Costituzione Americana struttura Preamble Statement of purpose Article

Costituzione Americana (struttura) - Preamble: Statement of purpose - Article One: Legislative Power - Article Two: Executive power - Article Three: Judicial power - Article Four: States' powers and limits - Article Five: Amendments - Article Six: Federal power - Article Seven: Ratification - Amendments: – The Bill of Rights (Amendments 1 to 10) – Subsequent amendments (11 to 27)

Riepilogo (date) • 1776: Dichiarazione d’indipendenza • 1781: Articles of Confederation (primo testo costituzionale) • 1787: Convenzione di Philadelphia (assemblea costituente) e Costituzione

Punti di contrasto durante la Convenzione di Philadelphia (primavera 1787) • Problema della schiavitù negli stati meridionali (conteggio schiavi nel censimento, importazione, schiavi fuggiti) • Piccoli stati vs. Grandi stati (rappresentanza al Senato e alla Camera) • Federalisti vs. Anti-federalisti • Potere esecutivo: Presidente sì o no? Paura della tirannide (anti-federalisti)

“Ragioni” della schiavitù • Climatiche: lavoratori africani più resistenti alle alte temperature • Coltivative: tabacco, orzo, cotone, canna da zucchero richiedono cura costante • Dubbi sui vantaggi economici. . • Il compromesso costituzionale porterà inevitabilmente alla “resa dei conti” della guerra civile americana (nord vs. sud 1861 -1865) • Paradossi successivi: nord più “segregato”?

La Costituzione Americana (1787) • • • Più antica costituzione tutt’ora in uso Mai sostituita (solo emendata negli anni) Alta popolarità Ragione della stabilità del sistema politico americano? Straordinaria qualità dei 55 delegati (in rappresentanza dei 13 stati) presenti alla Convenzione • Giuramento di segretezza – nessuna pressione esterna, nessuna divisione comunicata all’esterno • Appoggio dei media • Forte volontà da parte dei federalisti (prevalentemente colonie settentrionali)

Il preambolo • “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America”.

Article 1, Section 1, “Vesting Clause” • All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Section 2: House of Rep. (clause 1 -2) • The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature. • No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

Indicazioni costituzionali (art. 1) • Camera: rappresentanti eletti direttamente, ogni 2 anni (mandato rinnovabile senza limiti), 435 membri, rappresentanza proporzionale al numero di abitanti di ogni singolo stato. • Requisiti: 25 anni minimo, cittadino americano da almeno 7 anni, residente nello stato di elezione • Es. California: 37, 2 m abitanti - 53 deputati • Wyoming: 560’ 000 abitanti – 1 deputato Potere legislativo – “potere di proposta”, “nascita delle leggi” Impeachment del presidente: proposta della Camera a maggioranza semplice, per cacciare il Presidente occorre il voto favorevole dei 2/3 del Senato Censimento ogni 10 anni: per aggiornare i dati sulla popolazione e ridisegnare i collegi e l’attribuzione del n’ di deputati a ogni stato.

Article 1 Section 2, Clause 3 • Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.

Article 1, Section 2 (clause 4 -5) • When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies. • The House of Representatives shall chuse [sic] their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

Section 3: Senate (Clause 1 -2) • The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote. • Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.

Section 3 (Clause 3 -4 -5) • No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen. • The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided. • The Senate shall chuse [sic] their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of the President of the United States.

Senato • 100 membri, 2 per ogni stato, indipendentemente dalla popolazione residente (compromesso piccoli vs. grandi stati Philadelphia. . ) • Mandato di 6 anni (rinnovabile senza limiti) • Da Costituzione (1787 -1913): Senatori Federali eletti dai Senati dei singoli stati – 17’ emendamento (1913): dal 1913 Senatori Federali eletti direttamente dagli elettori • Potere di ratifica legislativa (non di proposta)

Section 4: Congressional elections (clause 1 -2) • The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators. • The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.

Metodo di voto • • “First-past-the post” (Westminster system) Detto anche “Winner-take-all” Collegi uninominali maggioritari Registrazione elettorale Voto in anticipo Voto per posta/a distanza Il disegno dei collegi elettorali spetta ai parlamenti statali: rischio “gerrymandering” – tracciatura distorta dei collegi per favorire il partito di maggioranza (conoscendo la composizione ideologica stimata di ogni parte del territorio)

Gerrymandering

Gerrymandering

Articolo 1 • Delinea l’organizzazione del potere legislativo in un parlamento bicamerale (Congresso) e stabilisce la composizione, i modi di elezione, i poteri e il funzionamento della Camera dei rappresentanti e del Senato

