Racism as another source of diversity

• The main some exceptions to full acceptance into the country – Native Americans & African Americans

• “Justification” of slavery: Africans were not Christians & not civilized, culturally inferior

• by the 18^th century – harder to claim that Africans would be culturally inferior

• Pro-slavery whites – theory of biological inferiority of the Blacks to Europeans – “scientific racism”

• Racial discrimination grew out of the practice of enslavement but outlasted the institution of slavery

• Poorer whites or socially marginal whites could feel superior by virtue of their skin color

• Racism helped to create a sense of unity among white Americans by defining who was a full citizen

• Racism united African Americans though shared experiences of discrimination & suffering

• The civil rights era – the mid-20^th century

• The beginning of the 21^st century – a relatively small number of white people still possess a feeling of racial superiority

The political system of the usa

1. introduction to the political system of the USA

2. the USA constitution

3. Legislative branch

4. executive branch

5. judicial branch

6. foreign relations

Introduction to the political system of the usa

• the USA is a federation

• its government relies on representative democracy through a congressional system under a set of powers specified be its Constitution

• it is “not a simple representative democracy, but a constitutional republic in which majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by law”

• there are three level parts of government: federal, state & local levels

• officials are either elected by voters in a secret ballot or appointed by other elected officials

• executive & legislative offices are decided by a plurality vote of citizens in their districts

• judicial & cabinet-level offices – nominated by the executive branch & approved by the legislature

• the federal government comprises 3 branches, which are to check & balance one another’s powers

• legislative: the Congress: the Senate & the House of Representatives (makes federal law, declares war, approves treaties & has powers of impeachment & the purse)

• executive: the President (appoints the Cabinet & other officers, administers & enforces federal law, can veto bills & is Commander in Chief) & the Cabinet

• judiciary: the supreme court & the lower federal courts (which interpret laws& their validity under the Constitution & can overturn laws they deem unconstitutional).

The usa Constitution

• the USA constitution is the supreme legal document, regulating affairs through government chosen by people

• the Constitution has n=been amended 27 times, the last time in 1992

• the constitution serves to preserve liberty with a Bill of rights & other amendments

• it guarantees freedom of speech, religion & the press, the fair trial, to keep & bear arms, universal suffrage & property rights

• American politics is dominated by the republican party (“center-right” or conservative) & the Democratic party (center-left or liberal).