American Political Culture: An Obersvation From The Outside
American Political Culture: An Observation From The Outside is a collection of political essays written by Germinal G. Van. It debates the issues of American societal standards. As Germinal G. Van has lived in the United States for almost a decade, he deemed necessary to write a book that encompasses his observation of American society from a philosophical, political and legal standpoint. What has definitely amazed him about the political culture of the United States is that the rule of law is highly valued and maintained. Of course, the political culture of the United States is not perfect, it has its flaws as any other sovereign nation does. But the particularity of the American political culture is that the concept of diversity is the driving force behind the evolution of the American people. He is convinced that if an individual wishes to settle in a country, it is essential that he knows the laws of his environment to understand the mentality, culture, and customs of the country in which he wishes to live. In order to acquire that understanding and knowledge of the culture, one ought to understand the constitution of that country, because the constitution of society is the document that defines the rules, enactments, and customs of a society.
The book is divided into four main parts (excluding the general introduction and the general conclusion) whereby they are constituted of sub-essays. The four chapters are entitled The Culture of Authority, The People & The Government, Elements of Constitutional Law, and American Criminal Justice System: An Analysis of the Functioning of Criminal Law. The essay on The Culture of Authority argues there are four forms of authority that lead the political culture of the United States. The introductory part of the essay introduces political authority as the highest form of authority. It [political authority] is empowered by the Constitution. The introduction also highlights the three other types of authority that dominate the American political culture. The three sub-essays elaborate the three remaining types of authority. The conclusion challenges the fact that there is one of these forms of authority that is overpowering the American people and therefore threatens the political culture of the United States. The People & The Government articulates on the covenant between the citizen and the government. The first part, which is undeniably the introduction; discusses the place of the citizen in a civil society. The American society is a society based on the vision of four main philosophers of the Enlightenment Era. The combination of their visions generated the Constitution of the United States wherein the government's power is tremendously restrained toward the individual liberties of the citizens. The first sub-essay elaborates the motivations and elements of what constitutes American individualism and the limits of individual liberties. As we know, American individualism is the cultural philosophy that guides the American people and their perception of life. The third part of the essay reflects on the government's obligations toward the citizen and the popular sovereignty. The last part of the essay discloses the conclusion.
Elements of Constitutional Law treats of the principles and elements that encapsulate American constitutional law. The essay has been written from a philosophical, historical and political approach. It is composed of the introduction, three sub-essays, and the conclusion. The introduction expresses the purpose of the Constitution and its philosophical and political understanding. Then, the first sub-essay to be discussed is the Historical Background of the Bill of Rights. This part of the general essay argues the principles that influenced the Amendments in the Constitution. The second sub-essay articulates on the Essence of the Constitution. It emphasized on the substance of the Articles and Amendments that gave life to the Constitution, explains the concept of federalism and treats of the theory of checks and balances. The third and last sub-essay argues on the role of the United States Supreme Court in American society. This essay highlights five major cases that shaped American society throughout its history. Finally, the conclusion answers the question regarding the method of interpretation of Constitution and legal texts. American Criminal Justice System: An Analysis of the Functioning of Criminal Law is arguing on the paradox of the criminal justice system. The introduction highlights an overview of the American penal system as a whole. The first sub-essay enlightens the reader about the theoretical approach to criminal law. It emphasizes on the elements that constitute a crime under the American penal code. The second sub-essay criticizes the hypocrisy of the criminal justice system. It focuses on the fact that all citizens are not treated equally under the law as the Fourteenth Amendment has avowed. The Conclusion recapitulates the paradox of a theoretically well-structured justice system that inequitably serves justice.
References[edit]
This article "American Political Culture: An Obersvation From The Outside" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:American Political Culture: An Obersvation From The Outside. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
