About America: How the United States is Governed
The American system of government, begun as an experiment in liberty and democracy in 1776, has proven to be remarkably resilient and adaptable. While often categorized as a democracy, the United States is more accurately defined as a constitutional federal republic. What does this mean? "Constitutional" refers to the fact that government in the United States is based on a Constitution which is the supreme law of the United States. The Constitution not only provides the framework for how the...
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The American system of government, begun as an experiment in liberty and democracy in 1776, has proven to be remarkably resilient and adaptable. While often categorized as a democracy, the United States is more accurately defined as a constitutional federal republic. What does this mean? "Constitutional" refers to the fact that government in the United States is based on a Constitution which is the supreme law of the United States. The Constitution not only provides the framework for how the federal and state governments are structured, but also places significant limits on their powers. "Federal" means that there is both a national government and governments of the 50 states. A "republic" is a form of government in which the people hold power, but elect representatives to exercise that power.
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Open Textbook
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Date Added to MERLOT:
November 26, 2008
Date Modified in MERLOT:
April 22, 2014
Submitter:
Judy
Baker
Keywords:
law,
NGO,
nongovernmental organizations,
local government,
elections,
american democracy,
Democracy,
federal government,
judicial,
executive,
USA,
legislative,
U.S. constitution,
State governments,
political parties,
media
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