Of the United States of America

The United States of America is a federative republic. The independence of the USA was declared in 1776, and thir­teen states entered the federation. From 1959 the federation comprises 50 states. The federal district of Columbia with the capital of the country, Washington, is an independent territorial unit.

The United States Constitution, written in 1787, established a government of three branches – legislative, executive and judicial. The president carries out many duties as the head of the executive branch of the government. He is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the USA. The president and vice-president are elected for a term of four years. No person can be elected to the office of the president more than twice. The White House is the president’s official residence.

The Congress is the legislative body of the United States. It consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Members of the House of Representatives, 435 in number, are chosen every second year. Senators are elected for a term of six years, two senators from each state. One-third of the Senate is renewed every two years.

The Constitution guarantees rights, freedom and justice to all. It consists of a Preamble, seven articles and twenty six amendments. The first ten of them are called the Bill of Rights. Because of the Bill of Rights, police cannot stop and search or arrest a person without good reason, nor can they search anyone’s home without clear cause and the permission of a court.

The states have legislative and executive bodies of their own. Their structure, function and competence are determined by the constitution of each state. But state laws must not conflict with the Constitution of the country.

There are two main parties in the United States: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. They have no permanent membership, nor their programs differ greatly. Membership is determined by election vote.

Дата добавления: 2015-09-01