Political system of the USA | Anglictina-maturita.cz

Otázka: The political system of the USA

Jazyk: Angličtina

Přidal(a): a-mpytlikova

Political system

Government:

Federal: matters concerning the country as a whole – foreign affairs, defence and finance
State: governments of individual states

July 4^th, 1776: The Declaration of Independence

1788: Constitution was officially adopted by the original 13 states

Political power:

legislative – executive – judicial
System of Checks and Balances: none of them is given the ultimate power, each of them checks other branches and prevent from becoming too powerful

1) Legislative (Congress)

the supreme law-making body
seat in the Capitol in Washington D.C.
Senate: 100 members; each state has 2 Senators (voted for 6 years)
House of Representatives: 435 members, (voted for 2 years)
- number of Representatives depends on the population of the state
- 400 000 inhabitants cover one seat
- The speaker of the house
  - Chosen by majority party
  - Assigns legislation to committees
Bill must pass both of them and be signed by the president before it becomes law

Tasks:
- Make federal laws (declare war)
- Deal with foreign treaties
- Impeachment: the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct
  - Only the House of Representatives has the power to initiate the process

2) Executive (President Cabinet)

President of the USA
- Chosen every 4 years
- Can be in office max. 2 term in a row
- Chosen by the Electoral College system
- On the 20^th of January of the new year the elected President and Vice-President are officially sworn into office
- Has to be at least 35 years old
- Current president: Joe Biden (2021), Democrats
- First president of the USA: George Washington
- Powers:
  - Proposes bills
  - Veto or refuses law
  - Appoints federal judges, ministers and Secretaries, ambassadors
  - Pardons criminals convinced of offences against the federal government
  - Makes treaties with the advice of the Senate
  - Leader of his political party
  - Military commander-in-chief

Vice president
- Becomes a president upon the death, resignation or medical impairment of the President
- Current Vice-President: Kamala Harris
- Leading parties: the Democrats and the Republicans
- Electoral College: the formal body which elects the President and Vice president of USA
  - Group of electors who elect the candidate (538 members)
  - Each state has a certain number of electors which depends on the number of the state’s representatives in Congress
  - Voters vote for the slate of electors who vowed to vote for a certain candidate

3) Judicial (Supreme Court)

Flag and National Anthem