Political System of the usa

The US is a federal Union of 50 states; each of them has its own government According to the US Constitution, the government is divided into three branches: the executive branch headed by the President, the legislative, branch exercised by the Congress created by Article I of the Constitution, adopted in 1787, and the judicial branch. The Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are two main political parties in the USA: the Republican (symbolized by a donkey) and the Democratic (symbolized by an elephant).

The Senate is made up of 100 members (2 from each state), elected for a term of 6 years. One third of the Senate is elected every 2 years. To be elected a Senator, a person must be at least 30 years old and have been the citizen of the USA at least 9 years.

The House of Representatives comprises representatives from each state, elected for a two-year term. The number of representatives from each state depends on its population, but every state is represented. To be elected a representative, a person must be at least 25 years of age and have been a citizen of the USA for at least 7 years.

The presiding officer of the Senate is the Vice-President of the USA. The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the Speaker, is elected by the house. The work of preparing and considering laws is done by the committees of both Houses. There are 15 standing committees in the Senate and 19 in the House of Representatives. The Congress assembles at least once a year.

The executive branch of the government consists of the President, the Vice-President and the Cabinet. The President’s term of office is four years, together with the Vice-President, chosen for the same term. The President is the head of the executive branch of the government; he appoints the members of the Cabinet. The Cabinet advises the President on many matters and is composed of the heads of ten executive departments: Secretary of State, Secretary of Treasury, Secretary of Defense and others.

The judicial branch of the government is headed by the Supreme Court which settles disputes between the states. The Supreme Court may veto any law passed by the Congress if it contradicts the Constitution of the USA.

The US national flag – Stars and Stripes – is red, white and blue. Thirteen stripes represent the original 13 states of the US; the stars represent the current number of states.

Education in Kazakhstan

The education in Kazakhstan is conducted in two languages -Kazakh and Russian. The constitution prohibits any discrimination on the basis of language and guarantees equal rights in education regardless of nationality. Secondary education is compulsory in Kazakhstan. Children start school at the age of 7 and finish at 17 as a rule a child attends the school, located in the neighborhood. However, in big cities there are so -called special schools, offering deeper studies of the major European languages(French, English, German) or the advanced courses in physics and mathematics and children, attending one of these may have to commute from home.

The first stage of education in Kazakhstan is elementary school for grades one through four. The second is secondary school for middle grades from five through nine. Upon graduation from secondary school students are given the choice of either continuing to attend the same school or entering a vocational or technical school. Both of these schools are meant to provide one, along with certificate of secondary education with a number of useful skills (e.g. those of an electrician, technical or computer operators). Having completed one’s secondary education, one can either become a part of work force or go on college (institution of higher learning-Institute).

To be admitted to the institute one has to pass a series of oral or written tests. Marks in the certificate of secondary education are also taken into account. Entry to higher institution is quite competitive. Some college departments (law, journalism, foreign language -especially English) have dozens of applicants for one prospective student's position. The system of higher education prepares highly -skilled experts on economy, transport, agriculture, medicine, languages and others.

Education in Kazakhstan has until recently been free on all levels. College students with good marks are rewarded with stipend. The government subsidized all institutions of higher learning. Now that the country is changing to a market place economy, the system of education is also bound to undergo profound changes. In 1990 the first private school appeared in Almaty. Today there are more than 200 private secondary and high schools in the country. For the last two years the number of non-government higher education institutions has increased twice. The work of private institutions is evaluated by a special accreditation commission, which gives out a special license. Today the young people of the Kazakhstan have the opportunity to choose and acquire various types of education and build their lives according to their ambitions.