A Chapter-by-Chapter Synopsis The American Anomaly A Chapter-by-Chapter Synopsis

Nation, State, and Regime (Chapter 1) U.S. Characteristics Comparative View The U.S. is a relatively new nation and state, but has a strong sense of national identity.  The regime is defined by the Constitution, which is nearly as old as the state itself. Many countries are rooted in ethnic identities that greatly predate their modern states; others are more modern creations like the U.S.  Most states have experienced several changes in regime.

Constitution (Chapter 2) U.S. Characteristics Comparative View The U.S. Constitution is the oldest and longest continuously functioning such document, although quite brief and even vague. Most constitutions are much longer and more detailed, are significantly changed or replaced more often, and enumerate social as well as political rights.

Federalism (Chapter 3) U.S. Characteristics Comparative View The United States first introduced the idea of federalism, and both national and state governments have distinctive constitutional status and play active roles. A number of large and/or diverse countries practice federalism, but about 7/8 of countries overall are “unitary” states with nearly all political power concentrated in the national capital.

Separation of Powers (Chapter 4) U.S. Characteristics Comparative View The United States has a robust system of separation of powers with effective checks and balances among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, each of which is largely autonomous of the others. Parliamentary systems have no separation between legislative and executive authority. Many other countries with separation of powers, as in Latin America and Africa, tend to be strongly dominated by the executive.

The Executive Branch (Chapter 5) U.S. Characteristics Comparative View The U.S. president is both the country’s ceremonial head of state and hands-on head of government. Due to separation of powers, the president does not answer to Congress and can exercise significant powers unilaterally. The U.S. bureaucracy is comparatively small and dispersed among the national, state, and city levels. Parliamentary systems have purely ceremonial heads of states, while prime ministers act as head of government as long as they control a parliamentary majority. Nondemocratic countries also tend to have very strong executives. Many developed countries have large, centralized bureaucracies that form a national elite.

The Legislative Branch (Chapter 6) U.S. Characteristics Comparative View The upper and lower houses of the U.S. Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives, have equal authority. Congress has a great deal of power, but this power is widely dispersed due to relatively weak parties, independent-minded members, and strong committees. Most parliamentary systems have very strong lower houses but much weaker upper houses that mostly review and revise rather than initiate laws. Parliaments tend to be heavily dominated by the prime ministers they elect. In nondemocratic countries, legislatures usually play a consultative rather than governing role.

The Judicial Branch (Chapter 7) U.S. Characteristics Comparative View The courts in the United States are an independent, coequal branch with the power of judicial review to strike down laws and executive acts as unconstitutional. Judges play an active role in the governing process. Most court systems are more limited in their scope, dealing more with the case before them than with issuing broad legal rulings. Some countries have constitutional courts with judicial review, although few in practice can easily override executive or legislative acts.

Political Participation (Chapter 8) U.S. Characteristics Comparative View Since the Civil War, the United States has only rarely experienced political violence. Political protest has been more important, especially since the 1950s, although it is only rarely violent. Interest groups flourish, although they are not usually organized along lines of class. Many countries experience great political violence, with challengers seeking to overthrow the government or form a breakaway state. Political protest, both violent and nonviolent, is also common.

Voting and Elections (Chapter 9) U.S. Characteristics Comparative View The United States uses a single-member plurality system in which each elected office has its own election with a single winner: whoever gets the most votes. Most countries use some form of proportional representation (PR), in which each election produces several winners from multiple parties based on percentage of the vote won.

Political Parties (Chapter 10) U.S. Characteristics Comparative View The United States has a stable, long-term two-party system, with the two parties agreeing on many fundamental political, economic, and social questions. The two major parties are decentralized and relatively weak, unable to easily control their members. Largely because of PR, most countries have multiple political parties that win votes and elect officials to office. These parties often have means to control their members and are more powerful than most interest groups, with the possible exception of organized labor.

Public Opinion and Political Values (Chapter 11) U.S. Characteristics Comparative View The United States has a long history of valuing self-reliance and personal independence, resulting in a comparatively low regard for big government. Americans are also more religious and patriotic than citizens in other developed countries. Citizens of most developed countries tend to hold more liberal views on issues relating to religion and morality, are generally less nationalistic, and are more in favor of activist government. Views in some developing counties are closer to the United States in these areas.

Domestic Policy (Chapter 12) U.S. Characteristics Comparative View The United States has a strong tradition of civil liberties, particularly freedom of expression and religion and due process guaranteed under the law. In more recent decades, there has also been greater attention paid to civil rights, and the development of a social welfare system. Most democracies also protect individual civil liberties, though attitudes vary widely towards group-based rights (i.e., civil rights). In comparison with the United States, nearly all wealthy democracies play a much greater regulatory role in the economy and provide much more of a social safety net.

Foreign Policy (Chapter 13) U.S. Characteristics Comparative View After a century of relative isolationism, the United States emerged as a global power in the 20th century. Although the actual mechanics of foreign policymaking is similar to that in most other countries, the unique role of the U.S.in the world provides it with a distinctive foreign policy. The realist perspective on international relations focuses on the role of power in world politics, which can help to explain the prominence of U.S. foreign policy. The idealist perspective directs attention to the values of any given state, helping to explain why the U.S. has so prominently promoted democracy and capitalism in the world.