U.S. Government

The United States of America is a federal republic. It consists of 50 states and the District of Columbia. Its basic law is the Constitution, adopted in 1787. It prescribes the structure of national government and lists its rights and fields of authority. Besides, each state has its government.

The basic principle of all American government is the separation of the three branches: legislative, executive and judicial.

Supreme legislative power in the American government lies with Congress. It consists of two chambers or houses – the Senate (the upper house) and the House of Representatives (the lower house). The main task of Congress is to make laws. It also has the right to propose amendments to the Constitution.

The Senate is composed of 100 members, two from each of the 50 States. They are elected for a term of six years. Although Congressional elections take place every two years, only one-third of the Senate is re-elected.

The Constitution says that a Senator must be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the US for nine years and a resident of the state from which he is elected.

The head of the Senate is the Vice-President who conducts debates. He is elected for four years.

The House of Representatives has 435 members. The number of Representatives which each state sends to the House depends on its population. A representative must be at least 25 years of age, a US citizen for seven years and live in the state from which he is elected.

The Speaker presides over the House, he conducts debates. The Speaker, like Vice-President in the Senate, may vote, but usually he doesn’t do it.

Under the Constitution, the US Senate has some special powers, not given to the House of Representatives. The Senate approves or disapproves major Presidential appointments. The Senate must also ratify treaties between the USA and foreign countries.

The House of Representatives has a special power of its own. Only a member of the House can introduce a bill to raise money.

Congressmen do work long and hard. But most of their work is done in committee meeting. Here bills are studied, experts are consulted, and recommendations are made to the whole House or Senate. For a bill to become a law it must be passed by both the House and the Senate and signed by President. If President disapproves, he vetoes the bill by refusing to sign it and sends it back to Congress. President’s objections are read and debated. Then the bill is put to vote.

The executive power in the USA belongs to the President and his Administration. The President is elected for a term of four years and can be re-elected for another term, but not longer than that. He must be a natural-born citizen of the USA, at least 35 years old, and for at least 14 years a resident of the USA.

US President is assisted in Administration by a Cabinet of 12 members. They are heads of different departments and responsible to President. When the President’s service ends, it is customary for the Cabinet to resign.

The judiciary is the third branch of the federal government of the USA. It is a collective term for courts and judges. The judiciary is divided into the national (federal) and state one.

The US Supreme Court is the highest tribunal in the United States. It includes a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. They are all appointed by the President. One of the most important duties of the justices is to decide whether laws passed by the Congress agree with the Constitution.

The United States began as a one-party political system. But gradually two-party system gained strength in political life. The two leading national parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. They emerged to reflect the interests of different social groups. Now the parties are not divided by any contradictions in the political outlook. Both of them are financed by big business.

I. Words and word combinations to be remembered / Словаисловосочетаниядлязаучивания:

1. district – район, округ (the District of Columbia-округКолумбия)

2. to adopt – принимать (to adopt the Constitution)

3. to prescribe – предписывать, определять

4. tolist – перечислять, вносить в список

5. rights – права

6. fields of authority – сфера (области) полномочий

7. separation – разделение

8. branch – ветвь (власти)

9. executive – исполнительная (власть)

10. judicial – судебная (власть)

11. tolie (lay, lain) with – находиться, относиться

12. congressman (men) –конгрессмен(ы)

13. the Senate – Сенат

14. the House of Representatives – палатапредставителей

15. amendment – поправка

16. to be composed of = to consist of – состоятьиз

17. term – срок (полномочий)

18. citizen – гражданин

19. resident – постоянный житель

20. to conduct – руководить, проводить

21. debate – дискуссия, дебаты, прения

22. to depend on – зависетьот

23. powers – полномочия

24. to give powers – наделять полномочиями

25. to approve – одобрять

26. to appoint – назначать на должность

27. appointment – назначение (на должность)

28. toratifyatreaty – ратифицировать (утвердить) договор

29. to raise money – собирать деньги

30. committee – комитет

31. topass – принимать (закон, резолюцию)

32. to veto – налагать вето, запрещать

33. to refuse – отказываться

34. objection – возражение

35. toputtovоtе – ставить (выносить) на голосование

36. to assist – помогать, содействовать

37. toberesponsibleto – подчиняться (кому-либо), быть ответственным перед кем-то

38. court – суд

39. judge – судья

40. the Supreme Court – Верховный Суд

41. tribunal – суд, трибунал

42. Chief Justice – Верховный судья

43. AssociateJustice – помощник судьи (ассоциированные члены Верховного суда)

44. duty – обязанность

45. to gain strength – набирать силу

46. to emerge – появляться, возникать

47. contradiction – противоречие

48. outlook – взгляд

II. Give English equivalents for these word combinations. / Переведитеследующиесловосочетаниянаанглийскийязык:

1) принимать; Конституция; Конституция США была принята в 1787; предписывать (определять) права; полномочия; Конституция определяет структуру национального правительства; Конституция является основным законом государства; Конституция перечисляет основные права и области (сферы) полномочий.

2) разделение; три ветви; законодательная; исполнительная; судебная; разделение трех властей.

3) находиться, относиться; высшая законодательная власть находится у Конгресса; состоять из; Конгресс состоит из двух палат – Сената и палаты представителей; конгресс готовит законы и имеет право предлагать поправки к Конституции.

4) глава; вести дебаты; вице-президент; главой Сената является вице-президент; он проводит дебаты; вице-президент избирается сроком на 4 года.

5) палата представителей; зависит от; количество представителей от каждого штата зависит от его населения; особые полномочия.

6) одобрять; назначение; ратифицировать договор; Сенат имеет особые полномочия; он одобряет назначения президента на должности и ратифицирует договоры.

7) исполнительная власть; исполнительная власть принадлежит президенту и его администрации.

8) судебная власть; судебная власть – это третья ветвь федерального правительства; Верховный Суд – это высший суд в США; Верховный судья; назначать на должность; Верховный судья назначается президентом.