The US Political Set-Up
1. The United States of America consisting of 50 states and several territories is a federal republic with its capital in Washington, D.C. It was established by the Constitution in 1787. Each state has its own government and its own capital city. 2. The federal government of the United States, as outlined in the U.S. Constitution, is divided into three main branches: the legislative, the executive and the judicial. 3. The legislative branch of the government is vested in the Congress. Being bicameral, the Congress contains two Houses – the Senate and the House of Representatives. The term of the Congress is for two years. The function of the legislative branch of the government is making laws and financing the operation of the government through gathering taxes. 4. The House of Representatives numbers 435 members, elected every two years. The number of the Representatives from each state depends on its population. The U. S. Constitution says that each state, no matter how small in population, must have at least one Representative. A Representative must be at least 25, a U. S. citizen for seven years, and a resident of the state from which he is elected. 5. The Senate is made up of 100 members, two from each state, elected for six-year terms. Each Senator is chosen by a majority of voters in the entire state. His function is to represent the whole state. The US Senate has some special powers. For example, it must approve by majority of votes the President’s appointment of such high officials as ambassadors, Cabinet members, and federal judges. The Constitution says that a Senator must be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the U. S. for nine years, and a resident of the state from which he is elected. 6. The executive branch which includes the President, Vice-President and the President's cabinet is responsible for administering and executing the laws. The President is elected for four years of service and may be reelected for four additional years. He must be a natural-born citizen, at least 35 years old, and a resident of the United States for at least 14 years. The presidential elections in the USA are held in two stages. First the voters choose electors and then the latter elect the President. The Vice-President is elected together with the President for the same term. The secretaries of the major eleven executive departments form "the Cabinet". In the USA the heads of departments are not members of the Congress. They are directly and fully responsible to the President. Only the President can appoint Cabinet members for an indefinite term, as well as remove any member for refusing to carry out a duty. 7. The judicial branch of the federal government consists of the Supreme Court of the United States and the system of federal courts. It has the responsibility of judging the constitutionality of acts of law. The Supreme Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. Each justice has a number of offices, including space for several law clerks – top graduates from the nation’s elite law schools, who serve for a year or two. The Supreme Court begins its official work year on the 1st of October (known as October Term). The Supreme Court session is over in June. In the USA the President appoints federal judges for life, but approval of the U. S. Senate is necessary.
Reading for General Understanding
Ex. 47. Look through Text A and do the following tasks.
Task 1. Decide which titles also fit the text.
1. The USA government and its policy. 2. The US police. 3. The US federal government. 4. The federal judiciary as the third governmental branch. 5. Three governmental branches and their functions. 6. The US Constitution. 7. The USA political system. 8. United States political background.
Task 2. Arrange the sentences according to the logic of the text.
1. The responsibility of the executive branch, consisting of the President, Vice-President and the President's cabinet is to administer and execute the laws. 2. The House of Representatives, whose members face election every two years, are apportioned by the populations of the various states. 3. According to the U. S. Constitution, the U. S. federal government is composed of three main branches. 4. The third branch of the USA government is judicial. 5. The Senate, composed of 100 members and elected for six-year terms, has some special powers. 6. The USA composed of 50 states and several territories is a federal republic, established by the Constitution in 1787. 7. The Congress, being the legislative branch of the government, includes two Houses – the Senate and the House of Representatives.
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