Introduction

The United States of America is a federal union of 50 states or commonwealths. Its basic law is the Constitution, adopted in 1789, which prescribes the structure and method of national government and lists its rights and fields of authority, other rights and activities being reserved to the individual states. All government in America, therefore has the dual character of both Federal and State Government.

The basic principle of all American government is the separation of the three branches: legislative, executive and judicial, with a system of “checks and balances”. This system is a basic part of the structure of the American government system. No person or institution can have unlimited authority. Each branch of the national government shares and limits some of the powers of the other branches.

Checks and balances

In american government president Executive Branch

Override veto (2/3 majority).

Impeach President and Vice President.

Ratify appointments and treaties (Senate).

Conduct investigations.

Appoint judges.

Give pardons and reprieves.

Judicial review of executive actions.

Veto legislation.

Exercise political leadership.

Influence public opinion.

Establish lower courts.

Set judicial salaries.

Ratify appointment (Senate).

Impeach judges.

Supreme court and other federal courts

Judicial Branch

Congress Legislative Branch

Judicial review of legislation.

Checks and balances is a major principle of the American governmental system whereby each department of the government exercises a check upon the actions of the others. The principle operates not only among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches but between the two Houses of the legislature and between the States and the national government. Each department has some authority to control the actions of one or more of the others by participation in their functions. Examples include the President’s veto power and the Congressional power to override the veto; judicial review of legislative and executive actions; presidential appointment of judges with senatorial approval; and the Congressional power to impeach.

The check and balance system stresses the interdependence (rather than the complete separation) of the various units of government.

UNIT 1

THE LEGISLATURE

Section 1. Read the text and answer the following questions.

TEXT 1

Congress

Read the text and answer the following questions.

1. What is the function of the legislative branch of the government?

2. What do you know about the work and the structure of Congress?

3. What are the powers of Congress?

4. Name the powers of the Senate which are not accorded to the House of Representatives.

5. What are the sole powers of the House of Representatives?

The legislative branch of the federal government is represented by Congress - a bicameral lawmaking body. There are two houses of Congress. The Senate (the upper chamber) and the House of Representatives (the lower chamber). Its existence, authority, and limitations are provided by the Constitution. The function of the legislative branch of the government is to make the laws and to finance the operation of the government through levying taxes and appropriating money requested by the executive branch.

A Congress commences January 3 of each odd-numbered year. The term of Congress is the period during which a Congress remains in session between elections. Each Congress is numbered in sequence and has a life span of two years. Custom divides each term of Congress into two yearly (annual) sessions. Congress may be convened by the President for a special session. President Truman used this constitutional power in 1948. He recalled the legislators to work on a series of education, health, and civil rights bill. Special sessions, however, are rare.

By law, the Congress of the US contains 535 members. A Member of Congress is a person elected to either the Senate or the House of Representatives. A Member of the Senate is usually referred to as Senator and must be at least 30 years of age, must have been a citizen of the United States for 9 years, and must be a resident of the State he or she will represent in Congress. The Senate is composed of 100 voting members, two from each of the 50 states. Each state is entitled to be represented in the Senate by two senators, without regard to density of population.

Senators are elected for six-year terms which overlap. Thus in any election year, only one-third of the Senate is affected, the remaining two-thirds being members whose terms have not expired.

The House of Representatives has 435 voting members in addition to two representatives from Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, who are not entitled to vote. The members of the House are called representatives or congressmen (or congresswomen). They are elected for a two-year term. A Member of the House of Representatives must be at least 25 years of age, must have been a United States citizen for at least 7 years, and must reside in the State from which he or she is sent to Congress.

Many members of Congress are regularly re-elected, and so some of them serve for over 20 years.

Included in the powers of Congress are the powers to assess and collect taxes, to regulate foreign and interstate commerce, to coin money, to establish courts inferior to the Supreme Court, to declare war and to raise and maintain an army and navy. Another power possessed by Congress is the right to propose amendments to the Constitution whenever two thirds of both Houses shall consider it necessary.

Under the Constitution the Senate is granted certain powers not accorded to the House of Representatives. It confirms or rejects appointments made by the President, ratifies treaties, tries impeached officers, elects a Vice President if no candidate has a majority of the electoral vote. The House of Representatives is granted the sole right of originating revenue bills, impeaching civil officers and electing a President if no candidate has a majority of the electoral vote.

Task 1. Find in the text the English for:

1. двухпалатный законодательный орган;

2. верхняя палата, нижняя палата;

3. облагать налогами;

4. выделять (ассигновать) средства;

5. ежегодная сессия Конгресса;

6. в соответствии с законом;

7. (не) иметь право голоса;

8. предлагать поправки к Конституции;

9. утверждать или отклонять кандидатуры (назначения), предложенные президентом;

10. получить большинство голосов на выборах.