Political system .Electorial system. Parties.

The political system of the USA is based on the Constitution which is more than 200 years old. Yet this document, adopted in 1787 after the War of Independence, guides the political life of the American state till now. The stability of the Constitution - and of the political system - was created by several principles, the document is built on. They are federalism, democracy, and establishing freedom, order, and equality as political values. According to the Constitution, «the executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America», and the president «shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed». It makes the US President both head of state and of government. In other words, the President and his Administration represent the executive branch of the power in the country.

The President of the USA is elected for a four-year term. Presidential elections are held every leap-year on first Tuesday after first Monday in November. The President may be re-elected and serve two terms (eight years altogether, but not longer than that). The presidential election is technically an election of presidential electors, not of the president directly.

The Executive branch of government is provided by the Vice-President and the Executive Office of the President (White House Administration, about 1600 people). Heads of the departments in the executive branch make up the President's Cabinet. Among members of the Cabinet there are Heads of such offices as the Office of Defense, the Office of Justice, the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Agriculture, the Office of Health, Education and Welfare, etc.

The Legislative branch of the power, according to the Constitution, is represented by the Congress which is elected separately. The US scientists make a difference between congresses and parliaments and do not consider the Congress as a parliament. The Congress of the USA has two separate and powerful chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Constitution gives them essentially similar legislative tasks. A bill cannot become law unless it is passed by both chambers. The Senate represents the states and the House represents the population according to its distribution among the states.

The House of Representatives has 435 members, elected for a two year term in single-seat constituencies. A two-party system in the USA defines the political representation in the chamber. The presiding officer in the House of Representatives is the Speaker; he belongs to the party which won the majority of votes at the elections. The work of the House of Representatives is done mostly in different committees. The House has the power of impeachment, the power to formally charge the president, vice president, or other members of government with treason, bribery or other high crimes.

The Senate of the USA is composed of 100 members, two being elected from each state. The Senators are elected for a six year term with one-third being renewed every two years. The presiding officer of the Senate is the Vice-President of the United States. Unlike the Speaker, the Vice-President is not a member of the chamber over which he presides as well as in the House there are special committees in the Senate: the Finance Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Armed Services Committee, etc. The Constitution gives the Senate the power to approve major presidential appointments (of federal judges, ambassadors, Cabinet posts) as well as treaties with foreign nations.

In a presidential election candidates for Congress are listed at the top of the ballot, followed by candidates for other national, state and local offices. A voter is said to vote a straight ticket when he chooses only one party's candidates all the offices. A voter who chooses candidates from different parties is said to vote a split ticket. This voter may choose a Republican for president and vote for a Democratic member of Congress.

Notes

to execute; an executive power - выполнять, исполнять; исполнительная власть

legislative; a legislative power - законодательный, законодательная власть

a treason - государственная измена

a bribery - взяточничество

an ambassador - посол

a treaty – договор

Exercise 1. Continue the following sentences

1 .The political system of the USA is based on…… 2. The Constitution of the USA was adopted……..3. The principles the USA political system are built on…….. 4. The executive power, according to the Constitution, is …….5. Besides, the president shall take care………6. It makes the US President………. 7. The President of the USA is elected ………8. Presidential elections are held……….. 9. The presidential election is….. 10. The Executive branch of government is provided by ……..11. Heads of the departments in the executive branch make up………… 12. Among members of the

Cabinet there are .......... 13. The Legislative branch of the power is represented by……...... 14.The Congress of the USA has two chambers which are …….15. A bill cannot become law unless……... 16. The Senate represents………. 17. The House represents………. 18. The House of Representatives has…………. 19. A two-party system in the USA defines………… 20. The presiding officer in the House of Representatives is…………… 21. The work of the House of Representatives is done…………22. The House has the power of impeachment……………. 23. The Senate of the USA is composed of ............24. The Senators are elected ………….25. The presiding officer of the Senate is…………… 26. The Senate committees are ……. 27. The Constitution gives the Senate the power……….. 28. In a presidential election candidates for Congress are listed ...................... 29. A voter is said to vote a straight ticket when ……..30. A voter who chooses candidates from different parties…………….

Exercise 2. Find the English equivalents in the texts.

1. Американцы гордятся своей конституцией, которая была принята более двухсот лет назад. 2. Консти­туция США определяет политические прерогативы американского общества: федерализм, демократию, порядок, свободу и равенство. 3. Исполнительная власть в США находится в руках президента и его администрации. 4. Законодательная власть осуществляется Конгрессом США, который состоит из двух палат Палаты Представителей и Сената. 5. В США действует двухпартийная система, таким образом, избиратели голосуют за одну из двух ведущих партий - Демократическую или Республиканскую. 6. За последние пятьдесят лет только четыре президента США являлись представителями Демократической (Дж. Кеннеди, Л. Джонсон, Дж. Картер, Б. Клинтон), остальные, как президент Джордж Буш были республиканцами (Д. Эйзенхауер, Р. Никсон, Дж. Форд, Р. Рейган, Дж. Буш старший). 7 Палата Представителей имеет право вынести импичмент президенту США. 8. Все законопроекты должны быть обсуждены и одобрены в обеих палатах Конгресса США.

Exercise 3. Answer the following sentences

1. Which document is the political system of the USA based on? 2. When was the Constitution of the USA adopted? 3. Which are the principles the political system of the USA is built on? 4. Which branch of the power in the country does the President of the USA represent? 5. Which is the term the President of the USA is elected for? 6. When are the presidential elections held? 7. May the president of the USA be re-elected? 8. In which way is the president of the USA elected? 9. Who became the 44 President of the USA? 10. Which branch of the power is provided by the Vice-President and the Administration of the President? 11. How is the President's Cabinet built? 12. Which branch of the power is represented by the Congress? 13. Which chambers are there in the Congress of the USA? 14. What is the difference between the British Parliament and the American Congress? 15. How many members are there in the House of Representatives? 16. How many parties are represented in the House? 17. Who presides in the House of Representatives? 18. In which way does the House of Representatives work? 19. Which power does the House of Representatives have? 20. How many members are there in the Senate? 21. Which is the term the senators are elected for? 22. What does it mean that one-third of senators are renewed every two years? 23. Who presides in the Senate? 24. Which committees are there in the Senate? 25. Which power does the Constitution give the Senate? 26. In which way do Americans vote in elections? 27. May a voter choose candidates from different parties in the same elections?