State Structure of the USA
The constitution of the United States

... is the source of government authority and the fundamental law of the land. The Constitution set up a federal system with a strong central government. A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts (states) with some rights reserved to each.
Under the Constitution the USA is a presidential republic, its power is divided among the three branches of the national government: legislative (Congress), executive (the President) and judicial (the Supreme Court).
Congress is the legislative branch of the national government of the United States, in effect, the national legislature, and consists of two branches – the Senate and the House of Representatives. Its existence, authority and limitations are provided by the Constitution. The functions of the legislative branch of the government are to make the laws and to finance the operation of the government through levying taxes and appropriating money requested by the executive branch of the government. Senators are elected to a six-year term. Each state is entitled to be represented in the Senate by two senators without regard to density of population. To be elected a Senator, a person must be at least 30 years old and have been a citizen of the USA for at least 9 years. The Vice-President of the United States presides in the Senate. The House of Representatives comprises representatives from each state elected to a two-year term. The number of representatives from each state depends on its population. To be elected to the House of Representatives, a person must be at least 25 years of age and have been a citizen of the USA at least 7 years. The Speaker of the House is nominated at a party caucus and chosen by the members of the House of Representatives.
From the outset there arose a system of two major political parties, and this two-party system has dominated the political life of the country. The two major parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The chief functions of a party are to organize elections and, when in the minority, to keep a check on the party in office.
The presidency of the US is the highest governmental office. The executive branch, which includes the President, Vice-President, and the President’s Cabinet, is responsible for administering and executing the laws. The President is the head of the executive branch. He or she must be a native-born citizen, at least thirty-five years old, and for at least fourteen years a resident of the United States. Cabinet officials are appointees of the President and serve during his term. When the President’s service ends, it is customary for the Cabinet to resign and then the new President can appoint new chiefs of the executive departments.
The judicial branch of the government is headed by the Supreme court which settles disputes between the states. Its duty is to enforce laws and to make sure that people obey the laws. The Supreme Court may veto any law passed by the Congress if it contradicts the Constitution of the USA. The judicial branch works together with the legislative and executive branches to protect the Constitution of the USA.
II Найдите и выпишите из текста английские эквиваленты следующих слов и словосочетаний:
1) источник государственной власти;
2) устанавливать федеральную систему;
3) составные части;
4) судебная власть;
5) исполнительная власть;
6) законодательная власть;
7) Палата представителей;
8) с самого начала;
9) ограничения;
10) быть представленным;
11) финансировать управление;
12) председательствовать в Сенате;
13) Верховный суд;
14) наивысшая государственная должность;
15) обычный, привычный;
16) разрешать споры;
17) противоречить конституции;
18) защищать конституцию