Abraham Lincoln stated that U.S. politics is
the “government of the people, by the people, for the people”.[1]
(Lincoln, Abraham; 1863) However as the U.S. government is shutdown, we can see
that this is false. If the government was for the people then there currently
would not be 800,000 people employed by the government currently unemployed. This
essay will attempt to determine who truly runs the United States of America.
The President, described the most powerful
man in the world, has limited power in his own country. Worldwide the
perception is that the President runs America; however, through the system of
checks and balances, it is incredibly hard for any legislation to pass. The Affordable
Healthcare Act (otherwise known as Obamacare) is an act of legislation that
would benefit millions of people and has been upheld by the Supreme Court. An
act that the President is so proud of that Obama put his name on it, even after
been voted through the House and Senate. The act, however, led the Republicans
to shut down the government over it.
This check is unavoidable as the Democrats do not control the House. Power
rests with the President due to “Article II of the Constitution,” which defines
the power of the presidency, but which has been referred to as “the most
loosely drawn chapter of the Constitution”. [2]
(Katznelson, Ira; 2011) This is compared to article 1 of the constitution which
in great detail outlines the power of Congress. Leading to Arthur Schlesinger
Jr termed the President as the imperial
president. However with all the power the President has they may “be unable
to achieve their goals”.[3](Katznelson,
Ira; 2011)
Therefore the President is not the most
powerful person, even within his administration, even though both were voted in
by the people. However, “a presidential candidate can win the popular vote
nationwide and lose in the Electoral College”.[4]
(Katznelson, Ira; 2011)Thus, the President could have the support of the
people, but still lose an election. It is possible that the most powerful
people in government are the Senate and the House since they are voted in by
the people to prevent the President from becoming a dictator. They are there to
enact on the checks and balances to make sure that the bills and legislation is
going to be good for the people. The idea of checks and balances is to stop
legislation that is negative for the nation, but it can be used as a political
tool to prevent certain laws and create gridlock. There are a variety of ways
that Congress and the Senate can prevent bills such as not voting it through,
preventing the vote or using a filibuster. Not only does this mean that the
house is powerful, but one person in the house has as much power as the
President as they can prevent a vote, as Ted Cruz did on the 25th of
September. A major issue with the house is that it is filled “with professional
politicians”.[5] (Katznelson,
Ira; 2011) Who view their job in Congress as their career”. Meaning that people
may not do what is best for the country and what they believe in, but an act
that will further their own career and ambitions. As well as this “each member
of Congress only has one vote, some members are more powerful than others”
depending on which commissions you sit on, giving you a degree of influence on
other members.[6]
(Katznelson, Ira; 2011)
The Supreme Court also plays a part to check
the Constitutional aspects of bills before that have laws. These nine people
can be considered the most powerful people in the United States as they have
the last opportunity to strike down any bills that have gone through Capitol
Hill and the President’s office. “The courts are also hindered by a lack of democratic
legitimacy”, due to the fact that they are not elected, this also means that
they do not have to go off public opinion.[7]
(Katznelson, Ira; 2011) Although people will argue that they are picked by the
President so he has an influence on the Supreme Court, these positions are
guaranteed for life. Meaning the judges can act without the threat of losing
their jobs, leading to a power that no-one else has in Government. Therefore
each appointee has an extraordinary large influence on American politics for
the extended future, as they decide whether it is constitutional or
un-constitutional. It also means that the President has added power through
appointments, which is due to the fact that the appointments the administration
makes also influence politics for the future. However, Congress and the Senate
have to approve many appointments showing the power of the Capitol building.
Lobbyists and the Media are now major parts
of the system. The Declaration of Independence did not have to contend with
these two new parts of politics meaning that they do not account for them. With
the rise of Media, one has to have the right look to be a politician and cannot
make any progress without the support of some media and money. For this reason
some people perceive Rupert Murdoch to be one of the most powerful people in
the world and in politics, as politicians attempt to get his support. This was
the main theme of the James Bond film The
World is Not Enough, a media tycoon can write the news. Lobbying also
influence politics due to the extraordinary amount of money in politics, with
“7 billion dollars” being spent in the last Presidential election. It is
extremely difficult to partake in an election without a lot of money “the
candidate who raised the most money won over 90 percent of the time”.[8]
(Katznelson, Ira; 2011) All the money comes from companies and individuals who
have their own ideas and beliefs. These companies will then give support and
funding to candidates who will support the same ideals, meaning that change is
incredibly difficult as you cannot get into power without entering politics the
normal way. Due to this “the public often lacks respect for Congress because it
often appears to be captured by special interests that generously contribute to
congressional campaigns”.[9]
(Katznelson, Ira; 2011)
However all the key decision makers from the
President to every member of the Senate and Congress are voted in by the
people; therefore the decision making process starts with the population of
America making them the most powerful. None of the other decision can happen
without the people of America voting in these candidates in, therefore the
people who still run the country is the people of the United States of America,
through the ideals and what the nation perceives to be right.
[1]
Lincoln, Abraham; The Gettysburg Address
[2]
Katznelson, Ira; The Politics of Power, W.W.
Norton ; New York P.181
[3]
Katznelson, Ira: The Politics of Power, W.W.
Norton ; New York P.186
[4]
Katznelson, Ira: The Politics of Power, W.W.
Norton ; New York P.177
[5]
Katznelson, Ira; The Politics of Power, W.W.
Norton ; New York P.221
[6] Katznelson,
Ira; The Politics of Power, W.W.
Norton ; New York P.233
[7] Katznelson,
Ira; The Politics of Power, W.W.
Norton ; New York P.248
[8]
Katznelson, Ira; The Politics of Power, W.W.
Norton ; New York P.222
[9]
Katznelson, Ira; The Politics of Power, W.W.
Norton ; New York P.212
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