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The latest period of the US history begins w/the end of the Cold War tensions b-n the USA & the USSR & the presidency of Bill Clinton. Thus it is from 1991-till nowadays. In the 1990's the US played the role of world policeman, sometimes alone but more often in alliances. The decade began w/Sadam Husein's invasion of Kuwait & the resultant Gulf War. By September, 1994, the US was once again sending troops to a foreign country to overthrow a military dictatorship, this time in Haiti. In 1996 about 20,000 American troops were deployed to Bosnia as part of a NATO peace keeping force. In late March 1999, the US joined NATO in air strikes against Yugoslavia in an effort to halt the Yugoslavian government's policy of ethnic cleansing in its province of Kosovo.
On the domestic front big issues were connected w/violence & sex scandals dominated the media, e.g. President Clinton kept the gossip flowing as several women accused him of sexual misconduct. As for the presidency of George Bush, it was very rich in terms of foreign policy events. Bush decided to withdraw from global initiatives such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The Bush presidency has also been marked by diplomatic tensions with China and North Korea, the latter of which admitted in 2003 to having been in the process of building nuclear weapons and threatened to use them if provoked by the U.S. The administration is concerned that Iran may also be developing nuclear weapons, although Iran has denied such accusations and maintains that it is pursuing peaceful use of nuclear energy. The USA faced horrible terroristic attacs - on September 11, 2001 two hijacked planes crashed into and destroyed the World Trade Center in NYC. After that Bush announced that the US was fighting a war on terrorism. On October 7, the US started the military campaign in Afghanistan. The Bush administration has been criticized for holding several hundred people in jails without trial. To the “axis of evil” Bush also related Iraq. Bush claimed that he was preparing to open a new front in the US global "war on terrorism". Bush declared, "Iraq continues to flaunt its hostility toward America and to support terror." American troops captured Baghdad and Iraqi Constitution was signed. Throughout the course of the Iraq war, Bush was often the target of harsh criticism. After the terroristic acts through an act of Congress, the Department of Homeland Security was created. Thus the USA are often referred to as the superpower of the modern world. Apart from military actions the USA actively influences the rest of the world by movies, music, lifestyle…
Describe how & when the American Constitution was adopted. What caused the necessity of the “Bill of Rights”? Explain what is meant by a “strict division or separation of powers” under the Constitution, outline the structure of the American Constitution
The US, having won its independence, began to develop rapidly. The population was almost rural. Political changes aimed at consolidating of central gov-t. The country was governed by Articles of Confederation acc. to which Congress could not make laws or raise taxes. There was no permanent executive or federal judiciary. To this purpose, in May 1787, 55 representatives of 13 states met in Philadelphia. For 4 months they argued. It was clear the Articles of Confederation (1777) could not be rewritten, new form of government was needed. Main disputes: large and small states; north and south; power to voters or limit their power. The delegates, headed by G.Wash., Benj.Franklin, James Madison drafted a new Constitution, which established a strong federal gov-t, gave executive power to an elected president and provided for a Supreme Court. Also it established the principle of checks and balances. The Constitution was ratified in 1789.
1789 - G.Washington was chosen president (2 terms); he organized a national gov-t, developed politics for settlement, stabilized the admission of 3 new states: VT, Kentucky, Tennessee.
Constitution: first in the world 1787, adopted at Constitutional Congress, 55 delegates: founding fathers of Const: Washington (1st president), James Madison (4th), Alexander Hamilton;
A major conflict took place b-n the Federalists led by Alexander Hamilton & the Democratic Republicans led by Thomas Jefferson. It concerned the power of the central gov-t. The F-ts favored a strong central gov-t & expressed the interests of the rich & prosperous classes. D Rep-ns defended the rights of the individual states & appealed to the small farmers. Many Americans feared that a powerful central gov-t would violate the basic liberties of the American people & therefore in 1791, the Congress added the first 10 amendments to the Constitution - the Bill of rights - which guaranteed freedom of speech, the right of citizens to bear arms, protection against illegal house searches, the right to a fairy trial by jury & protection against cruel & unusual punishments. Today 27 amendments.
Under the Constitution power was divided among the 3 brunches of the national government: legislative (the Congress), executive (the President) & judicial (the Supreme Court). Each was given its own authority to prevent abuse of power. These three brunches watch over each other. That way no single brunch becomes too powerful.
