela. Retrieved from http://worldfacts.us/Venezuela.htm

World facts. (2009). Facts about the United States. Retrieved from http://worldfacts.us/US.htm