The political system of the usa

The United States of America is a federal union of 50 states. Its basic law is the Constitution adopted in 1787 which remains the oldest still in force written constitution in the world. The Constitution prescribes the structure of national government and lists its rights and fields of authority. Besides, each state has its own government. Thus, all government in America 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. Each branch of government holds a certain degree of power over the others, and all take part in the governmental process. The powers given to each are carefully balanced by the powers of the other two. Each branch serves as a check on the others. The so-called system of “checks and balances” is provided to keep any branch from gaining too much power or from misusing its powers.

The legislative branch

Supreme legislative power in the American government lies with Congress, which consists of two chambers or houses – the Senate (the upper house) and the House of Representatives (the lower house). Each state has its own government, following the Washington pattern – State Assemblies or Legislatures with two chambers.

Congress of the United States is the legislature of the United States of America established under the Constitution of 1789 and separated structurally from the executive and judicial branches of government.

Congress has no general legislative power such as is enjoyed by the British Parliament, and to a lesser degree by the legislatures of the American states; it has only such functions and authority as are expressly conferred on it by the Constitution or are implied in the Constitution. Many of the express powers are defined in Article 1, Section 8. Among these are the power ‘to levy and collect taxes’, ‘borrow money on the credit of the United States’, ‘regulate commerce with foreign nations and among several states’, ‘coin money’, ‘establish post offices’, ‘declare war’, ‘raise and support armies’, and ‘make all laws’ necessary for the execution of its own powers and ‘all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States’. This Section also empowers Congress to administer the District of Columbia, which contains seat of the federal government. Other express powers are conferred on Congress in other articles of the Constitution. Among the implied powers of Congress is the right to establish legislative machinery to give effect to its express powers.

The Senate is one of the two houses of the legislature of the United States established in 1789 under the Constitution. The role of the Senate was conceived by the Founding Fathers as a check on the popularly elected House of Representatives. The US Senate has some special powers, not given to the House of Representatives. The Senate approves or disapproves major Presidential appointments of such high officials as ambassadors, Cabinet ministers and federal judges. The Senate must also ratify, by a two-third vote, treaties between the USA and foreign countries.

The House of Representatives has a special power of its own. Only a member of the House can introduce a bill to raise money, but it must also be passed by the Senate before it can become a law.

The Senate is composed of 100 members, two from each of 50 states, who are elected for a term of six years. Although Congressional elections take place every two years, only one-third of the Senate is re-elected, thereby ensuring continuity.

The Constitution says that a Senator must be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the USA for nine years and a resident of the state from which he is elected. The individual seats in the Senate are numbered. Democrats sit in the Western part of the chamber – on Vice President’s right. Republicans sit on his left. Vice President presides over the Senate and conducts debates. The Senate is more stable and more conservative than the House of Representatives, as many Senators are re-elected several times and often they are more experienced politicians.

The House of Representatives has 435 members. The number of Representatives which each state sends to the House depends on its population. The Constitution says that each state, no matter how small it is in population, must have at least one Representative.

A Representative must be at least 25 years of age, a US citizen for seven years and live in the state from which he is elected. Congressmen of the House do not have individual seats, by tradition Democrats sit on the Speaker’s right, Republicans – on his left. The Speaker presides over the House and conducts debates. The Speaker, like the Vice-President in the Senate, may vote, but usually he does not do it, except in case of a tie-vote.

Votes are taken in American Congress in four different ways. Usually the Speaker or the Vice-President says, ‘As many as are in favour say ‘Aye’!’ and then, ‘As many as are opposed say ‘No’!’ In most case it is enough. But if there is a doubt those in favour are asked to stand up and they are counted. The Speaker or the Vice President does the counting in his chamber and announces the result. If there is still doubt, two tellers are appointed. The fourth way is the roll-call, where the names of all Congressmen are called out and they answer ‘Aye’ or ‘No’.

3. Give Ukrainian equivalents to the following words and expressions:

to remain the oldest still in force written Constitution; dual character of both state and federal government; to serve as a check; to follow the pattern; to enjoy legislative power; to define express powers; to confer express powers; to be implied in the Constitution; to preside over the House; popularly elected; to collect taxes; to coin money; to raise armies; to vest powers; to administer the District of Columbia; to establish the legislative machinery; to give effect; to approve/disapprove major appointments; a two-third vote; to raise money; to do the counting.

