Separation of Powers in the U.S. Political System

Five state-level elected officials and leaders of political parties from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in India examined the U.S. federal system of government, with emphasis on the division of authority and responsibility between federal, state and local governments and courts. The three week program also demonstrated successful models of public-private partnerships and explored the role and structure of ethics in government and business. After opening the project in Washington, they traveled to Chicago to explore local politics at a large scale, including a visit to the Office of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Office of U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. The Mayor and City Manager of Sterling, Illinois greeted the international visitors personally, demonstrating how warm and welcoming the small towns of America can be. A visit to Tucson gave a southwestern perspective on the U.S. government and provided a glimpse into Native American history, culture and government while providing a comparison between the Native American and U.S. court systems. Their program ended in Salt Lake City, where they discussed public-private partnerships combating homelessness and transparency measures put into place by the state government to ensure the responsible use of funds.