The US Government - General

[b]The US Government[/b] [b]Index:[/b] [list] [*]The US Constitution [*]Congress [*]->The House of Representatives [*]->The Senate [*]->How Congress makes laws [*]The Executive Branch [*]The Judicial Branch [*]Third Parties [*]->Lobbyists [/list] [b]References:[/b] [list] [*][url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1194417]Casino Jack and the United States of Money[/url](Available on Netflix) [*][url=http://www.buzzle.com/articles/who-signed-the-us-constitution.html]"Framers" of the Constitution[/url] [*][url=http://www.wikipedia.com]Wikipedia[/url] [/list] [b]The US Constitution:[/b] On September 17th, 1787, thirty-nine delegates signed the US Constitution. Key Members being George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Alaxander Hamilton. View the full list [url=http://www.buzzle.com/articles/who-signed-the-us-constitution.html]here[/url]. The Constitution is known to be the most significant document in U.S. history, and is currently held in the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. Consisting of roughly 4000 words, it is the shortest "constitution" ever created by a goverment. It is thought to create a perfect form of Democracy, but obviously has many flaws due to outside interference by companies, third parties, and the outcome of those third parties - lobbyists. [b]Congress:[/b] The U.S. Congress is a bicameral legislature consisting of 535 members (100 members in the Senate and 435 in the House). The duties of congress is mainly to create laws, but can also: lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and exercises, to pay debts and provide common defenses to the U.S.; declare war; raise and maintain armed forces; and to make rules for the military; create post offices and roads; issue patents and copyrights; set the standard for weights and measures (Standardized System anyone?); and establish lower courts (under the Supreme court). Yet another one of Congress' more important powers is the ability to oversee and investigate The Executive Branch through the system of Checks and Balances. [b]->The House of Representatives:[/b] The House of Representatives, consisting of 435 members, is basically the lawmakers of the country. The amount of members in this part of Congress is all based on population. The higher the population the more members you have. Such as how California, with its millions and millions of people, has around 50 representatives, while puny 'lil Oklahoma has around 5 representatives. This part of Congress is designed to be fair to the bigger states, and the smaller states often have very little say in what goes on in here. [b]->The Senate:[/b] The Senate is basically the backbone of the country. With the members of the Senate being slightly older (due to age requirements) it is a bit more serious, yet less formal due to the fact that it has much fewer members (100). The member count of the Senate is designed to be fair to all states, even the smaller ones. Which is why each state receives the same number of senators, two. With its leader being the Vice President, it can get a bit more done than the House of Representatives can. [b]->How Congress makes laws:[/b] Starting off, a congressman forms a bill and submits it. It is then sent to the correct committee (group of Congressman who work with specific problems, examples: education committee, transportation committee, etc) and then waits in line for the committee to review it. Once the bill is reviewed, the committee has the choice to either scrap it or send it on to either the Senate or House of Representatives (Depending on where it started out at) if there are enough congressman there to vote, the bill will go ahead and be read, otherwise there is a quorum call is made (they call in every member of Congress). Once the bill has been read a vote is taken. If the bill is passed it is then sent to the opposite side of the Capital (either The House or The Senate depending on where it started from) and a vote is then taken there, this is known as the bills second reading.. If the bill is once again accepted it is then sent to the President. The President has the option to either amend the bill or veto it. If the bill is vetoed it can be overruled by a 2/3rds vote by the House of Representatives, otherwise if amended, it becomes a law. Please consider though that thanks to the Checks and Balances system the Supreme Court can still go and say the bill is unconstitutional (goes against the "American ways") and boom its gone. Simple diagram for people who don't want to read the above hunk of text: Bill is sent in by a congressman --> Reviewed by a committee --> If accepted it is sent in for its First Reading --> Second Reading if accepted again --> Its then sent to the president --> He can amend or veto it --> If amended it becomes a law, otherwise its either scrapped or congress receives a 2/3rds majority vote. [b]The Executive Branch:[/b] The Executive Branch, in which the President resides, is often one of the smaller, yet more powerful and known about branches there are. This branch consists of the President, the Vice President, the Cabinet, and Presidential Staff. Through the executive branch the President is the Head of State and Head of Government and has the power to: offer diplomatic recognition; issue rules, regulations, and instructions; preparing the US Budget (Congress must approve of though); call into federal service the state units of the National Gaurd; retains the sole right to authorize the use of nuclear weapons; veto bills; appoint Supreme Court Judges, ambassadors, ministers, and consuls (Requires Senate Confirmation); and pardon people who have committed crimes. [b]The Supreme Court:[/b] --Adding in later-- [b]Third Parties:[/b] Ahh, third parties.. the main reason why the U.S. Goverment is so corrupt. Why you ask?Lobbyists.. the demon spawn from hell itself. They are out to raise money and get support for their third party and god damnit they're gonna get it. Third parties are basically support groups for people who think the government should be ran a certain way. Take the Tea Party for example. The overconservative people who think rock music is the devil and all America needs to do is put churches everywhere and kill the muslims and everything will be alright. Thank god no one can vote for them! As stated earlier third parties are merely support groups hoping to convince one of the two major parties (Republican or Democrat) to do things a little bit their way, and they'll stop at nothing to get it. [b]->Lobbyists:[/b] Lobbyists. The people who basically run the show around America. They go around helping third parties, companies, and organizations get what they need out of the Government. They are experts and finding loopholes and bribing high prioraty officials into getting what they want. Take Jack Abramoff (Check references for a detailed documentary on this guy) for example. Believed to be the most cunning lobbyists ever, hes been at meetings with the president, bribed multiple officials into getting what he wanted, scamming Native American Casinos, and helping factories in American territory do basically what third-world contries do: make people work long hours for very little pay (2$ or less per hour), and all to get what he wants most - money. Yet, after all this, he manages to only get [b]5 years[/b] in prison. And even worse, he still has every single cent left from what he did due to having multiple bank accounts spread out across countries. This guy is the worst of 'em all, and yet hes only one guy. Just think of the hundreds of other lobbyists out there, and the manipulation and damage they could be doing to the country. Forgive me if I made some stupid spelling mistake or something, this is my first big thread so yeah... This was all hand written, most of it by memory but still a fair bit of it was found using whats described in the References list at the top. Thanks for reading. Hopefully you Brits can learn something, if you havn't already. [highlight]However much you guys may think it is this is not meant to be one of those stupid conspiracy threads. I made this as a general knowledge thread. The part about lobbyists is nothing but fact.[/highlight]