4. Find in the text the words or expressions that mean the following:

Сфера повноважень; певна міра влади; система стримувань і противаг; запобігати отриманню надмірної влади; зловживання владою; верхня палата; нижня палата; Законодавчі збори штату; у меншій мірі; контролювати торгівлю; утримувати збройні сили; резиденція федерального уряду; батьки-засновники; високопосадовці; висунути проект закону; забезпечити послідовність, послідовну зміну; вести засідання; досвідчені політики; місце в парламенті; рівна кількість голосів; бути „за”; бути „проти”; якщо є сумнів; рахівник; виклик поіменно.

Make up your own sentences with the expressions given above.

5. A: Fill in the appropriate word from the list below.

Announced, oppose, ensure, authority, expressed, prescribed, borrow, lies, vest, treaty, empower, separation, misuses, implied, raised, expressed, conceived, patterns, levied

1. A commanding officer has complete … over his personnel. 2. In Indochina all previous …. of America's involvement abroad were shattered. 3. All children will tend to suffer from …. from their parents. 4. They signed a … to settle all border disputes by arbitration. 5. He … the fact, but gave no details. 6. You could … some money from your uncle without paying interest. 7. Who first … the idea of announcing the competition? 8. Computers …. students to become intellectual explorers. 9. The government has taken measures to … against Euro cheats. 10. It is … as a percentage. 11. It is not directly asserted, but it seems to be … .12. Taxes should be …. more on the rich than on the poor. 13. The job of ensuring an equal sharing of national wealth …. with the government. 14. It will not be men's fault if she …. her liberty. 15. The world does not …. religion as such. 16. The punishment is …. by law. 17. Any worker who makes a useful suggestion to the firm will be … to a higher position. 18. I … you with full powers to decide any question which may arise.

B: Fill in the appropriate proposition or adverb where necessary.

1. Who was … authority? 2. These employees are … my authority. 3. … what authority do you do these things, and who gave you this authority? 4. They are always borrowing … us. 5. He expressed his sympathy … the bereaved (постраждала) family. 6. They will only assume that, as a woman, the fault lies … me. 7. The problem lay … the large amounts spent … defence. 8. The Indian Government was vested … the power of sovereignty. 9. In some countries authority is said to be vested … people. 10. Congress of the United States is established … the Constitution. 11. The Senate is composed … 100 members who are elected … a term … six years. 12. The number of Representatives depends … its population. 13. The Speaker presides … the House of Representatives.

6. Translate the words given in two columns and match the pairs as they are used in the text.

1. державний	a. конституція
2. двоїстий	b. Палата
3. найстаріший	c. гілка
4. іноземний	d. характер
5. судовий	e. принцип
6. обраний	f. Сенат
7. головний	g. влада
8. спеціальний (2)	h. суддя
9. високий	i. спосіб
10. вищий	j. посадовець
11. персональний	k. управління
12. консервативний	l. повноваження
13. різноманітний	m. держава
14. федеральний	n. спосіб
15. законодавчий	o. місце

7. Fill in a correct word or phrase from the list below:

International; sea; taxes; Supreme Court; money (4); courts; credit; patent; commerce; copyright; foreign; post; interstate; post offices; naturalization; counterfeiters; value(2); measures; war; support; imminent; gold; militias (2); invaded; laws (2); countries; states; troops; rebellions (2); exports (2); imports; invasion (2); nobility (2); District of Columbia; obligation; federal government; ex post facto (2); powers; attainder (2); elastic clause; silver; implied; treaty; habeas corpus; act of Congress; water; advantages

Some of the powers of Congress are: to collect (1)____________; borrow (2) _________ on the (3)_________ of the United States; regulate (4) _________ (both (5) _________ and (6) _________; make (7)__________ laws allowing foreigners to become citizens; coin (8)_________ and decide its (9)________ and the (10)_________ of foreign (11)_________; fix the (12)________ of weights and (13) ________; punish (14) _________; set up (15) _________ and roads; encourage the science and arts by passing (16)________ laws and (17) ________ laws; set up all federal (18) _________ lower than the (19)________ ________; punish crimes at (20) __________ or against (21) ____law; declare (22) ___; raise and (23) ___ the army, navy, and air force; call the states’ (24)_________ to enforce federal (25) __________; end (26) __________, or for defense against (27) ____; organize and furnish weapons for the states’ (28)_________; govern the (29) _________ ___________ and control all property in the states owned by the (30) ________ _________ and pass laws to see that these (31)__________ are carried out. This last clause is sometimes called the (32)__________ __________ and gives Congress its (33) ____________ powers.

Some powers Congress may not have are to rake away the privilege of writs of (34) __________ _________ except during times of (35)_________ or (36)_________; pass bills of (37)____________ or (38) _________ laws; tax (39) _________; give to the ports of any one state any (40) _________ over those of another, or tax goods shipped by (41) _________ in the United States; draw money from the United States Treasury without an (42)_______ ____________; or grant title4s of (43) ___________.

