Chapter8 Government and Society
》》Key Words
■federal government
■Congress
■the Republican Party
■the Democratic Party
■the legislative branch
■the executive branch
■the judicial branch
■the Cabinet
■state government
■local government
■family
■affirmative action
■reverse discrimination
■Social Security Act
■Medicare
■Welfare programs
■unemployment compensation
The American government is a constitutional democracy organized on the principles of federalism，separation of powers，and the rule of law.The federal（national）government and state governments both ultimately derive their powers from the U.S.Constitution.The federal government possesses the powers specifically delegated to it by the Constitution，while the state governments hold all of the other powers.The federal and state governments are both granted supreme powers within their proper sphere of authority.The federal government can interfere in some affairs of the state government to a limited degree，but in some other affaires almost unlimited，such as the following cases：the U.S.Supreme Court can reverse any state law or action that it finds to be unconstitutional，and the President can use all constitutional means including force of arms to implement such a decision，as was done in the case of school desegregation.Local governments are created by state governments.
The American society is an immigrant society which is composed of various ethnic groups from all over the world.People from many ethnic origins demonstrate strong loyalty to the country as a whole;however，many also try to preserve their traditional cultures and religions in their daily life.Poverty still exists despite the country’s overall wealth，so the government has established social welfare programs to provide assistance for people in need of help.