Lectures of The Linguistic Culture (798449), страница 13
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1.Franklin Roosevelt and his role in American history;
2.John Kennedy and his peaceful initiativesю
3.What developments have affected the role of Black people in the USA?
4.The life and recent changes in the life of American Indians
Chapter III. The Governmental and Political System
Mount Rushmore. Gutson Borglum memorial of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt.
Read and translate the words and word combinations:
to be in force to have drives
“check and balances” powers national party conventions
a succession of state primaries and caucuses to specify
to amend (amendment) to go to the palls
to correct wrongs to run for president
fellow citizens to vote the straight ticket
to strike down a national convention
to override a veto nominate (nominee)
to be bound to party program to reach a compromise
to be subject to electoral college
to vote a “straight ticket” lobby (lobbying)
a constituency
a number of civic groups
The governmental systems of the United States – federal, state, country, and local are quite easy to understand. The operation of these systems is based on the US Constitution, which was adopted by US Congress in 1785.
The Constitution the oldest still in force in the world sets the basic form of government: three separate branches, each one having powers (“check and balances”) over the others. It specifies the powers and duties of each federal branch of government, with all other powers and duties, belonging to the states.
To meet the changing needs of the nation, the constitution has been repeatedly amended. Ten amendments in the Bill of rights (1791) guaranteed the basic rights of individual Americans. The other sixteen amendments included the one besides banning slavery (1865) to give women the right to vote (1920)
The Bill of Rights
The first 10 amendments to the Constitution and their purpose
Protections afforded fundamental rights and freedoms
Amendment 1: Freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly; the right to petition the government.
Protections against arbitrary military action
Amendment 2: Right to bear arms and maintain state militia (National Guard).
Amendment 3: Troops may not be quartered in homes in peacetime.
Protections against arbitrary and court action
Amendment 4: No unreasonable searches or seizures.
Amendment 5: Grand jury indictment required to prosecute for a serious crime. No “double jeopardy” – being tried twice for the same offence. Forcing a person to testify against himself or herself prohibited. No loss of life, liberty without due process.
Amendment 6: Right to speedy, public, impartial with defense counsel, and right to cross-examine witnesses.
Amendment 7: Jury trials in civil suits where value exceeds 20 dollars.
Amendment 8: No excessive bail or fines, no cruel and unusual punishments.
Protections of states’ rights and unnamed rights of the people
Amendment 9: Unlisted rights are not necessarily denied.
Amendment 10: Powers not delegated to the United States of denied to states are reserved to the states or to the people.
Although the constitution has been amended 26 times it is still the “supreme law of the land” which has been fought for and won.
The constitution provides for three main branches of government which are separate and distinct from one another; the executive branch (the president, the vice president, the cabinet), the legislative branch (the Congress) and the judicial branch (the Supreme Court).
The powers given to each are carefully balanced by the powers of the other two. Each branch serves as a check on the others. This is to keep any branch from gaining too much power or from misusing its powers. The chart below illustrates how the equal branches of government are connected and how each is dependent on the other two.
The Separation of Powers. The Policy of Checks and Balances
The USA Congress has the power to make laws, but the President may veto any act of Congress. Congress, in its turn, can override a veto by a two-thirds vote in each house. Congress can also refuse to provide funds requested by the President. The President can appoint important officials of his administration, but they must be approved by the Senate. The courts have the power to determine the constitutionality of all acts of Congress and of presidential actions, and to strike down those they find unconstitutional.
The system of checks and balances makes compromise and consensus necessary. Compromise is also a vital aspect of other levels of the US government.
The system of “check and balances” protects against extremes. It means for example, that new presidents cannot radically change governmental policies just as they wish.
Political Parties.
The US Constitution says nothing about political parties, but over time the US has developed a two-party system: the Democratic and Republican parties. Other small parties such as the Liberation Party and the Labor Party do not play any important role in national politics. The president-day Democratic Party was founded in 1828 representing Southern planters. The Republican Party, founded in 1854, united industrial and trade bourgeoisie from Northeast. Later after the Civil War the differences between the two parties became minimal.
Sometimes, the Democrats are thought of as associated with labor, and the Republicans with business and industry. Republicans also tend to oppose the greater involvement of the federal government in some areas of public life, which they consider to be the responsibility of the states and communities. Democrats, on the other hand, tend to favor a more active role of the central government in social matters.
