Практический курс английского языка - Камянова Т.
ISBN 5-85550-177-9
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4. a constituent [кэп 'stitjuant], a constituency [кэп 'stitjuansi] - избиратель, избирательный округ
5. a trade union - профсоюз
6. a value - ценность
7. to provide - обеспечивать
8. an employment I an unemployment - занятость / безработица
9. an environment [in 'vaiarenmant] - окружающая среда
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TEXT
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (THE USA)
F. POLITICAL SYSTEM. ELECTORIAL SYSTEM. PARTIES.
The political system of the USA is based on the Constitution which is more than 200 years old. Yet this document, adopted in 1787 after the War of Independence, guides/the political life of the American state till now. The stability of the Constitution - and of the political system - was created by several principles, the document is built on. They are federalism, democracy, and establishing freedom, order, and equality as political values. According to the Constitution, «the executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America», and the president «shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed». It makes the US President both head of state and of government. In other words, the President and his Administration represent the executive branch of the power in the country.
The President of the USA is elected for a four-year term. Presidential elections are held every leap-year on first Tuesday after first Monday in November. The President may be re-elected and serve two terms (eight years altogether, but not longer than that). The presidential election is technically an election of presidential electors, not of the president directly. In the 2000 presidential elections the Republican George Bush won 51,3 % of votes, and he became the 43 President of the USA.
The Executive branch of government is provided by the Vice-President and the Executive Office of the President (White House Administration, about 1600 people). Heads of the departments in the executive branch make up the President's Cabinet. Among members of the Cabinet there are Heads of such offices as the Office of Defense, the Office of Justice, the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Agriculture, the Office of Health, Education and Welfare, etc.
The Legislative branch of the power, according to the Constitution, is represented by the Congress which is elected separately. The US scientists make a difference between congresses and parliaments and do not consider the Congress as a parliament. The Congress of the USA has two separate and powerful chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Constitution gives them essentially similar legislative tasks. A bill cannot become law unless it is passed by both chambers. The Senate represents the states and the House represents the population according to its distribution among the states.
The House of Representatives has 435 members, elected for a two year term in single-seat constituencies. A two-party system in the USA defines the political representation in tfie chamber. In the 2000 Congress elections 229 seats (51,0% of votes) got the Republican Party, and 205 seats (46,2% of votes) got the Democratic Party. The presiding officer in the House of Representatives is the Speaker; he belongs to the party which won the majority of votes at the elections. The work of the House of Representatives is done mostly in different committees. The House has the power of impeachment, the power to formally charge the president, vice president, or other members of government with treason, bribery or other high crimes.
The Senate of the USA is composed of 100 members, two being elected from each state. The Senators are elected for a six year term with one-third being renewed every two years. The presiding officer of the Senate is the Vice-President of the United States. Unlike the Speaker, the Vipe-President is not a member of the chamber over which he presides. As well as in the House there are special committees in the Senate: the Finance Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Armed Services Committee, etc. The Constitution gives the Senate the power to approve major presidential appointments (of federal judges, ambassadors, Cabinet posts) as well as treaties with foreign nations.
In a presidential election candidates for Congress are listed at the top of the ballot, followed by candidates for other national, state, and local offices. A voter is said to vote a straight ticket when he chooses only one party's candidates for all the offices. A voter who chooses candidates from different parties is said to vote a split ticket. This voter may choose a Republican for president and vote for a Democratic member of Congress.
Notes
1. to execute; an executive power - выполнять, исполнять; исполнительная власть
2. legislative; a legislative power - законодательный, законодательная впасть
3. a treason - государственная измена
4. a bribery - взяточничество
5. an ambassador - посол
6. a treaty - договор
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EXERCISES
_і_,_
27.1 Образуйте с помощью суффиксов -ess, -ship, -hood, -dorn, -ism производные существительные от данных простых существительных и переведите их на русский язык:
