1.2. The us System of Government

The District of Columbia is the territory of the city of Washington, the national capital. Washington, D.C. lies between two states: Virginia and Maryland on the Potomac River, which divides the city into two parts. This place was selected personally by the 1^st President of the United States George Washington. In 1791 he purchased the land from private owners.

Washington, D.C. is the seat of The Federal Government. It is made up of three branches: the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch and the Judicial Branch.

● The Executive Branch

It consists of: the President, the Vice-President and the Presidents Cabinet. The function of the Executive Branch is to carry out the laws of the nation. The President and the Vice-President are chosen in a national election for a 4-year term of office and may be reelected for a second time. They must be native born citizens, at least 35 years old, and a member of a political party. In the USA there are 2 major parties: the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and many small parties. The President’s Cabinet is chosen by the President. Most of them are called Secretaries: the Secretaries of State, Agriculture, Labour, Transportation etc.

● The Legislative Branch

Congress is where the laws are made and adopted. Congress is made up of 2 houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are 100 Senators elected 2 from each of the 50 States. They are elected for 6 years regardless of their population. In the House of Representatives the members are elected for only 2 years, their number depends upon the states population.

● The Judicial Branch

The Judicial Branch is headed by the Supreme Court which settles any disputes involving the national government or disputes between two or more states.

The State Governments follow the same pattern as the Federal Government. Each state has an Executive Branch headed by the Governor, a Legislative Branch and a Judicial Branch.

Answer the questions:

1. What do you know about the capital of the USA?

2. What Branches of the USA Federal Government do you know?

3. Whom does the Executive Branch consist of?

4. Who can be the President and the Vice-President?

5. What functions does the Legislative Branch perform?

6. What is the head of the Judicial Branch?

7. Who is the head in the State Governments?

3. Origins of the Names of u.S. States

Etymologically the names by the U.S. States can be divided into 4 groups:

1. the names on the basis of known earlier geographical names, taken from the countries by the Old World to North America continent:

1. Maine – ancient French province, owned by Queen Henrietta-Mary, the wife of King Karl I, the King of England;

2. New Hampshire – Hampshire – a country in England;

3. New Jersey – Jersey – an island near England;

4. New York – York – a city in England;

5. New Mexico – Mexico (Span.);

2. the names formed on the basis of the European languages:

6. California – in 1769 Spanish Catholics called it “calor de forni” – “жаркая как печь”;

7. Colorado – Span. “coloured country”;

8. Montana – Span. “mountain country”;

9. Nevada – Span. “covered with snow”;

10. Rhod Island – Dutch. “a red island” (red clay);

11. Vermont – Fr. “green mountains”;

12. Indiana – Engl. “land of the Indians”;

13. Florida – Span. “цветущая”, it was discovered by Ponce de Leon on Easter Sunday, 1513, Pascua Florida, “Flowery Easter”;

14. Alaska – Rus. Version of Aleutian (Eskimo) word alakshak for peninsula;

15. Puerto Rico – Span. for “rich port”;

3. the names called in honour of historical persons:

16. Columbia (district of …) – in 1791, for Christopher Columbus;

17. Delaware – named for Lerd de la Warr, early governor of Virginia in the beginning XVII c.;

18. Georgia – for King George II of England;

19. Louisiana called by La Salle in 1682 for French King Louis XIV;

20. Washington – named after George Washington;

4. the names borrowed from the Indian languages: