Submitted by: Andre Ourthiague

India gained its freedom from British rule on August 15, 1947. Less than three years after attaining freedom, India had framed a Constitution and declared itself a Republic on January 26, 1950. The Constitution was shaped to ensure justice, liberty and equality for the citizens of India. The Constitution was made flexible enough to adjust to the new demands of social and economic changes that would arise under the new democratic framework; the 94 amendments to the Indian constitution since its adoption 60 years ago is a testament to this flexibility. The Fundamental Rights of every Indian citizen include the freedom of speech, expression, belief, assembly and association, migration, and choice of occupation or trade. These rights also protect every Indian from discrimination on grounds of race, religion, creed or sex, and are enforceable in courts of law.

The Indian constitution defines the federal government that presides over the 28 states of India. India has a parliamentary republic system of government based largely on the United Kingdom. Parliamentary republics, unlike presidential systems, do not feature an executive head of state with broad executive powers because these powers are typically designated by a prime minister. The government in India is divided as follows:

LEGISLATIVE

The legislative power of the Indian government is held in the two houses of parliament. The following descriptions are taken from the Parliament of India website.

Rajya Sabha (Council of States): The Council of States consists of not more than 250 members, of whom 12 are nominated by the President of India and the rest elected. It is not subject to dissolution, one-third of its members retiring at the end of every second year. The elections to the Council are indirect. The allotted quotas of representatives of each State are elected by the members of the Legislative Assembly of that State, in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote. The nominated members are persons with special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art and social service. The Rajya Sabha is presided over by the Vice- President of India.

Lok Sabha (House of the People): The House of the People consists of 545 members. Of these, 530 are directly elected from the 25 States and 13 from the seven Union Territories. Two members are nominated by the President to represent the Anglo-Indian community. Unless dissolved sooner, the term of the House is five years from the date appointed for its first meeting. The Lok Sabha elects its own presiding officer, the Speaker.

EXECUTIVE

There are three primary figures that serve in the executive branch: president, vice president, and prime minister. In India, the president serves as head of state and is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, but rarely executes constitutional power on his/her own initiative. The president is elected by an electoral college comprised of members from state legislatures and from members of both houses of parliament. Once elected the president serves a five-year term and can be re-elected. The current Indian president is Pratibha Devisingh Patil.

The vice-president serves as head of the Council of States (similar to the US vice-president). The vice president is elected by the members of parliament.  The current vice president is Mohammad Hamid Ansari.

The final key figure in executive branch is the prime minister.  The prime minister is elected by majority support in the Lok Sabha. It is the prime minister that oversees the day-to-day operation of the federal government. The current Prime Minister of India is Dr. Manmohan Singh. The prime minister is also responsible for selecting a cabinet of ministers that handle policy regarding specific areas of the government. The ministers are equivalent to secretaries (state, treasury, etc) in the United States, and to ministers of China.

The prime minister and the cabinet are both accountable to the Lok Sabha. Individual lapses by a department can result in a “vote of no confidence”, and thus a forced resignation for individual ministers. A serious lapse by the prime minister and his cabinet can result in a “vote of no confidence” against the government. A “vote of no confidence” against the government requires all ministers headed by the prime minister to resign. The closest parallel we have in the United States is presidential impeachment.

JUDICIARY

The Supreme Court in India upholds and interprets the constitution. The Indian Supreme Court serves in the same capacity as the US Supreme Court.  Each state in India has a High Court that defines laws particular to the individual state. However, a uniform civil and criminal laws applies to the entire country of India. State High Courts also do not possess the power to contradict the Indian constitution. The Supreme Court is responsible for resolving disputes between state and federal governments.

The Indian government is very similar to that of the United States. The primary difference is in the power held by the Prime Minister. The roles of Indian president and prime minister are encompassed in the roles of the US president. Aside from this division of roles the systems are strikingly similar. Two legislative houses hold the law making power. An executive branch holds military decision making, vital decision making, and key appointment responsibility, and a judicial branch interprets the constitution.  Despite fighting for independence from British rule, the United Kingdom was the model of democracy that most strongly influenced the structure of the India’s government.

Submitted by: David McKinnon

President Obama recently appointed Jon Huntsman, Jr. as the U.S. Ambassador to China.  This was a very interesting move.  Not only is Huntsman a Republican, but he was a big supporter of John McCain and he served as a campaign advisor.  I think this shows how important US relations with China really are.   So important that Obama felt it necessary to put partisan politics aside and appoint who he felt would be the best choice, a move that angered quite a few Democrats.  He recognized that this appointment is not one that can be taken lightly or filled by somebody just because they’re “in his club.” Also, Huntsman served as the Governor of my home state of Utah, so I thought I could fill you in on who he is and a little about his background.

So, what is an ambassador?  What do they do?  Before answering those questions, just know that, if you ever run across one, you’re expected to address them as “Your Excellency.”

Believe it or not, it is said that Genghis Khan was the first to introduce the idea of ambassadors.  Back in the early 1200’s Khan saw the potential that a trade partnership with Khwarezmia (a neighboring empire) could produce.  Khan sent representatives to establish ties, but they were killed by skeptical government officials.  Khan sent a second party, and all but one were killed.  Khan, believing that his representatives should have protection and immunity, became furious and conquered the empire.  This set a precedent for representative relations among foreign governments.

Nowadays, Ambassadors are protected by diplomatic immunity – that means no parking tickets, ever (I know that because Morgan repeatedly complains about the millions owed by visiting UN officials to the city of New York for unpaid parking tickets).  Ambassadors are our nation’s highest ranking government representatives in the country they serve.  They manage the different aspects of the embassy.  They manage the economic and political relationship with the country, and oversee the interests and welfare of US citizens living there.  For a more complete list of what Ambassador Responsibilities include, you can check out this link:

http://montevideo.usembassy.gov/usaweb/paginas/01-03EN.shtml

Hunstman served a church mission in Taiwan where he was able to learn Mandarin Chinese.  Many of you know that I served a similar church mission in Ecuador.  I think this gives him a unique view, having directly worked with and served common people, not just dignitaries.   He has a business background, graduating with a degree from Wharton.  He later lived in Taipei with his family for a few years, which allowed him to adapt his business background to Asian practices.  I think all of these things caught Obama’s eye and as a result, Huntsman gained his trust. Huntsman has the tools to succeed in China, and be an effective representative of our nation.

So what do you guys think?  What are some of the issues you see Huntsman discussing or addressing in the future?  He is there to represent our government’s interests, so what are some of the pressing issues or interests that will be addressed in the coming years?  Will economic issues dominate roundtable discussions, and how aggressive will the US be with more sensitive issues, such as human rights and the environment?