Unit 8 Political System of the usa

Task 1. Read and memorize the active vocabulary to the text

The Political System of the USA.

to enter вступати

to comprise охоплювати

branch of power гілка влади

executive виконавча

legislative законодавча

judicial судова

to carry out the laws виконувати закони

Commander-in-Chief Верховний Головнокомандувач

to run відбуватись, виставляти свою

кандидатуру на виборах, змагатись

to vest (in) надавати, (-ся)

to ratify appointments ратифікувати призначення

to initiate ініціювати

with the exception of за винятком

amendment виправлення, поправка

majority party партія більшості

in the line в черзі

in case of у випадку

to settle disputes врегульовувати суперечки

to depend on залежати від

to hold hearings проводити слухання

to participate брати участь

Task 2. Read and translate the text, write down all the unknown words.

The Political System of the usa

The USA is a federative republic. In 1776 when the independence of the USA was declared, 13 "founding" states entered the federation; from 1959 the federation comprises 50 states.

Washington D. C. is the seat of the Federal Government of the United States. The Federal Government is made up of three branches - the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial. The function of the Executive Branch is to carry out the laws of the nation. It consists of the President, Vice - President and the President's Cabinet. The members of the Cabinet are chosen by the President. Most of them are called Secretaries: the Secretary of State, Agriculture, Labour, Transportation, etc.

The President is head of the state and of the executive department. He is also a Commander - in - Chief of the Army and Navy of the USA. The President and Vice President are elected for a term of 4 years. No person can be elected to the office of President more than twice. The President is elected indirectly in two stages: first electors are chosen in their respective states, and these elect the President and Vice - President, running together on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

All legislative powers are vested in Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Members of the House of Representatives (435 persons) are chosen every second year. Senators (100 persons) are elected for a term of six years, 2 senators from each state.

The Senate ratifies international appointments. The Senate may also initiate any bill with the exception of financial ones; these may be introduced only by the House of Representatives. The Senate may not adopt any bill introduced by the House of Representatives or make amendments to it.

In the House of Representatives the presiding officer is the Speaker, who is elected by the members and is always a member of the majority party in the House. The Speaker is now the first in the line to become President in case of the death of both President and Vice - President.

In the USA Congress the Speaker plays a very important role in party policies. He appoints members of Congressional Committees, for example, to work on the bills or to settle disputes between the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The decision on some of the most important issues may therefore depend on who is chosen by the Speaker to participate in the Committees.

The main work of the Congress is done in committees. The Congressional Houses have a system of committees - 16 in the Senate and 20 in the House of Representatives. Every bill is worked out there. Special Committees hold hearings on different issues, some of them open and others secret, depending on the subject matter.

Two main parties dominate the political scene of the USA - the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Neither of them have а permanent membership, membership being determined by election vote.

Task 3. Answer the following questions.

1. What are the functions of the USA Senate?

2. Who is elected by the members and is always a member of the majority party?

3. Where is the main work of the Congress done?

4. What are the main political parties in the USA?

5. When was the independence of the USA declared?

6. How many “founding” states entered the federation?

7. What are the three branches the Federal Government is made up of?

8. Whom are the members of the President’s Cabinet chosen by?

9. What term are the President and Vice President elected for?

10. When does the election take place in the USA?

Task 4. Pick out from the text all the word combinations with the following words and give their Ukrainian equivalents.

Branch of power, carry out, the executive department, to be vested in, to make amendments, financial bills, to settle disputes

Task 5. Complete the following expressions choosing a suitable preposition from the list below; find the best way of expressing them in Ukrainian.

1. To be elected … a term … 4 years;

2. Powers are vested … Congress;

3. To consist … the Senate and the House … Representatives;

4. Two senators … each state;

5. The Speaker is now first …the line;

6. To work … the bills;

7. Depending … the subject matter.

8. Every bill is worked … … the committees;

On, for, of (3), at, in (3), from, out

Task 6. Translate the following sentences and pay special attention to the underlined words or phrases.

1. The President of the USA has the responsibility of enforcing federal laws, appointing and removing high federal officials.

2. The Vice President of the US presides over the Senate. The Senate has certain exclusive powers. It alone can sit as a court of impeachment to try federal officials impeached by the House of Representatives.

3. The American people have a strong voice in their government. They can exercise their democratic rights by voting in national, state and local elections, and by working in political parties and campaigns.

4. The United States has two major political parties, the Democratic and the Republican. Members of these two parties hold almost all the offices in the national, state and local governments.

5. The federal law must not violate the US Constitution. All state laws must conform to or be in harmony with the federal Constitution as well as with the constitution of the state.

Task 7. Make the following sentences complete by translating the phrases in brackets.

1. The ultimate power under the Constitution is not given to the President (виконавча гілка), or to the Congress (законодавча гілка) or to the Supreme Court (судова гілка). (Вона належить людям).

2. The President must be able to convince Congressmen of his point of view. (В цьому полягає відмінність американської системи влади від парламентарської).

3. The Bill of Rights determines the fundamental rights of Americans; (свободу віросповідання, слова, преси, право мирного зібрання, щоб відстоювати свої інтереси).

4. The division of power between the states and the national government (називається федералізмом. Деякі повноваження належать включно федеральному уряду).

5. The system by which each branch of government can check-limit the power of the other two branches (називається системою стримування і противаг).

6. The President can check the lawmaking power of Congress ( з допомогою вето).

7. Congress can check the President’s veto by overriding a veto (двома третинами голосів в обох палатах).

8. The Supreme Court can check both the President and Congress (проголошенням їхніх дій неконституційними).

Task 8. Give synonyms to the words in bold type.

1. How many states joined the federation in 1776?

2. Who is chosen by the speaker to take part in the work of the committees?

3. The federation includes 50 states nowadays.

4. You don`t need much effort to solve this problem, do you?

5. We are sure of the great responsibility of lawyers fulfilling their professional duties.

6. The federal Government consists of three branches. Do you know what they are?

Task 9. Match the words on the left with thir definitions on the right. Use them in the sentences of your own.

The Executive Branch		having the power to make laws
TheLegislative Branch		relating to the administration of justice
The Judicial Branch		the branch of a government responsible for putting decisions or laws into effect
amendment		an act of assigning a job or position to someone
appointment		a section that is added to a law or rule in order to change it
to depend on		to find the way out by the mutual agreement
to settle		to be under the conditions of smb. or smth

Task 10. Topics for discussion.

1. Some facts on the foundation of the USA.

2. The structure of the Federal Government.

3. Speak on the role of the Congress of the USA.

4. The main functions of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

5. The Speaker and his important role in party policies.

6. The peculiarities of the presidency in the USA.

7. The main political parties of the USA.

8. Give short charectiristics of the three branches of power in the USA