Yet it is still more difficult for ordinary Americans to distinguish between the parties. Furthermore, the traditional European terms of “right” and “left”, or “conservative” and “liberal” do not quite fit the American system. Someone from the “conservative right”, for instance, would be against a strong central government. Or a Democrat from one part of the country could be very “liberal”, and one from another part quite “conservative”. Even if they have been elected as Democrats or Republicans, Representatives or Senators are not bound to a party program, nor are they subject to any discipline when they disagree with their party.
While some voters will vote a “straight ticket’ in other words, for all of the Republican or Democratic candidates in an election, many do not. They vote for one party’s candidate for one office, and another’s for another one. As a result, the political parties have much less actual power than they do in Britain.
In the U.S., the parties cannot win seats, which they are then free to fill with party members they have chosen. Rather, both Representatives and Senators are elected to serve the interests of the “people-and the areas the represent, that is, their “constituencies”. In about 70 percent of legislative decisions, Congressmen will vote with the specific wishes of their constituencies in mind, even if this goes against what their own parties might want as national policy. It is quite common, in fact, to find Democrats in Congress voting for a Republican President’s legislation, quite a few republicans voting against it, and so on.
Elections
All American citizen, (at least 18 years of age), may take part in elections. Before the elections take place the Americans who want to vote must register.
There are 50 different registration laws in the U.S ( one set for each state). Both voter registration and voting has dramatically increased during the last twenty years, especially as a result of the Civil Rights policy. Some civic groups, e.g. the League of Women Voters, are actively trying to get more people involved in the electoral process and have drives to register as many people as possible.
Legislators (Senators and Congressmen) are elected from geographical districts directly by the voters according to the principle “one person, one vote”. Under this principle, all election districts must have about the same number of residents. Almost all elections in the USA follow “the winner – take – air principle”: i.e., the candidate who wins the largest number of votes in a Congressional district is the winner.
The national presidential election consists of two separate campaigns: one is for the nomination of candidates at national party conventions. The other is to win the actual election. The nominating race is a competition between members of the same party. They run in a succession of state primaries and caucuses (which take place between March arid June). They hope to gain a majority of delegate votes for their national party conventions (in July of August). At the party convention having now almost theatrical character (bands, balloons, lot of noise, etc.)the party’s official candidate for the presidency is selected. The follows presidential campaign that follows after begins very early and continues until election in early November when the candidates make final television appearances and appeal for the votes. Presidential campaigns also include major expenses, apart from TV and radio and the press advertising, such as the travel costs of the candidate and his staff, their salaries and campaign literature. Such publicity items as campaign pins and bumper stickers are also widely used. All these tremendous campaign costs are financed with federal funds with equal amounts of money for each major party. At the time of the primary campaigns the competing candidates may also receive private contributions. Every campaign attracts hundreds of unpaid workers at the grass roots, or local political level.
In November of the election year (years divisible by four, e.g. 1988, 1992, 1996, etc.), the voters across the nation go to the polls. If the majority of the popular votes in a state go to the Presidential (and Vice - Presidential) candidate of one party, then that person is supposed to get all of that state’s “electoral votes”. These electoral votes are equal to the number of senators and Representatives each state has in Congress. The candidate with the largest number of these electoral votes wins the election. The «Electoral College » formally reports each state’s electoral votes, a procedure established by the constitution.
In recent years there has been discussion about eliminating the Electoral College procedure. Many people think it is awkward and undemocratic. Opponents of the Electoral College favor the direct election of the president and vice-president. Others believe that in a close popular election only the Electoral College can clearly establish the winner.
In January of the following year, in a joint session of Congress, the new President and Vice – President are officially announced. The ceremony of inauguration always takes place at noon on January 20. The president’s Inauguration speech is regarded as a declaration of principles proclaimed by the new Administration.
T 
he Administration or the Executive Power.
The President and the vice – president of the United States are elected every four years to a four –year term of office, with no more than two full terms allowed
The President chooses the fourteen cabinet members who head departments, such as Justice, Defense, or Education; chooses who will run as vice president; appoints federal judges; chooses heads of agencies such as the FBI and CIA; proposes laws, and approves federal laws after Congress has approved them; appoints US ambassadors to foreign countries; bears the responsibilities of relations with foreign countries and commander- in chief of armed forces.
Since the time the very first American President so – called “father of the nation” George Washington was elected there have been 42 presidents in the USA. Nine presidents were elected for two terms. Four American presidents were assassinated: Abraham Lincoln (1865), James Garfield (1881), William McKinley (1901) and John Kennedy (1963).
The Vice President leads the Senate and combined meetings of both houses of Congress, .serves on special government committees and. becomes president if the president must leave office.
The Cabinet together with the president, the cabinet members (13) form the government. They advise on issues related to their departments.
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