nat 5 modern studies (the usa)

• Executive Branch


  • The President and the Cabinet make up the Executive. The President is Head of State, representing the USA abroad and meeting with world leaders. The President also passes laws, proposes laws and nominates judges to the Supreme Court.
• Legislative Branch


  • This includes the Senate and House of Representatives, and their role is to make and pass laws, ratify foreign treaties, and scrutinise the work of the executive through Congressional Committees.
• Judicial Branch


  • It is the highest court in the land and decides whether or not new laws or Presidential actions are in keeping with the constitution. Its decisions are meant to be followed by every other court in the USA.
• Power of pardon


  The President can pardon, or forgive, somebody for a crime or excuse/suspend their sentence. The president can issue a full pardon, reversing a criminal conviction as if it never happened.
• Power of appointment


  This refers to the power the President has to appoint key officials in all executive departments (including the Cabinet) who will help to run the country.
• Executive order


  A direct instruction from the President which bypasses Congress. Executive Orders effectively allow the president to make 'laws' without Congressional approval.
• Stand as a candidate

  People in the USA have many opportunities to put themselves forward be elected to a position of power in US society. There are many roles that Americans can stand for such as Senator to President.
• Protest


  As a democracy, the US frequently sees large numbers of protesters on the streets as Americans express their opinion on matters that are important to them and try to influence decision makers to change things.
• Join a pressure group

  A pressure group is a group of people who seek to influence politicians and public policy on the basis of a shared common goal.
• Role models


  • Certain groups have numerous examples of people in elected positions who look like them and share some of their experiences, giving them more confidence that their own views will be represented and feel that they themselves will ultimately be more successful in politics.
• Higher income


  • In order to run for elected office, you need to have large financial backing at your disposal in order to compete against other candidates and have a successful campaign.
• Better education


  • People with high educational attainment have a greater understanding of how the political system works and of political issues in general, while they also have greater awareness of the means through which they can participate effectively.
• Lack of role models

  • Certain groups have few examples of people in elected positions who look like them and share some of their experiences, giving them less confidence that their own views will be represented and feel that they themselves will ultimately be less successful in politics.
• Lower Income


  • People with lower incomes often feel apathy towards politics and excluded from the whole process. They struggle to connect with wealthy candidates who they feel do not represent them nor care about their needs. People on lower incomes are also much more likely to be constrained from voting by transport, illness or other issues compared to those on higher incomes.
• Language barriers


  • Some people, especially Hispanic/Latino voters, may find it difficult to understand politics in a primarily English-speaking country if they have limited grasp of the language. They are therefore less likely to participate because they may be unsure of how to register to vote or how to generally engage with political debate.
• Prejudice


  • Ethnic minorities face discrimination and prejudice from White voters, the largest ethnic group, who are reluctant to vote for them. This prejudice may be a consequence of exposure to harmful stereotypes about ethnic minorities peddled through racist media portrayals and discriminatory Government policies that have led to mass incarceration of such minority groups.
• Felony disenfranchisement


  • Individuals from an ethnic minority background who have been imprisoned can have their voting rights stripped away from them in some states even on their release. This stops such individuals from voting for candidates like themselves and even from standing as a candidate, causing these groups to be under-represented.
• Less likely to participate in politics

  • Ethnic minorities are less likely to participate in politics as a result of issues such as a lack of role models, meaning that because ethnic minorities have few examples of people in elected positions who look like them and share some of their experiences, they feel that they will ultimately be less successful in politics. Consequently, fewer individuals from an ethnic minority background run for office.
• World's reserve currency


  The USA is the world's reserve currency and a founding member of the World Bank. This means that how well the USA is doing - and how strong the dollar is - is going to affect trade deals all around the world! Therefore, if the US economy experiences a recession, then this will affect the rest of the world economies.
• Job reliance


  Many countries rely on American businesses to bring jobs. This means multi-million/billion-dollar companies set up offices and factories in other countries that give people somewhere to work, thus stimulating the economy in these countries.
• Tourism boost


  Many Americans travel to other countries and boost their tourism industry. This means that Americans travel to visit other countries to soak up their culture and visit famous landmarks, where they spend their money on local products and services.
• The USA has an economic influence over other countries because many countries rely on American businesses to bring jobs
• More than 65 countries around the world set their currency based on the US dollar
• World's Reserve Currency


  Currency that many countries base their own currency on
• If an American company such as Apple were to go bust, this would hurt Scotland's economy as people would lose their jobs
• Over 90,000 jobs in Scotland are based in American companies, while former President Trump has built two golf courses in Scotland – creating jobs and investing in the country
• Job Reliance


  Countries rely on American businesses to bring jobs
• In 2019, more than 630,000 American tourists came to visit Scotland, spending £717 million
• Boost to Tourism

  Americans travel to other countries and boost their tourism industry
• The US is politically influential because it is often the leader in key alliances such as the UN, NATO and the G7
• The US often gives the most funding to these organisations which means many countries will pay attention to what the US wants and will try to follow it to stay in its good books
• Many countries around the world have signed up to global deals to stop climate change after seeing the USA do it such as in Glasgow at COP26
• Leader of Key Alliances


  The US is the leader in major global alliances
• The US is politically influential because it is the world's leading democracy
• Over centuries it has helped other countries become democracies and has acted like the leader of these countries on the world stage by coordinating how they (the "free world") respond to world events such as supporting or punishing other countries around the world
• Such democracies feel indebted to the US and want to be seen as sharing their values by following their lead
• The US has co-ordinated other countries to punish Russia for the war in Ukraine even when it has hurt the economies of those countries (eg Germany)
• World's Leading Democracy


  The US is the world's leading democracy and helps other countries become democracies
• The US has the most powerful military in the world
• This means that the US navy, army, air force and even space force are so technologically advanced that other countries in the world will be both afraid to challenge the US but will also do what they can to try and show off their military to get US attention and prove to the world that they are strong too