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Three branches
Legislative Executive Judicial
makes laws carries out laws interprets laws
Congress:
1. House of Representatives:
435 members
2 year term
direct vote
2. Senate:
100 members
6 year term . President
Vice President
. Cabinet:
secretaries
. indirect vote . Supreme Court:
9 justices
life term
Two party system:
Democrats Republicans
want more government control more conservative, the grand old party, want private enterprises, have more money
Mascot: donkey Mascot: elephant
The American Constitution
The USA has a written constitution, which grants and limits the power of the Federal and State Department. The constitution expresses the liberties of the people and it establishes a federal government.
Checks and balances: Ways of making sure that one branch of government doesn't become too strong.
An addition or a change in the constitution is called an amendment.
Presidential elections
How are the presidential elections held?
In the primary elections the parties choose their candidates for the general elections.
For the general elections there is a so called \"Electoral college system\", what means that the people vote the members of electoral college and this members vote the new president (= indirect vote).
Who can become president?
. he/she must be resident of the USA for at least 14 years or a natural born American
. he/she must be at least 35 years old
. he/she must live by moral standard, must believe in god and must have \"normal\" opinions
. he/she must not have previous convictions
The role of the president:
The president is: the head of the state
the chief of his party
the chief executive
the chief legislator
the chief diplomat
the chief commander of the Army
the chief crisis decision maker
The president has the right to refuse to sign a bill (= veto).
If a president is found guilty in a case (i.e. for committing a crime) he/she has to leave his/her office (= impeachment).
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