Today, many countries of the world are governed in different political systems. The main determiner of what system a country follows in exercising authority is in connection to historical factors. For instance, a former colonial of a certain country adopts a political system from her colonial masters. However, this is not always the same. Many countries’ political structures have evolved from their initial colonial adaptations to accommodate the interests of the local people to which they serve (Andersen et al., 37). This essay will explore the aspects of power and authority across four countries. They include the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany and South Africa.
The United Kingdom’s political structure constitutes two most powerful and highest positions. These are the prime minister and her majesty the queen. The prime minister is the executive head of the government and has a mandate to delegate and supervise all government functioning. The serving British prime minister is known as David Cameron. He holds an elective post as a member of parliament but gets elected to the premier position by the monarchy that is eligible for office for two years when re-elected for the second year running. Under the prime minister is the most senior minister who together forms the organ known as the supreme decision making committee. On the other hand, the monarchy holds an executive power but the authority is granted by prime minister’s advice. The two integration of power exercises a direct authority to the leaders of the government departments. Queen Elizabeth II is currently the queen of the United Kingdom.
In Germany, political structure is a democratic form of government. The state is headed by the president but largely in a ceremonial position. This position is eligible for two office terms upon re-election. Federal convention system of voting is done to elect a president. The serving president of Germany is called Joachim Gauck. In an integration form, the chancellor is the government head and the highest executive officer of the government of Germany. This position is similar to that of British prime minister. Bundestag members elect the chancellor after a proposal from the president. A strong majority of the bundestag must vote for the incoming chancellor to ensure that a very strong government is formed.
The government of South Africa is a three-tier democratic authority. The three main branches of the national government include the parliamentary system, the executive and the independent judiciary. The president is the head of the state and government. Also, the president is the highest executive office in the executive arm of the government that includes the cabinet. There is also the division of authority to the provincial level where traditional leaders heads the governance rains in a local structural authority. Jacob Zuma is the currently elected president in power.
Finally, the United States of America is headed by a federal government consisting of fifty republic states. The government has distinctive arms namely the judicial, legislative and executive powered by the constitution of the US. Judicial arm receives further advisory from the president and the Supreme Court. The general functioning of the US government is based on federalism. This means that power is distributed equally to the various states that constitute the United States. Every state exercises power and authority in line with the US constitution. The president is elected by all states in addition to the electoral votes. He assumes office for a period of four years and eligible for a total of eight years once re-elected for a second term. The legislative branch is responsible for making laws while the executive and judiciary carries executively and court duties respectively (Andersen et al., 71).
For the above forms structures of power and authority, the Germany government stands out to delegate its duties in a unique way. First, the government structure is very stable. This is because the chancellor must receive votes from almost all members of Bundestag. Having a stable government, the chancellor power cannot be overturned by anybody else until the scheduled office terms expire. Not even a vote of no confidence can remove the chancellor out of office. This has brought stability in social and economic development of the country. The chancellor has the chance to exercise authority in the best possible manner since the country is under a democratic structure. Establishments of and enactment of various laws of ultimate benefit to the common citizens has been a priority. This includes well defined laws addressing ethnicity, racism and identification of cultural heritage. In a global view, it is evident that Germany’s economy stands strong. This is made possible by the strong, established authorities. For instance, the country holds a record of only seven chancellors in office at a period when other authorities elsewhere have more than thirty different persons in office. Here, we can talk of Italy and other government authorities as an example. For this reason, Germany’s reputation on the social global arena is worthy its hype. Reviews has suggested the structure of Germany’s authorities to be rational and generous towards the wellbeing of the lives its citizens the society at large.
Works Cited
Andersen, Niels A, and Inger-Johanne Sand. Hybrid Forms of Governance: Self-suspension of Power. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. Print.
