Government Of The Unites States Of America example essay topic

The United States of America, the land of the free, the land of opportunity, the wealthiest country in the world, a country that half the modern world is modeled after. Our President in referred to as the "Leader of the free world". Thousands of people come to this country every year learning about our country in hopes of becoming a citizen. We have what some say the greatest form of government know to this world, a representative democracy, formed by "We the People... ".

The government of the Unites States of America is the most efficient, most inefficient, safest, most beneficial way to govern a country, according to its citizens. "Love it or leave it!" (Flieder 1) This was a statement made referring to the American people and the U.S. Government. People have many split ideas on the government. The people who know the government, the ones who read the papers, listen to the politicians, and know the history of our government, and know how the system works believe in the government, and the system. They know why things are the way they are. Thirteen out of the twenty-one people I interviewed believed that our government system works, yet there is still problems with a few people.

The system is hampered by the few individuals who are corrupt, and don't communicate and listen to the people". ... we " ve proven that really no other government surpasses us, our reputation is that of the greatest country ever, but we are still young". (Piccari 1) Also we are a very young country compared to the rest of the world. "Our government is run as it is suppose to be run" (Casagrand, Robert) the way the constitution sets it to be run. The constitution is one of the greatest documents ever written. Very few changes have been made to our constitution since it was written by the founding fathers. Many countries have based their government system off our constitution.

On the contrary the people who did not believe in our system, did not know there two U.S. Senators. A few of them did not know the three branches of the United States government. They don't know the system, or how it works. How can you complain about something you know very little about. One of the interviewees, when asked if they have experienced anything in there life that changed their opinion on the government said that the French fries were good when he had lunch with President Reagan.

It is easily assumed that this person's view of people and the government are altered by the quality of the President's french fries. (Wagner 1) Where is the logic in that? In the quote made by Mr. Saul Flieder above, it is suggested that if you don't like the system then leave it. If you leave the system is there another system that you could find that would be better? According to Tom Richards it "depends on your needs". Not one person I interviewed did know of a government system that was better then that of the U.S. Government.

Do you have a say in the Government? "Yes if your except responsibility for your say, Vote". (Piccari 1) Most people did believe that you do have a say in the government. Their say or voice in the government is in your vote. The few people who said that they did not have a say in the government are predominantly the same people who said that they do not vote, yet they are the people who complain the most. Many Americans complain about problems with our government.

As you can see by this chart in 1966 there were 117 million Americans that were of age to vote, only 48.6% of those citizens were registered and voted. Less than half the citizens of this country did not use their right to vote. In 1994 there were 193 million Americans that were of age to vote, but this time only 38.7% of those citizens were registered and voted. The percentage of voters dropped 9.9% in 31 years. People don't vote for many reasons.

One reason is people don't have a personal interest or any excitement about the candidates. (Magnuson 1) Which is a very bad reason not to vote. Everyone has a vested interest in the candidates because the candidates represent you to the state or national government. Even if voters vote, many of the voters make bad decisions. "We are really seeing a loss of respect for our federal system of selecting our elected officials. This disenchantment with the candidates is causing voters to look at the personalities rather than the issues".

(Magnuson 2) Many people also don't vote because they say", I only have one vote". True you only have one vote, and that is all you are going to get. With your one vote, and your friends one vote, and all there friends' votes, you can make a big difference. A lot of peoples "one vote" can change a lot. So if you don't vote don't complain.

"It is efficiently inefficient". (Hurst 1) Is our government inefficient in doing its job? Is our government to efficient? Robert Casagrand a member of the Hatboro-Horsham School board says the government is "as efficient as possible with the diverse interests of the people within the U.S".

With the many diverse people in this nation we have many different opinions. But the real question is", how efficient do you want it?" If the government is too efficient thing will happen to quickly, things could not be properly thought about and all options could not be heard. If the government is not efficient enough then things would not get done, and the system would be a waste. What is the best? Or then where is the medium?

"Overall it is the fairest one practiced". Is the U.S. Government fair? Is the government suppose to be fair? The U.S. government is not suppose to be fair to everyone.

The purpose of the government is to benefit the majority. It is impossible to please everyone. "You can't please everyone all the time". (Kip e 1) If the government was fair it would be totally inefficient. The only way the citizen's opinion on the government is ever going to change is with knowledge.

The people must understand the system and the people in the system. They must read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It is not our government system that is corrupt, inefficient, efficient, unfair or closed off, it is the people of this country. Are we "We The People" or are we "We The Few"? Don't shut your ears, or cover your eyes.

Don't look down the narrow tunnel, look at the big picture. American Government is the institution through which society makes and enforces its public policies. It is the agency through which the state exerts its will and works to accomplish its goals. Government consists of the machinery and the personnel by which the state is ruled. The type of government we have in the United States of America is a democracy. A democracy can be defined as a system of government in which supreme authority rests with the people.

With this system of rule, the individual has a lot of power. The 1st, 4th, and 14th Amendments attempt to uphold the sentiments of The United States Declaration of Independence. The 1st and 14th Amendments' protections of free speech and a free press serve two fundamentally important purposes. One is to guarantee to each person a right to free expression- in a spoken and the written word, and by all other means of communication, as well.

The other important purpose is to ensure to all persons a full, wide-ranging discussion of public affairs. This means that the 1st and 14th Amendments give all people the right to have their say and to hear what others have to say. Though the 1st and 14th Amendments guarantee freedom of freedom and expression, no person has unbridled right of free speech or free press. Many reasonable restrictions can be placed on those rights.

No person has the right to libel or slander another. Libel is the false and malicious use of printed words; slander is such use of spoken words. Similarly, the law prohibits the use of obscene words, the printing and distributing of obscene materials, and false advertising. These Amendments protect the rights of an individual, though there are some slight restrictions it states. Another Amendment that attempts to uphold the sentiments of The United States Declaration of Independence is the 4th Amendment. This Amendment grew out of colonial practice.

It was designed to prevent the use of writs of assistance-blanket search warrants with which British customs officials had invaded private homes to search for smuggled goods. The general rule laid down by the 4th Amendment says that Police officers have no general right to search for evidence or to seize either evidence or persons. Except in particular circumstances, they must have a proper warrant obtained with probable cause-that is, reasonable grounds. The Supreme Court has often said that police need a search warrant whenever the person targeted by the search has "a reasonable expectation of privacy".

The particular place is not that important, for the Constitution "protects people-and not simply areas-against unreasonable searches and seizures". The court first made that important point in Katz vs. United States, 1967. There is a important problem posed upon the 4th Amendment that is still being refined, the exclusionary rule. The Problem is, if an unlawful search or seizure does occur, what use can be made of the evidence that is found? If that "tainted evidence" can be used in court, then the 4th Amendment offers no real protection to a person accused of a crime. The exclusionary rule deals with this by stating the rule that evidence gained as a result of an illegal act by police cannot be used against the person from who it was seized.

Once again, our government protects us by giving us some individual rights. In closing, the 1st, 4th and 14th amendments were made to be exemplary of The United States Declaration of Independence which states that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness". These three Amendments enable individuals living in the United States to be able to live life to the "fullest". Our democratic government enables individuals to start from the same "platform". One may choose to take a different road than another but out government guarantees equality and our inalienable rights for each and every one of us. Though there are some restrictions on our freedom it is all for our advantage.

These are the principles on which the United States government was founded. The United States constitution attempts to create a government based on those principles. And we succeed in doing so, for the goal for each and every one of us is "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" after all.