The structure: 12 pages - the Preamble (necessity of Const), 7 Articles (legislative dept, executive dept, judicial dept, states & federal govern – responsibilities shared by govern and each state), ratification; Amendments 27 principles: federalism power, responsibility of decision, the system of checks & balances. Power shared in 3 branches, no one can interfere into the affair of the others, each branch control & balance functions of the others) and 27 Amendments (13’ amendm – abolish slavery – 1865; 15’ – “universal suffrage” (âñåîáù èçáèð ïðàâî); 19 – women to vote (1920); 22 – term of presidency for 2 4-years term (exp. Roosevelt).
A “strict division & separation of powers”: No member of one branch – is a member of another; This system gives each brunch the means to restrain the other two. For example the President has the power to veto acts passed by Congress, but the Congress may override the veto by a two-thirds majority. But the Supreme Court has the power to declare acts of Congress or President to be illegal if they are in conflict with Constitution.
The structure of the Congress – the supreme legislative body. Discuss the elections of the Senators and Representatives & whom they represent. Examine the main functions of the Congress, the process of passing a bill. Comment how changes (amendments) in the Constitution are made
The Congress consists of 2 houses: the Senate (the smaller House; 2 members of each state=100; chief officer - Vice-president)& the House of Representatives (HP) (435, members’ number depends on population; Alaska, s & n Dakota – 1; California – 53; Representative of the HR - Speaker – 2nd to the vice-pres)
The Senators represent all of the people in a state and their interests. The House - the population of "congressional districts" into which each state is divided.
Congress residence - Capitol Hall. “Big Four” = speaker, vice-president, leaders of both parties.
Functions: introduce bills; legislation: only senate has the right to approve financial documents, treaties w/the countries, approve/reject president’s candidates for Supreme Court; declare War, remove federal officials for crime (firstly the HR), impeachment.
Elections: Senators: until 1913 they were chosen by state legislature, after à direct elections. At least 30 y, citizen of US for 9 y, resident of the state; elected for 6 y, but 1\3 - every 2; Representatives: at least 25 y, citizen for 7 y, resident of the state; the whole house works 2 years.
Passing the bill (may be by both houses): introduction (the bill must be introduced to the House. A bill supported either by the chairman or the administration has better chances to become law) à the bill goes to a committee (there are 38 permanent committees in the Congress (34 – to the House; 4 – to the Senate) à to Congress for open debates (members express their opinion) à house of representatives (limit debate to 1-2 hours, any member speaks no more than 5 min) à senate (senators can talk as long as they wish, the speeches of the senators may not be the topic of discussion) à president (right of Veto).
Article 5 describes the process necessary to amend the Constitution. It establishes 2 methods of proposing amendments: by Congress (Congress can propose an amendment by a two-thirds vote of the Senate & of the House of Representatives) or by a national convention requested by the states (two-thirds of the state legislatures may convene & "apply" to Congress to hold a national convention, where upon Congress must call such a convention for the purpose of considering amendments). As of 2007, only the first method has been used. The convention method of ratification has been used only once (to approve the 21st Amendment). Article Five currently places only one limitation on the amending power - that no amendment can deprive a state of its equal representation in the Senate without that state's consent.
The institution of the American Presidency, its powers & major functions. The President’s role in forming home & foreign policy. The process of presidential elections, their indirect character. What is meant by an “electoral college”? The results of the presidential elections of the year 2008
The president of the US is head of the executive power, or the chief executive, and his office is one of the most powerful in the world. Under the Constitution he must «take care, that the laws be faithfully executed”. In addition he has important legislative and judicial powers. The official residence and office of the President is in the White House, Washington DC. The President must be at least 35 y old, a resident of the country for at least 14 y & a national born citizen.
The President, together with the Vice President, is elected to a four-year-term. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, 1951, limited the Presidency to no more that two terms. (Franklin Roosevelt had been the only President to be elected 4 times).
Powers and functions: legislative - law-making; judicial (appointing important public officials: federal judges, member of supreme court; to shorten prison term, reduce time); executive (to manage national affairs, issue executive orders), powers in foreign affairs, responsible for foreign relations w/other nations; care of laws fulfilled; voting any bill passed (2/3 in each house), initiating legislation in messages to congress, influencing public opinion.
Foreign affairs: appointing ambassadors, ministers; receive foreign ambassadors; manage an official w/foreign government; commanding armed forces; protection of Americans abroad.
