Chapter 3US politics.docx

1、Chapter 3 US politicsChapter three U.S. politicsOutlineI. US constitutionII. US governmentsNational flag of the USANational AnthemNational EmblemGreat SealFederal(national), state and local governments III. Executive branch PresidentIV. Legislative branch The CongressV. Judicial branch CourtsVI. Par

2、tiesVII. Interest groupsVIII. Presidential election in the USAIX. Noteworthy Chinese American politiciansX. QuizI. US constitutionThe BasicsBasically, the Constitution is the highest law in the United States. All other laws come from the Constitution in some way. The Constitution also provides a fra

3、mework for the government of the United States. It creates things like the Presidency, the Congress, and the Supreme Court. Each state has its own constitution that is the highest law for the state - but even then, the United States Constitution is higher.Over time, some things have been added to th

4、e Constitution. Called amendments, these add-ons list some of the rights of the people. By listing these rights, they are made special, and it is illegal for the government to violate those rights. As of 2006, there are 27 amendments to the Constitution. Not all of them involve rights, but many do.

5、The first ten amendments, in particular, have the special name of the Bill of Rights.History in briefThe Constitution is a document written by a group of men, known as the Framers, in 1787. The master copies are stored at the National Archives (www.archives.gov)in Washington D.C. AmendmentsAn amendm

6、ent to the Constitution is a change that can add to the Constitution or change an older part of it. An amendment can even overturn a previous amendment, as the 21st did to the 18th. There are a few methods to amend the Constitution, but the most common is to pass an amendment through the Congress, o

7、n a two-thirds vote. After that, the amendment goes to the states, and if three-quarters of the states pass the amendment, it is considered a part of the Constitution it has been ratified.Slavery(One very positive thing emerged from the Civil War, though: the end of slavery.) In the 13th Amendment (

8、1865), slavery was forever abolished in the Constitution. The 14th Amendment (1868) said that every person born in the United States was a full citizen of the United States, even if that person was a former slave. The 15th Amendment (1870) made sure that black people could vote. Many people felt tha

9、t even if black people were not slaves, they were still inferior to white people, and for 100 years, some laws were passed to keep black people from being equal to whites. (The election of President Barack Obama, in 2008, was one further step on the way to our fulfillment of the dream of equality.)W

10、omen(For most of the history of the United States, the most important people who have shaped the country have been men. This is not because women were not willing or able to be a part of the United States. Instead, because men held all the positions of power, from Presidents to members of Congress,

11、right down to mayors and owners of companies. Women had very little chance to advance in life. For over 100 years after the Constitution was ratified, women had no way to vote. In some places, it was actually illegal for women to vote.) In 1920, the 19th Amendment, which said that women could vote i

12、n all elections, was ratified. (Today, women play a very large role in government and politics.) The Bill of RightsWe already talked about why the Bill of Rights was passed: some people were afraid that the government, or the police, would be able to keep people from doing some very important things

13、 simply by passing laws against those things.The first of the 10 amendments guarantees freedom of speech, press, and religion; the right to protest, assemble peacefully, and demand changes. The fourth protects against unreasonable searches and arrest. The fifth provides for due process of law in all

14、 criminal cases. The sixth guarantees the right to a fair and speedy trial. And the eighth protects against cruel and unusual punishment.The Constitution sets up three main branches of government. These are called the Legislative, the Executive, and the Judiciary. II. US governmentsNational flag of

15、the USA, National Anthem, Great Seal, National Emblem (the bald eagle)There are four levels of government in the USA, naming federal government, state government, local government, and tribal government.The three branches of U.S. governmentlegislative, judicial, and executivecarry out governmental p

16、ower and functions. (with a figure)Figure: The government of the USAIII. Executive branchThe executive branch of the government is responsible for enforcing the laws of the land. The president, vice president, department heads (cabinet members), and heads of independent agencies carry out this missi

17、on.When the delegates to the Constitutional Convention created the executive branch of government, they gave the president a limited term of office to lead the government. This was very different from any form of government in Europe and caused much debate. The delegates were afraid of what too much

18、 power in the hands of one person might lead to. In the end, with a system of checks and balances included in the Constitution, a single president to manage the executive branch of government was adopted. (Checks and Balances: A system of limits imposed on all branches of a government by vesting in

19、each branch the right to amend or void those acts of another that fall within its purview(权力的范围).)When George Washington was president, people recognized that one person could not carry out the duties of the President without advice and assistance. The Vice President, department heads (Cabinet membe

20、rs), and heads of independent agencies assist in this capacity. Unlike the powers of the President, their responsibilities are not defined in the Constitution but each has special powers and functions. President: Leader of the country and Commander in Chief of the military. Vice President: President

21、 of the Senate and becomes President if the President is unable to serve. Departments: Department heads advise the President on policy issues and help execute those policies. Independent Agencies: Help execute policy or provide special services. The President of the United States: Requirements and T

22、ermThe President and the Vice-President are the only officials elected by the entire country. However, there are requirements for holding either of these positions. In order to be elected, one must be at least 35 years old. Also, each candidate must be a natural-born U.S. citizen and have lived in t

23、he U.S. for at least 14 years.When elected, the President serves a term of four years. At most, a President may serve two terms.(NOTE: Before 1951, the President could serve as many terms as he wanted. However, every President had followed George Washingtons example of stepping down after two terms.

24、 Franklin D. Roosevelt broke with tradition. Roosevelt successfully ran for office four times. Early in his fourth term, in 1945, he died. Six years later, Congress passed the 22nd Amendment, which limits Presidents to two terms.)The President can be removed from office through the process of impeac

25、hment (A formal accusation issued by a legislature against a public official charged with crime or other serious misconduct.). If the House of Representatives feel that the President has committed acts of Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors(不正当的行为) they can impeach him with a maj

26、ority vote. An impeachment is very similar to a legal indictment(控告). It is not a conviction, however, and not enough to remove the President from office alone.The case then goes to the Senate. Overseen by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Senate reviews the case and votes whether or not t

27、o convict the President. If they vote in favor of conviction by a two-thirds margin, then the President is removed from office.The President of the United States: Legislative PowersMost people view the President as the most powerful and influential person in the United States government. While he do

28、es wield a great deal of political might, his effect on the law-making process is limited. Only Congress can write legislation; the President may only recommend it. If he does so, then a member of Congress may introduce the bill for consideration.Whereas only Congress may create legislation, it is d

29、ifficult for them to pass a bill without the Presidents approval. When Congress passes a bill, they send it to the White House. The President then has three options: sign the bill into law, veto the bill, or do nothing. When the President signs a bill into law, it immediately goes into effect. At th

30、is point, only the Supreme Court can remove the law from the books by declaring it unconstitutional.When the President vetoes a bill, it does not go into effect. The President vetoes a bill by returning it to Congress unsigned. In most cases, he will also send them an explanation of why he rejected

31、the legislation. Congress can override (不考虑) a presidential veto, but to do so, two-thirds of each chamber must vote in favor of the bill. However, an override does not occur very often.If the President chooses the third option, doing nothing with the bill, one of two things will occur. If Congress

32、is in session ten business days after the President receives the bill, the legislation will become a law without the Presidents signature. However, if Congress adjourns(休会) within ten business days of giving the bill to the President, the bill dies. When the President kills a bill in this fashion, it is known as a pocket veto(搁置否决/口袋否决). In this case, Congress can do nothing to override his decision.The Presidential veto is an extremely powerful tool. Often, to get Congress to reconsider legislation, the President need only threaten to veto a bill if