Government Structure of the United States
Executive Branch
The United States system of governance comprises the Federal Government system and State and Local Governments. The Federal Government is divided into three arms: executive, legislative, and judicial. The executive branch is headed by the President of the United States (POTUS), the head of state, and the armed forces commander-in-chief. The President is supported by his administration to implement and enforce the laws enacted by Congress.
Legislative Branch
Article I of the Constitution inaugurates the legislative branch and comprises the Congress, which is a creation of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Bond et al. (2023) state that the House of Representatives has 435 elected individuals. The members are divided among the 50 states based on the population, while the Senate has 100 members, two for each state (Bond et al., 2023). Congress is the only body sanctioned by the Constitution to develop laws and declare war. It is endowed with substantial investigative powers and can confirm or reject any person appointed by the President from holding an office.
Judicial Branch
The last arm of the U.S. government is the judicial branch, whose members are nominated by the President and approved by the Senate. The judicial branch is established under Article III of the Constitution, and Congress can define the shape and form of the federal judiciary system (Bond et al., 2023). The U.S. Government also has numerous Federal agencies and commissions that handle different functions needed to enhance the overall well-being of the American people.
The State and Local Governments are a creation of the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The subordinate governments handle and deal with functions outside those granted to the Federal Government. The State Governments have a similar structure to the Federal Government, with three arms of government for every state. They also have written constitutions that provide detailed operations of the governments.
Government Structure of China
The National People’s Congress (NPC) is the center of state power in China and is governed by the Communist Party of China (CPC). The Chinese Constitution outlines that all power is vested in all residents of the People’s Republic of China. However, the overall governance of China falls under the CPC, and leadership is grounded on the principles set by Mao Zedong and Marxism-Leninism.
The Communist Party of China
The NPC has begun to exercise more control over the legislative and policy agenda per its constitutional mandate. The NPC controls China’s legislative and policy agenda based on the provisions set out in the Constitution. Maizland and Albert (2022) state that the body comprises 3,000 members who serve for a term not exceeding five years. People’s congresses at the provincial levels and the Liberation Army elect the delegates required to assemble ahead of any NPC session to define the agenda.
The NPC does not meet regularly and has delegated some powers to an established permanent body called the Standing Committee. The committee is empowered to enact and amend, except those the NPC must pass. The body, whose members are elected by the NPC, presides over sessions of the NPC and defines the agenda of any meeting, nominates people to offices, and directs legislation. The NPC’s functioning is supported by six other permanent committees comprising finance, law, minorities, overseas Chinese, foreign affairs, education, science, culture, and health. The Standing Committee also has a smaller circle led by the chair of the Standing Committee.
Courts and Law Enforcement
Other essential bodies in the Chinese governance structure include the state Central Military Commission, which controls the armed forces. The country has a four-level court system that the Supreme People’s Court heads. Still, the court system is weak, given that the NPC and its Standing Committee have the supreme mandate of interpreting the law and implementing the Constitution. The Supreme People’s Procuratorate is a watchdog body with prosecutorial powers (Maizland & Albert, 2022). The State Council implements the war through bureaucratic systems and has an administrative structure comprising ministries and other levels of governance.
Citizen Engagement in American Politics
Americans enjoy greater civic engagement as the citizens are free to join specific groups, such as Greenpeace or Amnesty International, which are significant and have thousands of members. However, according to Krutz and Waskiewicz (2021, ch. 1), engagement is declining as people do not find the time to engage amongst themselves. Civic engagement can be enhanced by being updated on recent developments through news propagated by newspapers, the internet, and broadcast networks. Writing letters and emails can improve engagement by voicing complaints and reacting to public opinion polls. Blogs and social media are additional channels for engagement.
In addition, citizens can engage by exercising their right to vote. The U.S. has enacted measures to ensure that every eligible citizen votes. American citizens who have attained age 18 and above have an express right to vote notwithstanding their sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, sex, or disability. The country’s Constitution requires that federal elections be held after every two years.
The stipulated date is expected to be the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November (Krutz & Waskiewicz, 2021, ch. 1). The individual votes are necessary as citizens determine who occupies crucial offices in all other levels, including mayors, city council members, state legislators, members of Congress, and governors. Part of the voting process extends to making monetary donations to political campaigns, attending political rallies, and signing petitions (political activism).
Citizen Engagement in Chinese Politics
The Chinese people do not enjoy greater engagement than Americans. They have to toil to influence national policy, and activism is not encouraged in the country. Voting is not an integral right in China, given that the highest-ranking members of the CCP are appointed into office. Hong (2022 argues that the involvement of the citizens matters in lower levels where they elect deputies to represent them at the lowest levels of people’s congresses; in towns and provinces.
The deputies vote for their seniors in higher levels of leadership, including the NPC. All citizens have the right to stand for election at the local level, subject to approval by the CCP (Maizland & Albert, 2022). Even though independent candidates can run for office, they are often intimidated and rarely voted for. The citizens can also give their opinions at the lower levels, but the official channels are limited to fundamental issues, such as land development, environmental regulations, and law enforcement. The CCP can consider their opinions, but the ideas do not cover more sensitive issues that could undermine the party’s authority.
Nonetheless, they are factors that enhance the participation of Chinese people in lobbying the government. A prevalent factor that facilitates citizen engagement is public hearings and consultative meetings. Hong (2022) indicates that the public can participate by commenting on local budgets and policies, environmental issues, and construction projects. The citizens can sue the government, and Hong (2022) indicates that the number of cases has increased in the past three decades, even as the judicial system often favors the government.
The citizens request information from all government agencies regarding sensitive topics, such as education and land development regulations. The report helps to guide activist activities on critical matters involving government surveillance and gender discrimination, among others. However, some of the approaches may not be effective due to low response rates, low public awareness, and skeptical sentiments about the quality of information that is provided.
Comparing American Politics to Chinese Politics
American politics is characterized by democratic rule, where people can choose leaders for key offices, from the presidency to local governments. There is a system of checks and balances, and powers are separated between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The Bill of Rights provides for and protects civil liberties, including freedom of expression and assembly, among others.
On the other hand, Chinese politics is primarily dominated by one party that is established on socialism (Hong, 2022). The CCP exercises significant control over the government, and the governance structure is characterized by top-down authority, where the central leadership holds substantial power over regional and local governments.
However, there has been a longstanding debate about the practical nature of American politics. According to Bond et al. (2023), the U.S. political setup reflects an elite theory of government or oligarchy. Only a few powerful economic elites greatly influence policymaking and decision-making in a democratic country.
The main factors are the power of money in politics, the influence of lobbying, and the revolving door between government and influential industries. Bond et al. (2023) also indicate that American politics is based on the pluralist theory of government. The view holds that power is more widely distributed among various interest groups, and decision-making involves bargaining and compromise. The pluralist view stands since the political system allows for diverse interests to be heard. Competing ideas and interests also shape the American governance system.
References
Bond, J. R., Smith, K. B., & Andrade, L. M. (2023). Analyzing American democracy. Taylor & Francis.
Hong, L. (2022). Political participation in China: What’s allowed under Xi? cfr. Web.
Krutz, G., & Waskiewicz, S. (2021). American Government 3e. Openstax. Web.
Maizland, L. & Albert, E. (2022). The Chinese Communist Party. cfr. Web.