ABSTRACT
Stable political institutions have been essential in a nation of immigrants. Commentators feel that loyalty to the basic structures and principles of government acted as the cement that held together so large and diverse a nation. Republicanism is the belief in a government without people privileged by birth or occupational class. The branches share power through a system of checks and balances. The president nominates federal judges, including justices of the Supreme Court, but the Senate must confirm their appointment. The provisions for amending the federal Constitution stress the federal principle by involving both the national and the state governments. The founding fathers viewed political parties as factions. The federal system results in parties on three distinct levels. State and local party organizations vary a great deal. Independent candidates and minor or splinter parties have a long history in the US. The only court specifically mentioned in the Constitution is the US Supreme Court.
