How is political power organised in the USA?
The political system of the USA, including the separation of powers between the President, Congress and the Supreme Court, federalism, checks and balances, and how citizens participate.
An SQA Higher Modern Studies answer on the political system of the USA, covering the separation of powers between the President, Congress and the Supreme Court, the system of checks and balances, federalism, and how citizens participate in US politics.
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to describe the political system of the USA, explain the separation of powers and checks and balances, describe federalism, and explain how US citizens participate in politics. This supports -mark essays on how effectively the system limits government power.
The answer
The codified constitution and separation of powers
The three branches are:
- The President (executive) runs the federal government, commands the armed forces and conducts foreign policy.
- Congress (legislature) makes laws and controls money; it has two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate.
- The Supreme Court (judiciary) interprets the constitution and can strike down laws and actions it judges unconstitutional, a power known as judicial review.
Checks and balances
Federalism
This differs from UK devolution because the states' powers are constitutionally guaranteed and cannot simply be removed by the central government.
How citizens participate
Examples in context
Checks and balances are visible whenever Congress and the White House are controlled by different parties: a President's budget can be blocked, leading to government shutdowns, while the President may respond with executive orders that bypass Congress. The Supreme Court's power of judicial review lets it strike down major laws or actions, shaping policy on issues from health care to abortion, which is why presidential appointments to the Court are fiercely contested. Federalism means states can pursue their own laws on areas such as gun control or drugs. These examples let a Higher answer evaluate how far the system really limits and disperses power.
Try this
Q1. Describe two ways the branches of the US government check each other. [4 marks]
- Cue. The President can veto laws, Congress can override a veto and impeach the President, and the Supreme Court can rule actions unconstitutional.
Q2. Explain how power is divided in the political system of the USA. [8 marks]
- Cue. Separation of powers between three branches with checks and balances, plus federalism dividing power between the federal government and the states.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher 201920 marksEvaluate the effectiveness of the political system of a world power you have studied in limiting the power of government.Show worked answer →
A -mark essay on the USA: up to marks for knowledge and understanding and up to for analysis, evaluation and a sustained conclusion.
KU marks come from accurate detail on the codified constitution, the separation of powers between the President, Congress and the Supreme Court, the checks and balances (veto, veto override, impeachment, judicial review), and federalism.
Analysis and evaluation marks come from judging how effectively these limit government: gridlock can block a President, but a President can also use executive orders and a sympathetic Supreme Court majority. A sustained judgement on effectiveness is the discriminator.
SQA Higher 202112 marksAnalyse the system of checks and balances in the political system of a world power you have studied.Show worked answer →
A -mark analysis question on the USA, roughly half KU and half analysis. Markers reward developed explanation of how each check works and why it matters.
KU should cover the President's veto, Congress overriding a veto with a two-thirds vote, congressional control of the budget and power to impeach, and the Supreme Court's power of judicial review to strike down unconstitutional laws or actions.
Analysis marks come from explaining how these checks restrain each branch in practice, and weighing their strength against limits such as executive orders. A clear judgement is the discriminator.
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Sources & how we know this
- SQA Higher Modern Studies Course Specification — SQA (2018)