1

AMERICAN POLITICS

Use the sources underneath to answer the following questions: - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/main_page - http://bensguide.gpo.gov/index.html 1. Whats the federal government of the United States? The federal government of the United States is a constitution-based federal republic. 2. Whats the United States Constitution? When, why and by whom was it written? The Unites States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States. The federal government is based on it. It specifies the powers and duties of each of its branches. It was written in 1787 by delegates of the Philadelphia Convention. It was written because the first constitution, the Articles of Consideration, caused problems. The main goal of the Constitution was to create a strong government that was elected by the people and responsive to the will of the people. 3. The federal government of the US has three branches, which ones? The Legislative Branch, the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch. 4. Write down the actors for each branch. Legislative Branch: United States Congress (House of Representatives + Senate) Executive Branch: President of the United States Judicial Branch: Supreme Court of the United States 5. Whats the relationship between the President and the Congress? How powerful is the President? Congress has all legislative power. They have to write, debate and pass bills. These bills are sent to the President and if he agrees, he signs the bill and it becomes law. If more than two-thirds of both houses of Congress disagree, Congress can overrule the veto. The President needs the support of two-thirds of the Senate to make treaties with foreign countries. The Congress can impeach the President. The President always needs the support of Congress before he can change anything. 6. Whats the idea behind checks and balances and how does it work? The idea is that the three branches have to remain equal in power, so they have to prevent that one branch becomes supreme and has more power than the others. The branches need to be balanced. One branch can limit another branch. E.g.: Congress can change the composition and jurisdiction of the federal courts. 7. Whats impeachment? To remove the President from his post.

2
8. Whats the position of the Vice President and who is the current Vice President? The Vice President becomes President when the President dies, resigns or is removed. The Vice President is also the President of the Senate and is allowed to vote when it serves to break a tied vote. The current Vice President is Joe Biden. 9. The US Congress is made up of two parts? Which parts and what is its primary duty? The House of Representatives: they pass federal legislation that affects the entire country Senate: they consent to treaties before these can be ratified, they consent to or confirm appointments of Cabinet secretaries, federal judges, etc. 10. How is the peoples representation divided over these two parts? The House of Representatives: each state receives representation in proportion to its population and is entitled to at least one representative. They serve for two years. Senate: each state is represented by two senators. They serve for six years. 11. What happens to a bill once it has passed the Congress? The President signs it and it becomes law or the President vetoes it. 12. Whats the White House and where is it located? Its the official residence and main working place of the President. Its located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. 13. Whats the US Capitol and where is it located? Washington, D.C. Its in the north western corner of the US. 14. Whats the position of the states and their government within the federal government of the US? Each state has its own written constitution, government and code of laws. These laws can be very different from state to state. They handle the majority of issues most relevant to individuals within their jurisdiction, but are subject to federal authority. 15. Whos the highest elected official of each state? The Governor. 16. Whos the current governor of California and to which party does he or she belong? Arnold Schwarzenegger belongs to the Republican Party. 17. Which two parties are the most important in the US? Which party does President Bush belong to? The Democratic Party and the Republican Party. President Bush belongs to the Republic Party, President Obama belongs to the Democratic Party.

3
18. Can everyone vote in the US? No. You have to be a US citizen of eighteen years or older. Some states also bar convicted criminals from voting for a fixed period of time or indefinitely. 19. Is the President elected directly? No. First, candidates have to be nominated by their party. Then there are the national party conventions where delegates from the states cast votes for the person who will represent the political party in the general election. The candidate with the majority of votes officially becomes that partys candidate for the general election. In the general election on the first Tuesday of November, there are the Presidential elections. 20. When are the Presidential elections of 2008 and who are the candidates? On November, 4. The candidates were Barack Obama and John McCain. The next Presidential elections will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. The Republican candidates are John Greenspon and Fred Karger. Potential Democratic candidates are Barack Obama, Alvin Greene and Jimmy McMillan.