The United States of America

Vocabulary

District of Columbia (D.C.) – Федеральний округ Колумбія / Федеральный округ Колумбия

a presidential republic – президентська республіка / президентская республика

an amendment – поправка / поправка

the House of Representatives – Палата Представників / Палата Представителей

to discharge functions – виконувати функції / выполнять функции

to enforce – забезпечувати виконання, примушувати / обеспечивать исполнение, заставлять

a federal budget – федеральний бюджет / федеральный бюджет

national security – національна безпека / национальная безопасность

to negotiate treaty – вести переговори щодо укладання договору / вести переговоры о заключении договора

the Preamble – Преамбула / Преамбула

the Bill of Rights – Білль про права / Билль о правах

Chief Justice – голова Верховного суду / глава Верховного Суда

to provide for – передбачати / предусматривать

freedom of speech – свобода слова / свобода слова

due process – належний процес / надлежащий процесс

- Where is the United Stated of America situated?

- It is situated in the central part of the North America continent.

Stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, the USA borders on Canada in the North and Mexico in the South.

- What is the capital of the USA?

- The capital of the USA is Washington, D.C. It is the seat of the US government.

- What form of state government has the USA?

- The USA is a presidential republic.

- What branches is the US government composed of?

- By the Constitution of 1787 (and the amendments to it) the government of the USA is composed of three branches: the legislative, the executive and the judicial ones.

- What is the highest legislative body in the USA?

- The legislative power belongs to the Congress, consisting of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

- What kind of institution is the House of Representatives?

- The House of Representatives is the dynamic institution of the federal government. The states are represented on a population basis and are divided into congressional districts or constituencies of roughly equal size. There are currently 435 members, who are elected every two years.

-What are the functions of the Speaker?

- The chairman of the House of Representatives, the Speaker, is

elected by the House and has important responsibilities, giving him considerable influence over the President. Moreover, should the President and Vice-President die before the end of their terms; it is the Speaker who becomes President.

- What is the composition of the Senate?

- The Senate is made up of 100 members (2 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.

- What does the executive branch of government consist of?

- It consists of the President, the Vice-President and the Cabinet.

- What functions does the President discharge?

- The President has many roles and duties. As the chief executive officer, he enforces federal laws, directs the preparation of the federal budget and appoints many high-ranking officials. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the President directs foreign and national security affairs. As the chief diplomat, he negotiates treaties with other countries, etc.

- What is the highest judicial body in the USA?

- The Supreme Court is the highest judicial organ and the head of the judicial branch of power. It consists of the Chief Justice of the USA and six associate justices.

- What is the system of power in every of 50 states?

- Each state has a constitution similar to the Constitution of the entire nation and all the power in each state is divided into executive, legislative and judicial. Every state is headed by the Governor. It also has its own system of courts similar to that of the Federal Courts. The state laws and decisions must not contradict the Constitution of the USA.

- What parts does the US Constitution consist of?

- It consists of the Preamble, seven articles and twenty six amendments, the first ten of them called collectively the Bill of Rights. They provide for freedom of speech, religion, press, the right to assemble and various due process and criminal procedure rights for individuals.

- What main political parties are there in the USA?

- The two leading political parties dominate at the election in the USA; they are the Democrats and the Republicans.

Canada