Vocabulary Notes

the House of Representatives – Палата представителей

Congress – Конгресс

Exercise 1. Answer the questions:

1. What is the governmental system in the United States?

2. Is political and governmental structure in the USA simple?

3. What did one foreign expert say about it?

4. How can you explain the principle “one person, one vote”?

5. How can you explain the principle “the President proposes, but the Congress disposes”?

Exercise 2. Are these statements true or false? Correct the false statements:

1. The governmental systems in the United States is federal, state, county, and local – are not so easy to understand.

2. There is only one basic principle that is found at all levels of American government.

3. The words "one person, one vote" mean that legislators are elected from geographical districts directly by the voters.

4. The Senate controls spending and finance.

5. A President can do what he wants to.

Exercise 3. Match the words with their definitions:

1. election - a) a rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon or the

behaviour of a system

2. vote - b) a person who resides in a place

3. principle - c) settlement of a dispute by concessions on both or all

sides

4. resident - d) the opinion of a group of persons as determined by

voting

5. compromise - e) the selection by vote of a person or persons from among

candidates for a position

Exercise 4. Translate into Russian:

Within the national government, power is divided among three branches: the legislative, executive, and the judicial branches.

The legislative branch consists of Congress, which has two parts – the House of Representatives and the Senate. Congress’s main function is to make laws.

The President is the head of the executive branch and the country. The executive branch administers the laws (decides how the laws should be carried out). In addition to the President, Vice-President, and their staff, the executive branch consists of departments and agencies.

The judicial branch interprets the laws and makes sure that new laws are in keeping with the Constitution. There are several levels of federal courts. The Supreme Court is the most important. It has nine members who are appointed for life.

Exercise 5. Make up your own sentences with the following words and expressions:

Federal state, complexity, basic principles, geographical districts, election districts, foreign affairs, de­clare war, agreement, compromise, approval.

Exercise 6. Retell the text “The American System of Government”.

Text 4 Congress

Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government, is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are 100 Sena­tors, two from each state. One third of the Sena­tors are elected every two years for six-year terms of office. The Senators represent all of the people in a state and their interests.

The House has 435 members. They are elected every two years for two-year terms. They repre­sent the population of "congressional districts" into which each state is divided. The number of Representatives from each state is based upon its population. For instance, California, the state with the largest population, has 45 Representa­tives, while Delaware has only one. There is no limit to the number of terms a Senator or a Rep­resentative may serve.

Almost all elections in the United States follow the "winner-take-all" principle: the candidate who wins the largest number of votes in a Con­gressional district is the winner.

Congress makes all laws, and each house of Congress has the power to introduce legislation. Each can also vote against legislation passed by the other. Because legislation only becomes law if both houses agree, compromise between them is necessary. Congress decides upon taxes and how money is spent. In addition, it regulates com­merce among the states and with foreign coun­tries. It also sets rules for the naturalization of foreign citizens.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14