Tan Kin Lian's Blog: The Political System in America

Thursday, January 28, 2010

The Political System in America

The American political system has its strengths - the elected leaders represent the will of the people and spend their full time in communicating with their voters and considering legislation and policies that govern the future of their country.

It has several weaknesses, that are outline by President Obama in his State of the Union address to Congress on 27 January 2010. These weaknesses are:

- gridlock, i.e. inability to govern effectively due to the separation of powers and difficulty in getting tough decisions to be taken
- power of the lobbyist in influencing the decisions by the members of Congress
- elected leaders spend too much time worrying about getting re-elected, rather than in governing

I hope that with the right leadership, these issues can be addressed and that the system can be made to operate more efficiently. It is better than an autocratic system that is adopted in many other countries. All the best to America in overcoming these challenges and setting a good example to other countries.

Tan Kin Lian

7 comments:

Anonymous said...: Looks like the China is having the opposite. Their leaders are not elected but their are able to make tough decision quickly, no known that lobbyists can influence decision making, leaders can spend much of their time governing the country.

Based on a survey, less than 50% of the Americans trust their (elected) leaders while most of the Chinese trust their (non-elected) leaders.

For the China political system, if the leaders are of poor quality or only take care of their own interest, there is no way people can vote them out. Hence, the problem can prolong for very long time and the country will be weaken. People may have to use force to overthrow the leaders, but this often lead to lost of lives.

CCL; January 28, 2010 4:22 PM
Anonymous said...: As a Singaporean, it took me close to 20 years before I began to understand and appreciate the American political system.

- American democracy is messy and inefficient.
- Americans accept this because they believe the messiness and inefficiency protects them from tyranny
- in general, most western democracies accept the messiness of an active democracy
- in fact, they associate an efficient government with fascism. Many have lost fathers fighting the monolithic, efficient state of Nazi Germany in World War 2.

- the depth and breadth of talent in America is breath-taking
- the result of free people pursuing life, liberty and happiness as guaranteed by their constitution.
- How many of us knew about Barrack Obama before he became president?
- If Barrack Obama falls, there is little doubt, another equally talented leader will take his place.

- Americans use the phrase "running for public office"
- Englishmen use the phrase "standing for public office"
- some Singaporeans use the phrase "waiting to be nominated for public office" (nominated MPs)
- the American system is as vigorous as their language

Here are some of the quotes from Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of USA. If I didn't tell you that, you'd think he was an opposition MP.

Source:
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quotes_by/thomas+jefferson

"Why suspend the habeas corpus in insurrections and rebellions? Examine the history of England. See how few of the cases of the suspension of the habeas corpus law have been worthy of that suspension. They have been either real treasons, wherein the parties might as well have been charged at once, or sham plots, where it was shameful they should ever have been suspected. Yet for the few cases wherein the suspension of the habeas corpus has done real good, that operation is now become habitual and the minds of the nation almost prepared to live under its constant suspension."

"When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public property."

"The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, but better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then."

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."

"I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion."; January 28, 2010 8:51 PM
Anonymous said...: Regarding Anonymous 4.22pm

"Based on a survey, less than 50% of the Americans trust their (elected) leaders..."

Americans are 100% loyal to their flag and their constitution.

They are not 100% loyal to their leaders

To the American mind;
Barrack Obama does not equal USA

- so a Singaporean can criticize Barrack Obama, and you would likely find a sizeable minority of Americans agreeing with you
- but I would not vouch for your safety if you burn and stamp on the American flag in USA today

Americans do not consider it an act of dis-loyalty to question and criticize Barrack Obama
- they consider it their right and duty in defense of the liberty that America (the country) stands for
- The country is greater than any one single man or leader; January 28, 2010 9:02 PM
Anonymous said...: Maybe to see how much changes a country has progress in terms of creativity and open mindedness, take a look at the tv drama they produce.

Malaysia: No much different when I was young. Plain and Boring.

Singapore: Good progress but still same story line and boring.

Korea: Very good product.

US: Very, very good writers who are able to always make the story interesting. Maybe their capitalist system yield the best to maintain the title "Entertainment centre of the world"

My point. As long as you suppress the mind in a political box in the hope they continue to vote for you and using the reason that liberal thinking is bad for you, please don't blame why there is not enough Singaporeans taking risk and venturing out....; January 29, 2010 8:59 AM
Anonymous said...: What about the system in India. India is democratic, but it's peoples are still subjected to tyranny. Indian people are largely unable to make use of the democratic institutions to improve their lives.; January 29, 2010 12:46 PM
Anonymous said...: how about Singapore political system?

does the system provide fair opportunity and can really capture people true aspirations?; January 29, 2010 10:50 PM
Vincent Sear said...: Actually, I find it illogical that Singapore didn't switch to the American Presidential system (as had Philippines and Indonesia) after independence.

The British Parliamentary system is based on having a monarch as head of state. So, this system is naturally used by Japan, Thailand, Malaysia who have monarchs, and by Canada, Australia, NZ etc. who retained the British monarch as their head of state even after independence.

As Singapore uses the British system, a head of state in place of the monarch has to be invented and installed, ending up neither here nor there with its fair share of controversies and confusions.; January 30, 2010 9:09 AM