Unit 3 Who makes laws?

Three different lawmaking groups exist in the United States: (1) legislatures, (2) agencies, and (3) courts. Legislatures pass laws directly, agencies develop laws that help put legislative rulings into effect, and courts establish laws as a result of case decisions.

Legislatures.

The U.S. Constitution divides the power for making laws between the federal government and the state governments. The United States government has the power to pass federal laws. These laws are binding on the citizens of every state. In addition, every state has the power to pass laws that apply within that particular state.

The lawmaking authority of Congress is exercised by passing laws called federal statutes. Federal statutes affect every citizen and such issues as national defense, environmental quality, labor relations, veterans’ affairs, public health, civil rights, economic development, postal services and federal taxes.

America is a nation of states. Every state has a constitution, which spells out the basic structure of state government, including an executive, legislative and judicial branch. The lawmaking powers of the state are vested in the state legislature, which can pass state laws. Except for Nebraska, every state has a two-house legislature. In most states the legislature meets on an annual basis to pass laws affecting the state. In a few states the legislatures meet every two years.

Besides the U.S. Congress and the state legislatures, there are other legislative or lawmaking bodies, which are found on the local level in cities, towns and counties. Local governments pass laws known as ordinances or regulations. These laws apply only within a particular city or town.

Although legislatures have the power to pass laws affecting many aspects or our daily lives, all lawmaking-federal, state and local - is limited by the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution sets out the structure of our government and establishes the basic rights of all Americans.

If a legislature passes a law that violates a basic right, such as the freedom of speech, citizen can go to court and ask that law be overruled. The process by which courts decide whether the laws passed by Congress or by state or local legislatures are constitutional is known as judicial review.

Recognition vocabulary

verbs	nouns	adjectives
exist - существовать pass (laws’) - принимать законы develop - развивать establish - устанавливать, учреждать divide - делить put (into effect) - осуществить, приводить в действие apply - применять exercise - осуществлять affect - затрагивать concern - касаться spell out - расшифровывать, разъяснить, истолковать include - включать vest - облекать, наделять limit - ограничивать set out - излагать violate - нарушать decide - решать, принимать решение по	legislature - законодательный орган штата agency - агентство, орган court - суд rulings - постановления суда effect - действие result - результат case - судебное дело, случай decision - решение power - власть, сила, полномочия addition - добавление state - штат authority - власть, полномочия statute - законодательный акт, статут issue - вопрос, проблема citizen - гражданин defense - защита, оборона quality - качество labour - труд relation - отношения affair - дело health - здоровье service - служба tax - налог branch - отрасль, ветвь basis - основа level - уровень ordinance (syn.)-regulation - указ, постановление муниципального органа rights - права review - пересмотр process - процесс	legislative - законодательный direct - прямой, непосредственный binding - обязывающий, обязательный particular - особенный, отдельный environmental - относящийся к окружающей среде postal - почтовый basic - основной lawmaking - законодательный executive - исполнительный judicial - судебный annual - ежегодный local - местный known - известный