Federal Government Function Organ Electoral System Time in Office Members Legislative Power House of Representativ es Universal Suffrage 2 years 435 Legislative Power Senate Universal Suffrage 6 years 100 Executive Power President Electoral College 4 years 1 Judiciary Power Supreme Court Presidential Appointment (to be confirmed by the Senate) For life 9

Elezioni per il Congresso Ogni 2 anni si rinnova: • La totalità della Camera (435 seggi) • 1/3 del Senato (33 seggi) • I due seggi senatoriali di ogni stato non vengono mai rinnovati nella stessa elezione • Senato: collegio unico statale che elegge i deu senatori (junior senator e senior senator – a seconda dell’anzianità in carica)

Article 2, Section 1: President and Vice President (clause 1 -2) • The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows • Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

Collegio elettorale (metodo di elezione presidenziale) • Metodo indiretto: in ogni stato i cittadini eleggono un numero di “grandi elettori” pari alla somma dei senatori e dei deputati che quello stato manda al Congresso • Es. : California: 53+2=55 grandi elettori Wyoming: 1+2= 3 grandi elettori Per conquistare la presidenza occorre ottenere la maggioranza dei 538 grandi elettori 435+100+3 di Washington DC (23’ emendamento)

Collegio Elettorale

A 2 -S 1 -C 4/C 5/C 6 • The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States. • No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States. • In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.

The U. S. President

Potere esecutivo (Art. 2) • Guerra e politica estera • Potere “amministrativo” (nomine Casa bianca e uffici governativi) • Potere “giudiziario” (nomina giudici, potere di concedere la grazia) • Potere “legislativo”: veto presidenziale

Requisiti di eleggibilità (Art. 2 section 1, clause 5) • Essere cittadino americano e nato su suolo americano (natural born citizen) • Avere almeno 35 anni • Essere residente permanente negli Stati Uniti da almeno 14 anni.

Linea di successione presidenziale The Presidential Succession Act establishes the order as: • the Speaker of the House of Representatives • the President pro tempore of the Senate • then the fifteen Cabinet Secretaries in order of that Department's establishment.

Altre caratteristiche • Primarie • Limite dei due mandati (22’ Emendamento) • Presidential Oath – Giuramento presidenziale • Vacancy or Disability (Article 2, 25 Amendment)

Stipendio presidenziale Date established Salary in 2009 dollars September 24, 1789 $25, 000 $566, 000 March 3, 1873 $50, 000 $865, 000 March 4, 1909 $75, 000 $1, 714, 000 January 19, 1949 $100, 0 00 $906, 000 January 20, 1969 $200, 0 00 $1, 175, 000 January 20, 2001 $400, 0 00 $487, 000

The White House

Other Amenities

Dopo la Presidenza. .

Critiche • “Il Presidente è troppo potente” • Dichiarare guerra senza il voto del Congresso • Uso controverso del potere di grazia • Eccessivo potere di “indirizzo della politica estera” • Vantaggio elettorale per i presidenti uscenti (incumbents)

Elezioni presidenziali dal 1936 al 2004 Year Candidate Votes Winner 1936 Roosevelt 523 Landon 8 Incumbent 1940 Roosevelt 449 Willkie 82 Incumbent 1944 Roosevelt 432 Dewey 99 Incumbent 1948 Truman 303 Dewey 189 Incumbent 1956 Eisenhower 457 Stevenson 73 Incumbent 1964 Johnson 486 Goldwater 52 Incumbent 1972 Nixon 520 Mc. Govern 17 Incumbent 1976 Carter 297 Ford 240 Challenger 1980 Reagan 489 Carter 49 Challenger 1984 Reagan 525 Mondale 13 Incumbent 1992 Clinton 370 GHW Bush 168 Challenger 1996 Clinton 379 Dole 159 Incumbent 2004 GW Bush 286 Kerry 252 Incumbent

Supreme Court

Article 3, “Vesting Clause” • The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behavior, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.

Corte Suprema • Corte di massimo grado negli USA • Appellate jurisdiction + original jurisdiction • 9 giudici (1 chief + 8 associate justices) – Article III (size and jurisdiction), XI Amendment • Carica a vita • Proposti dal Presidente, confermati dal Senato (a maggioranza semplice) • Judicial leanings – Politicization of the Court

Giurisdizione • Controversie tra stati e tra cittadini di stati diversi • Se il caso trattato è di livello federale • Se il governo federale è parte in causa • Se il caso riguarda/confligge con la Costituzione: “potere interpretativo” (che fa giurisprudenza. . )

Critiche • Attivismo giudiziario • Federal versus State Power • Interferenze della giustizia nelle dispute politiche • Troppo potere • Lentezza, pochi casi trattati • Procedure “segrete” • Carica a vita