State and Local Government

Each state has its own constitution. Like the national government, state governments are divided into legislative, executive, and judicial branches. There are state senators and representatives and state court systems. Just as the President is the leader of the national government, each state has a governor as its leader. Below the state level of government, there are country and city governments.

Two-Party System

The United States has two main political parties - the Democratic and Republican parties. Many other smaller parties play little if any role.

Voters elect the president, as well as senators, representatives, governors, etc. A voter can choose candidates from different parties (e.g., vote for Republicans for President and vice-president and a Democrat for senator), so the President does not have to be from the party that has a majority in Congress. In recent years, in fact, voters have tended to choose Republican presidents and Democratic congresspeople.

There are not clear differences between the Republican and Democratic parties. In general, the Republicans tend to be more conservative and to have more support among the upper classes, while the Democrats tend to be more liberal and to have more support among the working classes and the poor.

Recent Trends

In the twentieth century, as society has become more complex, government has taken a much more active role. However, many Americans worry about too much government interference In their lives. Still compared to many other countries, the role of the US government remains limited. In recent years fewer people are voting. In the 1988 presidential election, for example, only 50 percent of people of voting age actually voted. Some experts think television may have contributed to the problem. Candidates today often campaign mainly through brief TV appearances and commercials. Instead of explaining their views in detail, they try to make their opponents look bad. Understandably, in the end many voters may not feel enthusiastic about any candidate.

The Free Enterprise System

The United States economy is based on the free enterprise system: Private business compete against one another with relatively little interference from the government. Since the depression of the 1930s, when the economy essentially collapsed, laws have been made giving the government a more active role in economic and other matters.

The Situation Today

The United States is a large country and is rich in natural resources. It is a leading producer of fuel — of oil, natural gas, and coal. It is also a leading producer of many other minerals, including copper, gold, aluminium, iron, and lead. The United States grows wheat, corn, and other crops and raises many cows, pigs, and chickens.

However, the USA is also a major consumer of resources. This means, for example, that the United States must import much of the fuel it uses.

Not surprisingly, international trade is important to the United States. Major exports include machinery, high-technology equipment, chemicals, cars, aircrafs, and grains. Major imports include machinery and telecommunications equipment, oil, cars, metals, and chemicals.

Today, the United States faces some major economic challenges. One important challenge is increasing its productivity, or the efficiency of the labour force, in order to increase the rate of economic growth. Another challenge, as the country shifts from manufacturing to services, is to train people to fill new kinds of jobs.