Question

How "democratic" is the U.S. democracy? What is "limited government" and how are the various levels of government in the U.S. limited? How is power "decentralized" in the U.S. political system? What is "credit claim"? How does "image" factor into politics? What do these concepts tell us about the state and health of our democracy?

Answer 1

• The U.S. is not a democracy; it is a constitutional republic that practices democratic approaches to government. The checks and balances between the elected representatives of the people (Congress) the Presidency, and the Judiciary insure that the will of the majority of the citizens of the country is carried forward.
• A limited government is a system in which the primary leaders have very little governing powers over the decisions and laws that are created without approval from other branches or leaders within the government. In other words, a limited government is one whose legalized force and power is restricted through delegated and enumerated authorities.
• The federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, executive, and judicial, whose powers are vested by the U.S. Constitution in the Congress, the president, and the federal courts, respectively.
• When an elected official tries to assume the credit for some government success that may be termed as Credit Claim. A politician who gets a major bridge built in his own district might name the bridge after him.
• The Image of a leader plays a crucial role in election. In fact an image of a leader determines how popular he is and how this popularity can be converted into votes. A leader with clean and transparent image, having no criminal records is more popular among people and has the potential to win the election.