Research Paper 1
Elizabeth Conditt
Helms School of Government, Liberty University
GOVT 327 State and Local Government
Professor Heather Piedmont
November 8, 2021
Introduction
The American governmental system is infamously known for being extremely complex
and riddled with a wide array of intricate systems and processes. In an effort to form a better
understanding of the state and local levels of America’s government, it is worth assessing the
country’s balance of power as well its structure of the federal system. To accomplish this, this
essay will be identifying where the power originates, describing the structure of the federal
government, explaining the dissolvement of power, and presenting an argument for the proper
role of government.
Where Does Power Come From?
To better understand America’s complex federal system it is important to determine
exactly where power comes from. America’s Founding Fathers crafted this country with the
intention of the power originating from the people. The Declaration of Independence explicitly
states that when it comes to protecting the unalienable rights of the people, “Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” (U.S.
Declaration of Independence, Paragraph 2, 1776). This statement clearly explains and identifies
that the origin of power in America’s federal system comes from its people. The people of
America are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness which are assigned to them from
their creator. They also hold the power to consent to be governed through the election process. In
other words, the power of the American federal system originates from the consent of the
governed also known as the people.
Structure of the Government
Next, the structure of America’s federal government must be examined to better
understand America’s federal system. America’s federal government is made up of three
branches. These branches include the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial
branch. Each branch has specific duties to help governmental machine function and they each
act as a check to balance the power in the government. The United States Congress makes up the
legislative branch and consists of two chambers which are the Senate and the House of
Representatives. The legislative branch is responsible for writing, debating, and passing bills for
the President to sign to become law (The Three Branches of Government, 2017).
The executive branch is comprised of the President, the Vice President, and the Executive Office
of the President. The main role of the executive branch is to implement policy and “handle the
business of the government, including the enforcement of federal laws” (The Three Branches of
Government, 2017). The judicial branch is America’s federal court system. The United States
Supreme Court is the “highest court in the United States” (The Three Branches of Government,
2017). The judicial branch is responsible for interpreting the United States Constitution to
determine the constitutionality of laws.
Dissolvement of Power
Next, the dissolvement of power must be explained to better understand America’s
federal system. Because of the ideas that encompass Federalism, the federal and state
governments both have sovereignty. However, the Constitution gives the federal government
more power over the state government. Due the laws in the Constitution are the laws of the land
they have the power to override state laws. The Tenth Amendment grants reserved powers. It
reserves the powers that are not utilized by the federal government per the Constitution or
forbidden by the Constitution to the states (U.S. Constitution, 1787). This helps with answering
the question of whether or not the federal government is exceeding it enumerated powers.
The framers dissolved the power of the states because at the time state were operating on
their own accord and there was nothing the federal government could do to efficiently run the
states as a united front. This is why the founders felt it was necessary to dissolve the states’
power and build a slightly more powerful federal government.
Proper Role of Government
The proper role of government is to protect the people’s unalienable rights. One article
states that “the proper role of government includes such defensive activities, as maintaining
national military and local police forces for protection against loss of life, loss of property, and
loss of liberty at the hands of either foreign despots or domestic criminals” (Benson, 2021). It is
extremely important for the government to govern with the people’s rights in mind. An example
of the government trying to protect the people’s rights is through the judicial system. The
judicial branch of government interprets the Constitution in an effort to ensure that the rights of
the people are not infringed upon by any piece of legislation.
References
Benson, E.T. (2021). The Proper Role of Government. Madison Liberty Institute. Retrieved from
https://madisonliberty.org/the-proper-role-of-government/
The Three Branches of Government.(Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branches).
(2017). The New York Times Upfront, 149(7), T19.
U.S. Constitution. (1787). https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
U.S. Declaration of Independence. (1776). https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-
transcript
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