Presidential elections: 5 stages: 1. predomination, primaries (on the state level, March & June, “fight it out in the open”) 2. nomination (national party conventions, July – August, a vice-presidential, platform for campaign) 3. presidential campaign (national TV debates, campaign across the country, winning in states) 4. election campaign - general voting (election – the 1st Thursday in November every 4 years, indirect method, voting for the tickets of presidential elections (on the ballots), the candidate w/the highest number of votes in each state wins all the electoral votes in that state) 5. electoral college voting (electoral college – the electors (= states senators & representatives in the congress) of all 50 states & DC (538), meeting at the state’s capitol for voting, send a vote count to congress, a candidate for presidency must receive 270 votes (if the majority did not arrive at a mutual decision the house of representatives decide).
The 56th US presidential election was held on November 4, 2008. Outgoing Republican President George W. Bush's policies & actions & the American public's desire for change were key issues throughout the campaign.
Democrat Barack Obama, then junior US Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior US Senator from Arizona. The selected electors from each of the 50 states & the District of Columbia voted for President & Vice President of the US on December 15, 2008. Obama received 365 electoral votes, and McCain 173.
Unique aspects - the first in which an African American was elected President, and the first time a Roman Catholic was elected Vice President (Joe Biden, US Senator from Delaware), it was also the 1st time two sitting senators ran against each other, was the 1st in 56 years in which neither an incumbent president nor a vice president ran; Vice President Dick Cheney chose not to seek the presidency, was also the 1st time the Republican Party nominated a woman for Vice President, it was the 1st election in which both major parties nominated candidates who were born outside of the lower 48 states.
The main political parties in the USA (the Democrats & Republicans – history, political platform & role today). The results of the elections of November 2008 concerning the presidency & the control of the Senate & the House of Representatives
The Democratic Party: Thomas Jefferson founded the DP in 1792 as a congressional assembly to fight for the Bill of Rights & against the Federalist Party. In 1798, the “party of the common man” was officially named the D-Republican Party & in 1800 elected Jefferson as the 1st Dem. President of the US. The election of John Adams in 1824 led to a split among Dem-Republicans. A result of the split was the emergence of Andrew Jackson as a national leader. The Jacksonian Democrats created the national convention process. The party platform, and reunified the DP w/Jackson’s victories in 1821 and 1832. It was Andrew Jackson that institutionally consolidated the DP as a political organization in the modern sense of the world.
Bryan - created the most powerful economic engine; a movement of agrarian reformers; support of women’s suffrage; Wilson - fought for the League of Nations;
Roosevelt - new Deal (pulled America out of the Depression); Truman - the fight to bring down the final barriers of race & gender; establishing the Marshall plan, NATO; In the 1960s John Kennedy challenged an optimistic nation to build on its great history (a New Frontier, man on the Moon, a treaty banning nuclear weapons, the Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, creation of Medicare); In 1976 Jimmy Carter helped to restore the nation’s trust in government following the Watergate scandal; In 1992 Bill Clinton - reduction of unemployment and crime; In 2004 John Kerry lost the presidential race to George W. Bush.
The National Platform is an official statement of the Party’s position on a wide variety of issues. The 2000 National Platform emphasized 3 key DP ideas: Prosperity, Progress, Peace.
The Republican Party: The RP was founded in 1850’s by anti-slavery activists & individuals who believed that the government should grant w-ern lands to settlers free of charge. In 1856 the R became a national party when John Fremont was nominated for President. The actual emergence of the RP is associated w/Abraham Lincoln who became its leader & won the presidential elections of 1860 to become the 16st US President. During the Civil War in 1863 Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves.
The R passed 13, 14, 15 amendments; A Civil Rights Act in 1866 which recognized blacks as US citizens; The National 8 Hour Law (the work day - 8 hours); creating the Department of Labour to regulate labour relations in the country; R Presidents: Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush.
R expressing the interests of “big business” and well-to-do class are strongly committed to principles when governmental interference has to be minimal in the life of the state.
In 2008 the elections of president took place in the USA. The RP has nominated John McCain, Senator of State Arizona. The DP nominated the Senator of State Illinois Barack Obama. Obama received 365 electoral votes, and McCain 173.
Unique aspects - the first in which an African American was elected President, and the first time a Roman Catholic was elected Vice President (Joe Biden, US Senator from Delaware), it was also the 1st time two sitting senators ran against each other, was the 1st in 56 years in which neither an incumbent president nor a vice president ran; Vice President Dick Cheney chose not to seek the presidency, was also the 1st time the Republican Party nominated a woman for Vice President, it was the 1st election in which both major parties nominated candidates who were born outside of the lower 48 states.
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