Some powers the states may not have are: to make any separate (44)____; coin (45)____; use anything but (46) ____ or (47) ___ money in payment of debts; pass bills of (48) ____, (49) ___ ___ ___ laws, or laws that damage the (50)____ of contracts; or grant titles of (51)_____. States must have the permission of Congress to tax (52) ____ or (53) ____; keep (54)____ or warships in time of peace; make agreements with other (55) ____ or foreign (56) ____; or fight a war unless actually (57)___ or in (58) _____.

8. Match the words given on the left with their definitions on the right.

1.authority	a. involved in the writing and passing of laws
2. government	b. to manage the affairs of a business, organization, or institution
3. legislative	c. an amount of money levied by a government on its citizens and used to run the government and the country or state
4. executive	d. a formal contract or agreement negotiated between countries or other political entities
5. judicial	e. an organized event at which somebody is chosen for something, especially a public office, by vote; the process of choosing somebody or of being chosen by vote
6. tax	f. power to act on behalf of somebody else or official permission to do something
7. credit	g. a written proposal for a new law, discussed and voted upon by the members of a legislative body
8. commerce	h. the section of a country’s government responsible for implementing legislative decisions
9. to administer	i. the management or control of something; a group of people who have the power to make and enforce laws for a country or area; a type of political system
10. treaty	j. the large-scale buying and selling of goods and services
11. to approve	k. to give formal approval to something, usually an agreement negotiated by somebody else, in order that it can become valid or operative
12. to ratify	l. to agree officially to something, or accept that something has reached a required standard
13. election	m. to express an opinion or preference in an election or for a referendum
14. to vote	n. relating or belonging to a body of judges or to the system that administers justice
15. bill	o.the amount of money that a financial institution is prepared to lend somebody

9. Translate the text given below.

Наглядові (oversight) повноваження Конгресу

Нагляд Конгресу запобігає марнотратству (waste) й ошуканству (fraud); захищає громадянські свободи та права людини; забезпечує неухильне дотримання (compliance with) виконавчою владою законів; накопичує інформацію для законотворення й просвітницької роботи в суспільстві; оцінює (evaluates) дієвість (performance) виконавчої гілки влади. Цей нагляд охоплює (applies to) міністерства Кабінету, виконавчі управління, регулюючі комісії, а також Президента.

Функція нагляду Конгресу набуває різних форм:

• розслідування та слухання у комітетах;

• проведення офіційних консультацій з Президентом та вивчення президентських звітів;

• надання Сенатом порад та згоди щодо президентських призначень і договорів;

• початок справи про імпічмент Палатою Представників та подальший (subsequent) розгляд справи Сенатом;

• дії Палати Представників та Сенату відповідно до Двадцять п‘ятої поправки у випадку, коли Президент виявляє неспроможність виконувати свої обов‘язки (disabled) та коли стає вакантною (falls vacant) посада Віце-президента;

• проведення неофіційних зустрічей між законодавцями та урядовцями-виконавцями;

• участь конгресменів в урядових комісіях;

• проведення досліджень комітетами Конгресу та допоміжними (support) органами – такими як Бюджетне бюро (office) Конгресу, Бюро загальної бухгалтерії (Accounting), Бюро технологічних оцінок (Assessment), які є підрозділами Конгресу.

Наглядові повноваження Конгресу допомагали усунути з посади деяких урядовців, змінити політику й запровадити новий встановлений законом (statutory) нагляд за виконавчою владою. Наприклад, розслідування Конгресом Вотергейтської справи 1973 року викрило (exposed) офіційних осіб Білого дому, які незаконно скористалися своїм службовим становищем для одержання політичної вигоди. А наступного року Комітет юстиції (Judiciary Committee) Палати Представників розпочав справу про імпічмент проти Президента Ричарда Ніксона, що й поклало край його президентству. Наглядові повноваження Конгресу підтверджують, що вони є істотним засобом (check) стримування (monitoring) дій президентської влади та контролю за державною політикою.

10. Answer the following questions.

1. Which body represents the legislative branch of government in the USA? 2. What powers does Congress enjoy? 3. What is the role of the Senate in the legislature? 4. Why is only one-third of the Senate re-elected every two years? 5. What requirements must a person meet to be elected a Senator ? 6. What does the number of representatives in Congress depend on? 7. In what ways are votes taken in American Congress?

11. A. Read the text given below and render it into Ukrainian. Do the exercises that follow it.

Often discussing Congress of the USA a third chamber is mentioned. The third chamber is a specific American phenomenon – lobbies.