USA govenment+school+details.docx

USA govenment+school+details.docx

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U.S.Government>Introduction

TheUnitedStatesisafederalunionof50states,withtheDistrictofColumbiaastheseatofthefederalgovernment.TheConstitutionoutlinesthestructureofthenationalgovernmentandspecifiesitspowersandactivities,anddefinestherelationshipbetweenthenationalgovernmentandindividualstategovernments.Powerissharedbetweenthenationalandstate（local）governments.Withineachstatearecounties,townships,citiesandvillages,eachofwhichhasitsownelectivegovernment.

GovernmentalpowerandfunctionsintheUnitedStatesrestinthreebranchesofgovernment:

thelegislative,judicial,andexecutive.Article1oftheConstitutiondefinesthelegislativebranchandvestspowertolegislateintheCongressoftheUnitedStates.TheexecutivepowersofthePresidentaredefinedinArticle2.Article3placesjudicialpowerinthehandsofoneSupremeCourtandinferiorcourtsasCongressseesnecessarytoestablish.Inthissystemofa"separationofpowers"eachbranchoperatesindependentlyoftheothers,however,therearebuiltin"checksandbalances"topreventaconcentrationofpowerinanyonebranchandtoprotecttherightsandlibertiesofcitizens.Forexample,thePresidentcanvetobillsapprovedbyCongressandthePresidentnominatesindividualstoserveintheFederaljudiciary;theSupremeCourtcandeclarealawenactedbyCongressoranactionbythePresidentunconstitutional;andCongresscanimpeachthePresidentandFederalcourtjusticesandjudges.

U.S.Economy

Theeventsof2001broughtnewchallengesfortheU.S.economyandforAmerica’seconomicpolicy.Thewaragainstterrorismalsoplacednewdemandsontheeconomy.

TheUnitedStatesenteredthe21stcenturywithaneconomythatwasbigger,andbymanymeasuresmoresuccessful,thanever.ThoughtheUnitedStatesheldlessthan5percentoftheworld'spopulation,itaccountedformorethan25percentoftheworld'seconomicoutput.Inthe1990s,theAmericaneconomyrecordedthelongestuninterruptedperiodofexpansioninitshistory.Awaveoftechnologicalinnovationsincomputing,telecommunications,andthebiologicalscienceswereprofoundlyaffectinghowAmericansworkandplay.

TheUnitedStatesremainsa"marketeconomy."Americanscontinuetobelievethataneconomygenerallyoperatesbestwhendecisionsaboutwhattoproduceandwhatpricestochargeforgoodsaremadethroughthegive-and-takeofmillionsofindependentbuyersandsellers,notbygovernmentorbypowerfulprivateinterests.

Besidesbelievingthatfreemarketspromoteeconomicefficiency,Americansseethemasawayofpromotingtheirpoliticalvaluesaswell--especially,theircommitmenttoindividualfreedomandpoliticalpluralismandtheiroppositiontoundueconcentrationsofpower.TheAmericanbeliefin"freeenterprise"hasnotprecludedamajorroleforgovernment,however.Americansattimeshavelookedtogovernmenttobreakuporregulatecompaniesthatappearedtobedevelopingsomuchpowerthattheycoulddefymarketforces.Theyhavereliedongovernmenttoaddressmatterstheprivateeconomyoverlooks,fromeducationtoprotectingtheenvironment.Anddespitetheiradvocacyofmarketprinciples,theyhaveusedgovernmentattimestonurturenewindustries,andattimeseventoprotectAmericancompaniesfromcompetition.

AmericanHolidays

AmericanHolidaysisanintroductorysurveyofthehistoricalandsocialbackgroundofAmericanholidays.

Peopleineveryculturecelebrateholidays.Althoughtheword"holiday"literallymeans"holyday,"mostAmericanholidaysarenotreligious,butcommemorativeinnatureandorigin.BecausethenationisblessedwithrichethnicheritageitispossibletotracesomeoftheAmericanholidaystodiverseculturalsourcesandtraditions,butallholidayshavetakenonadistinctivelyAmericanflavor.IntheUnitedStates,theword"holiday"issynonymouswith"celebration!

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Inthestrictsense,therearenofederal（national）holidaysintheUnitedStates.Eachofthe50stateshasjurisdictionoveritsholidays.Inpractice,however,moststatesobservethefederal（"legalorpublic"）holidays,eventhoughthePresidentandCongresscanlegallydesignateholidaysonlyforfederalgovernmentemployees.

Thefollowingtenholidaysperyearareproclaimedbythefederalgovernment.

