The Basic of The French Government

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Question: What is the current structure/government in France? Who has the power, and how do those in power interact with the people?

The article called "A Short Guide to the Institutions of Power in France" talks about how exactly the French government works. The article talks about the fifth republic, the branches of government, and the parties within the government. The fifth republic is the current republic in the country of France and it was founded in 1958. The government is broken up into branches of government just like in the Unites States. Not one person in France really has the most power because the government is structured to be equal, so it really just means that the government has the power. The executive branch is made up of the President of France, his council of ministers, and the prime minister. The President's power is kept in check by the other branches of government in order for it to maintain equal power in all branches. The president has duties such as determining policies with his council, being commander and chief of the military, and appointing a prime minister that will form a government for the president. The Legislative branch is made up of the French parliament. In it there are the national assembly and the senate. The French parliament is in charge of writing up laws in the country. The Judicial system is in charge of enforcing the laws and it is also more independent from the other two branches. The French government has parties with varying ideas; for example, some of these groups are The Popular Union Movement, The Democratic Movement, and even the French Communist Party. Not one person in France really has the most power because the government is structured to be equal, so it really just means that the government has the power. Link to article: http://about-france.com/political-system.htm.

The government type in France can really say a lot about the culture and customs of the country. It is known that France is one of the oldest countries in France, but the government they have is really new. It tells us that the history of France has seen various changes in government because they are on there fifth republic. The customs in France are a bit different now because the government is democratic. The people are free and are able to do things that various countries do not provide their people. I doubt that classic French culture has been hurt, but an integration of modern ideas in government and beliefs has been introduced into France that match other first world and democratic countries such as the UK or the US. France has most likely become a beautiful mix of new and effective ideas and a rich culture.

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