Essay Sample on US Government

Filibuster

A filibuster is well known as a strategy to block a bill, resolution, or amendment by the Senate or any other way of preventing it from being passed into a final vote. The occurrence of a filibuster is dependent on the extension of a debate, where one or more senators are involved in the delay of a vote on an already placed proposal. A Filibuster can be used as a technical option for the prevention of real votes or actions from being enacted. The aim of a filibuster is the extension of debates indefinitely. For instance, in the American Government, a senator can speak indefinitely to avoid a final vote on a bill.

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The filibuster technique takes advantage of the rule that says that upon a senator's recognition, they can speak without being impeded by any other party. "Filibusters occur in the Senate, but not in the House, because only the Senate allows unlimited debate on any measure" (Fisk and Erwin 184). However, filibusters cannot be practiced at the House of Representatives since their house rules need particular time limits on debates hence, no chance for indefinite talks. The exceptions made on filibusters are the ones based on a bill under the 'budget reconciliation' federal budget. Stopping instances of filibusters is not easy for most of the politicians as it can only be ceased through the gaining of a passage of a resolution, a cloture motion that calls for senator's votes and at least three-fifths of them supporting its cessation. Most of the Americans are aware of filibusters held by Jimmy Stewart, one of which was made in the 1939 film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, where a film is played for a senator who talks for about the whole day to delay a corrupt public works bill.

Executive Branch

The executive branch is a branch of the US government that practices and enforces various laws. "The executive branch of the federal government is a complex, far-flung, and constantly evolving set of institutions and relationships" (Aberbach & Mark 531). Its power is vested in the president. Other accomplices are the vice president, the cabinet, executive departments, independent agencies, commissions, and committees. Voting is done by American Citizens, who elect the president and vice president through private ballots. Through the executive branch, the president can enforce laws written initially by the Congress. Additionally, he is also responsible for appointing the heads of federal agencies and the cabinet.

The vice president supports the government and can replace the president when he is not able to serve for four-year-terms over an infinite number of years. The cabinet as part of the executive branch serves as the advising team for the president. The team primarily encompasses the vice president, heads of executive departments, and other senior government leaders, who are nominated by the president. These parties coordinate to oversee an implementation and law enforcement for laws passed by the legislative branch. Additionally, they issue executive orders that explain better how laws are interpreted and enforced. The entire branch also conducts diplomacy with other countries, and through its leader, the president, treaties can be negotiated and signed as far as they are ratified by two-thirds of the Senate.

Judicial Branch

The judicial branch comprises the Supreme Court and nine other justices including the chief justice and eight associate justices. It is composed of skilled judges who address various laws and may serve until their death, retirement, or termination through impeachment by the House of Representatives and Senate conviction. Their permanency insulates them from passions of the people hence, letting them freely apply a law without public opinion, electoral or political concerns. While it deals with cases relating to the constitution, it comprises other lower courts that address federal cases including matters of taxation, bankruptcy, lawsuits, among other issues.

Justices in the Supreme Court are nominated by the president and approved by the Senate. The judicial branch has to interpret the meaning of laws, apply them into cases and decide if they, in any way, violate the constitution. As such, it is also referred to as a federal judiciary meaning that the US system or federal system can decide voluntarily on the constitutional acts. "The smallest of the three federal branches of government, the federal courts play key roles in the operation of our constitutional system" (Zelden 7). Upon a decision made by the Supreme Court, it may act until another Supreme Court decision or amendments in the constitution phases it out

Lobbyist

A lobbyist is an individual who attempts to influence actions, policies, or decisions of other members regularly. Lobbying is, therefore, the right to free speaking and participation in decision-making and petitions by the government. "Lobbying levels are presumably a function of the political environment" (Drutman 110). Most of the lobbying activities are paid, where well-versed professional advocates such as lawyers are hired by special interests to argue for particular legislation in various opinion-making groups such as the US Congress.

Lobbying is a controversial act and conservatives term it as illegal, but it could as well be a legal form of bribery or extortion, according to other critics. Through lobbying, special interests can enforce the US government into various public policy actions. Lobbyist activities are approved by the constitution and various other participatory democracies as they influence legislative actions that are beneficial to the public. However, various states have their registration requirements and might consider the reporting on various activities. From the constitution, the Center for ethics in the government has information regarding oversight entities as well as other actions that influence the legislative process.

Works Cited

Aberbach, Joel D, and Mark A. Peterson. The Executive Branch. , 2005. Print.

Drutman, Lee. The Business of America Is Lobbying: How Corporations Became Politicized, and Politics Became More Corporate. New York: Oxford University Press, 2015. Print.

Fisk, Catherine, and Erwin Chemerinsky. "The filibuster." Stan. L. Rev. 49 (1996): 181.

Zelden, Charles L. The Judicial Branch of Federal Government: People, Process, and Politics. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO, 2007. Internet resource.