Political System of the USAThe US is a federal Union of 50 states; each of them has its own government According to the US Constitution, the government is divided into three branches: the executive branch headed by the President, the legislative, branch exercised by the Congress created by Article I of the Constitution, adopted in 1787, and the judicial branch. The Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are two main political parties in the USA: the Republican (symbolized by a donkey) and the Democratic (symbolized by an elephant). The Senate is made up of 100 members (2 from each state), elected for a term of 6 years. One third of the Senate is elected every 2 years. To be elected a Senator, a person must be at least 30 years old and have been the citizen of the USA at least 9 years. The House of Representatives comprises representatives from each state, elected for a two-year term. The number of representatives from each state depends on its population, but every state is represented. To be elected a representative, a person must be at least 25 years of age and have been a citizen of the USA for at least 7 years. The presiding officer of the Senate is the Vice-President of the USA. The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the Speaker, is elected by the house. The work of preparing and considering laws is done by the committees of both Houses. There are 15 standing committees in the Senate and 19 in the House of Representatives. The Congress assembles at least once a year. The executive branch of the government consists of the President, the Vice-President and the Cabinet. The President’s term of office is four years, together with the Vice-President, chosen for the same term. The President is the head of the executive branch of the government; he appoints the members of the Cabinet. The Cabinet advises the President on many matters and is composed of the heads of ten executive departments: Secretary of State, Secretary of Treasury, Secretary of Defense and others. The judicial branch of the government is headed by the Supreme Court which settles disputes between the states. The Supreme Court may veto any law passed by the Congress if it contradicts the Constitution of the USA. The US national flag – Stars and Stripes – is red, white and blue. Thirteen stripes represent the original 13 states of the US; the stars represent the current number of states.
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