NewYear'sDay

January1

MartinLutherKingDay

thirdMondayinJanuary

Washington'sBirthday

thirdMondayinFebruary

MemorialDay

lastMondayinMay

IndependenceDay

July4

LaborDay

firstMondayinSeptember

ColumbusDay

secondMondayinOctober

VeteransDay

November11

ThanksgivingDay

fourthThursdayinNovember

ChristmasDay

December25

In1971,thedatesofmanyfederalholidayswereofficiallymovedtothenearestMondaybythen-PresidentRichardNixon.TherearefiveholidayswhicharenotnecessarilycelebratedonMondays:

ThanksgivingDay,VeteransDay,NewYear'sDay,IndependenceDayandChristmasDay.WhenNewYear'sDay,IndependenceDay,orChristmasDayfallsonaSunday,thenextdayisalsoaholiday.WhenoneoftheseholidaysfallsonaSaturday,thepreviousdayisalsoaholiday.Federalgovernmentoffices,includingthepostoffice,arealwaysclosedonallfederalholidays.SchoolsandbusinessescloseonmajorholidayslikeIndependenceDayandChristmasDaybutmaynotalwaysbeclosed,forexample,onPresident'sDayorVeteransDay.

Federalholidaysareobservedaccordingtothelegislationofindividualstates.Thedatesoftheseholidays,andothers,aredecideduponbyeachstategovernment,notbythefederal（national）government.EachstatecanagreeonthesamedatethatthePresidenthasproclaimed,suchasThanksgivingDay.Statelegislationcanalsochangethedateofaholidayforitsownspecialcommemoration.Citiesandtownscandecidenottocelebrateafederallegalholidayatall.However,themajorityofthestates（andthecitiesandtownswithinthem）usuallychoosethedateordaycelebratedbytherestofthenation.Thereareother"legal"or"public"holidayswhichareobservedatthestateorlocallevel.Theclosingoflocalgovernmentofficesandbusinesseswillvary.Whethercitizenshavethedayofffromworkornotdependsonlocaldecisions.

ChristmasisamostimportantreligiousholydayforChristians,whoattendspecialchurchservicestocelebratethebirthofJesusofNazareth.

Christmasisnotonlyareligiousholyday,butbecameoneofthefirstfederalholidaysin1870.Onthisdaymostbusinessesandofficesremainclosedandthegreatestpossiblenumberofworkers,includinggovernmentemployees,havethedayoff.Manyplacesevencloseearlyonthedaybefore.

NaturallyChristiansobserveChristmasaccordingtothetraditionsoftheirparticularchurch.Besidesthestrictlyreligioustraditions,however,othercommonChristmaspracticesareobservedbypeoplewhoarenotreligiousorwhoarenotChristian.Inthisway,someChristmastraditionshavebecomeAmericantraditions.

Gift-givingissocommonatChristmastimethatformoststoresitmeansasharpincreaseinsales.Stores,infact,arefullofshoppersfromThanksgivingtimeinlateNovemberuntilthedaybeforeChristmas.ThissituationhascausedmanyreligiouspeopletocomplainthatthereligiousmeaningofChristmasisbeingsubverted,thatChristmashasbecome"commercial."Despitethecriticism,ChristmasshoppingisamajoractivityofmanyAmericansinthemonthofDecember.Giftsaregiventochildren,membersofthefamilyandclosefriends.Theyaregiventopeoplewhohavedonefavorstoothersorwhoworkforthem.Somepeoplebakecookiesormakecandiesorotherspecialfoodtreatsforfriendsandneighbors.ManybusinessesgivetheirworkersaChristmas"bonus"-giftsofextramoney-toshowappreciationfortheirwork.ChristmasisalsoatimewhenmostAmericansshowgreatgenerositytootherlessfortunatethanthey.Theysendmoneytohospitalsororphanagesorcontributetofundsthathelpthepoor.

HolidayShopperinNewYorkCity.PhotobyHeatherSchmaedekefortheU.S.CensusBureau.

MostAmericanssendgreetingcardstotheirfriendsandfamilyatChristmastime.Somepeoplewhoarefriendsorrelativesandlivegreatdistancesfromeachothermaynotbemuchincontactwitheachotherduringyear-butwillusuallyexchangegreetingcardsandoftenaChristmaslettertellingtheirfamilynews.

ThedecoratingofhomesforChristmasisverycommon.MostAmericanwhoobserveChristmashaveaChristmastreeintheirhomes.Thismaybearealevergreentreeoranartificialone.Ineithercase,thetreeisdecoratedandtrimmedwithsmalllightsandornaments.Otherdecorationssuchaslightsandwreathsofevergreenandsignswishinga"MerryChristmas"canbefoundinsideandoutsideofmanyhomes.

Halloween,thelastdayofOctober[10-31],hasaspecialsignificanceforchildren,whodressinfunnyorghostlycostumesandknockonneighborhooddoorsshouting"TrickorTreat!

"Piratesandprincesses,ghostsandwitchesallholdbagsopentocatchthecandyorothergoodiesthattheneighborsdropin.

Sincethe800'sNovember1stisareligiousholidayknownasAllSaints'Day.TheMassthatwassaidonthisdaywascalledAllHallowmas.TheeveningbeforebecameknownasAllHallowe'en,orHalloween.LikesomeotherAmericancelebrations,itsoriginslieinbothpre-ChristianandChristiancustoms.

Todayschooldancesandneighborhoodpartiescalled"blockparties"arepopularamongyoungandoldalike.MoreandmoreadultscelebrateHalloween.Theydressupashistoricalorpoliticalfiguresandgotomasqueradeparties.Inlargercities,costumedchildrenandtheirparentsgatheratshoppingmalls