Vocabulary tasks

A Match these terms with their definitions.

	power	a	to try to reach an agreement by formal discussion
	to appoint	b	to officially agree to a plan, request, etc.
	branch	c	political control of a country or an area
	bill	d	to say that something that somebody else has said is wrong, and that the opposite is true
	to vote	e	to choose somebody for a job or position of responsibility
	to approve	f	part of a government that deals with one particular aspect of its work
	to enforce	g	to show formally which person you want to win an election
	to negotiate	h	a written suggestion for a new law
	to contradict	i	to make sure that people obey a particular law or rule

B Below are the titles of some executive departments. Link these titles with the corresponding descriptions of the work of each department.

	The Department of State	a	protects and develops the nation’s natural resources, and manages the national parks, checks on the safety of mines, etc.
	The Treasury Department	b	helps develop domestic commerce as well as trade with other countries, particularly in the mining, manufacturing and transportation industries
	The Department of Defense	c	helps provide adequate housing, particularly for low-income groups, and to foster large-scale urban renewal programmes
	The Department of Justice	d	administers many of the nation’s social services programmes on a federal level
	The Department of the Interior	e	administers and coordinates more than 150 federal aid-to-education programmes
	The Department of Agriculture	f	advises the President on foreign relations
	The Department of Labor	g	acts for the government in legal matters
	The Department of Commerce	h	manages government finances, collects taxes, mints coins and prints paper money
	The Department of Health and Human Services	i	aids food production and looks after the interests of farmers
	The Department of Education	j	is responsible for the nation’s security
	The Department of Housing and Urban Development	k	is concerned with the working conditions, safety and welfare of the nation’s nonfarm workers; enforces the laws on minimum wages and maximum hours for workers

C Complete the following text with the words from the box using them in the appropriate form.

constitution federal law structure government to govern voter to vote to be elected (2) national responsibility to be appointed to name violation to be removed from office

,

The United States is a 1) ________ union of 50 states, with District of Columbia as the seat of the 2) ___________ government. The Constitution outlines 3) ________ of the national government and specifies its powers and activities. The other government activities are the 4) _____________ of the individual states, which have their own 5) ________ and 6) ________. Within each state there are counties, townships, cities and villages, each of which has its own elective 7) ________.

All government in the United States is "of, by and for the people". Members of Congress, the President, state officials and those who 8) ________ counties and cities 9) ________ by popular vote. The President 10) ________ the heads of federal departments while judges are either 11) ________ directly by the people or 12) ________ by elected officials. 13) ________ mark unsigned ballots in private booths, so that no one else can find out for whom a citizen 14) ________. Public officials may 15) ________ for failing to perform their duties properly, as well as for serious 16) ________ of law.

Over to you

Discuss these questions.

1 What elements of the democratic structure can you observe in the system of American government?

2 List some similarities and differences between the US system of government and that of your own country.

3 Comment on the following quotations:

a) “The very idea of the power and the right of the People to establish Government presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the established Government”. (George Washington)

b) “Rank does not confer privilege or give power. It imposes responsibility”. (Peter Ducker)

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