Nice work.

A+ thread.

It's funny because if you're American, you probably care even less than people who aren't American.

No, a secret society of elite individuals called the Free Masons framed the Constitution and America so that they can control us all and brainwash us! I know what I'm talking about; I watched Loose Change. :smug:

[b]The United States Government is not a government by the people, for the people, from the people.[/b] [b]It is a government in where representatives elected from the people and it is a government that acts on the interests of a controlling party.[/b] Anyone who disagrees is a stupid populist.

Obama. And stuff.

It's all a conspiracy maaaaaan....

You should mention about the Senate and unlimited debate versus House and the limited debate and talk about cloture. Just sayin.

[QUOTE=Funcoot;26576003]You should mention about the Senate and unlimited debate versus House and the limited debate and talk about cloture. Just sayin.[/QUOTE] I'll add it once I add in the Judicial Branch. Thanks for the tip.

I went to school to learn this stuff. I don't need a review.

[QUOTE=SPESSMEHREN;26575879]No, the secret soceity of Free Masons framed the Constitution and America so that they can control us all and brainwash us! I know what I'm talking about; I watched Loose Change. :smug:[/QUOTE] I watched National Treasure. Nicky Cage is the only one I trust with my civic and economic learnings.

inb4 conspiracy :tinfoil: EDIT: :ninja:

needs more pictures

[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;26575899][b]The United States Government is not a government by the people, for the people, from the people.[/b] [b]It is a government in where representatives elected from the people and it is a government that acts on the interests of a controlling party.[/b] Anyone who disagrees is a stupid populist.[/QUOTE] Agreed x1000

[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;26575899][b]The United States Government is not a government by the people, for the people, from the people.[/b] [b]It is a government in where representatives elected from the people and it is a government that acts on the interests of a controlling party.[/b] Anyone who disagrees is a stupid populist.[/QUOTE] And that supposed controlling party is?

[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;26575899][B]The United States Government is not a government by the people, for the people, from the people.[/B] [B]It is a government in where representatives elected from the people and it is a government that acts on the interests of a controlling party.[/B] Anyone who disagrees is a stupid populist.[/QUOTE] To continue this state. The United States is based on a one party system where people just think its based of 2 seperate parties. You have Democrats and Republicans. If one falls the other one will surely catch it. Meaning that these 2 parties are being controlled by the in both the freemasons's and by the Builderberg Group. Correcting myself it is being controlled by the all seeing eye which are a group of individuals who wants a New World Order. Is that clear enough without the crazy talk?

STOP WITH THESE POLITIC THREADS!!! God. We need a section for this now.

[QUOTE=Copy_Cat;26576325]To continue this state. The United States is based on a one party system where people just think its based of 2 seperate parties. You have Democrats and Republicans. If one falls the other one will surely catch it. Meaning that these 2 parties are being controlled by the in both the freemasons's and by the Builderberg Group.[/QUOTE] If the united states was a one party system, we would have been a lot more successful than we are now. The second statement is just what I expected to come from you, and I will not dignify incoherence with coherence. [QUOTE=TheSpy;26576353]STOP WITH THESE POLITIC THREADS!!! God. We need a section for this now.[/QUOTE] This is a good idea.

[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;26575899] Anyone who disagrees is a stupid populist.[/QUOTE] Well, I certainly can't argue with that logic

Thanks, but you know the idiots are just going to say something stupid right?

[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;26575899][b]The United States Government is not a government by the people, for the people, from the people.[/b] [b]It is a government in where representatives elected from the people and it is a government that acts on the interests of a controlling party.[/b] Anyone who disagrees is a stupid populist.[/QUOTE] Definitely this.

[QUOTE=ExplodingGuy;26576356]If the united states was a one party system, we would have been a lot more successful than we are now. The second statement is just what I expected to come from you, and I will not dignify incoherence with coherence. This is a good idea.[/QUOTE] Having a single party means that no other parties exist. That's what we would call a dictatorship/authoritarian state.

[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;26575899][b]The United States Government is not a government by the people, for the people, from the people.[/b][/QUOTE] Yeah so in that moment its like propaganda used to brainwash the masses of the people right. For the people, by the people, and from the people right?

[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;26576428]Having a single party means that no other parties exist. That's what we would call a dictatorship/authoritarian state.[/QUOTE] I would have never known this! I am now an enlightened individual, I can see forever!

Founding Fathers would probably cry if they saw the US's current political state.

I agree with some of the above posters that we need a goddamn section for political threads. I'm tired of seeing these things in GD.

[QUOTE=Copy_Cat;26576445]Yeah so in that moment its like propaganda used to brainwash the masses of the people right. For the people, by the people, and from the people right?[/QUOTE] People do not become brainwashed, it's just the media dumbs everybody down.

[QUOTE=Psychokitten;26575858]It's funny because if you're American, you probably care even less than people who aren't American.[/QUOTE] I actually care alot about civics, mainly because it is very complex and built against the possibility of a monarchy/dictatorship. It is actually a very cool system of checks and balances.

[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;26576479]People do not become brainwashed, it's just the media dumbs everybody down.[/QUOTE] So, the methods you supposedly proclaim that are supposed to have freedom, are just tools in some huge plan to control the masses. Or, coherently, our freedoms are being restricted by our freedoms?