• American Mmigration
• American Cultural Notes
• The American Constitution
• The United States Congress
• The Presidency - United States
• The United States Presidential Election
• Setting the Tone
• Political Parties in United States
• Interest Groups

1. Continental Congress An assembly of delegates from the thirteen colonies (soon to become the thirteen states). It first met in 1774, before the American Revolution. When it reconvened in 1775，it organized for war gainst Britain and eventually passed the Declaration of Independence.

2. Bill of Rights The first ten amendments to the U.S. Consdtudon, ratified in 1791, which set forth and guarantee certain fundamental rights and privileges of individuals, including freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly; guarantee of a speedy jury trial in criminal cases; and protection against excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment.

parly whips In both the House and Senate, party whips are the principal assistants to the party leaders and rank immediately below those leaders. The whip’s dudes are to make sure that members are in Washington, D.C.，and in the chamber during crucial votes; to forecast how members will vote; to persuade members to support the party leadership; to alert party leaders to shifting congressional opinions; and, occasionally, to distribute information on pending amendments or bills. Party whips usually attend important leadership meetings, including conferences with the president, third parties (minor parties) The term third party is used in the United States for a political party other than the two major parties. Although third parties rarely win national elections, they can have an effect on them. Third parties can draw attention to issues that may be ignored by the majority parties. If the issue finds resonance with the voters, the major parties may adopt the issue into their own party platforms. Also, third party may be used by the voter to cast a protest vote on an important issue. Third parties may also help voter turnout bringing more people to the polls. In 2004 the U.S. electorate consisted of an estimated 43% registered Democrats and 33% registered Republicans，with independents and those belonging to other parties constituting 25%. In the 2008 Presidential Election, the third parties that have nominated candidates include Libertarian Party, Consdtudon Party, and Green Party, the donkey and the elephant The popular nincteenth-century cartoonist Thomas Nast is generally credited with giving Democratic and Republican parties their current symbols: the donkey and the elephant In Harper、Weekly cartoons in the 1870s, Nast critically portrayed the Democratic Party as a stubborn mule. During this period of Republican Party dominance, Nast portrayed the Republican Party as an elephant, the biggest beast in the political jun^e. Now both party symbols are used with pride.

3.Why did the Articles of Confederation Bui? What made it necessary to write a new constitution for the United States at the dme?

4.What are the key principles embodied in the Constitution? How do the concepts of “separation of powers” and “checks and balances” work in the U^S. government?

5.How many House representative and senators does one state have? How do they g^t elected? To what degree can presidential election affect Congressional election?

6.How many steps are there for lawmaking in Congress? Why is difficult for a bill to become law?

7.What are the constitutional powers of the American president? How has the presidential power developed over the years?

8.What kind of person is eligible for running for presidency? What role do caucuses and primaries play in presidential election? What arc of great importance for presidential candidates during the general election?

9.What is the Electoral College? How does it formally elect the U.S. president? What are the disadvantages of the Electoral College?

10.How arc the two major political parties structured and why is it said that they are loosely organized? What key roles have political parties played in American politics? How would you describe the images of the two major political [jardes in America?

State Governments

11. What arc the major types of interest groups in the U.S.? How do interest groups affect the operation of the government? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the intcrest-group system?

In the U.S., each state has its own government officially known as the state government. The constitutions of the various states differ in some details but generally follow a pattern similar to that of the federal Constitution, including a statement of the ri^its of the people and a plan for organizing the government.

An American state is like a province of some other countries. But it ei^oys more power and independence. States are responsible for maintaining state police force and levying state taxes. State governments also have the power to make law on all subjects that are not granted to the national government or denied to the states in the Consdtudon. These include education, family law，contract law, and most crimes. And interesdn^y, different states often have different laws concerning the same issues.

Like the national government, state governments have three branches: executive, legislative, and judidal. The chief executive of a state is its popularly elected governor, who typically holds office for a four-year term (althou^i in a few states the term is two years). Except for Nebraska, which has unicameral legislature, all states have a bicameral legislature, with the upper house usually callcd the Senate and the lower house called the House of Representatives’ the House of Delegates, Assembly or something similar. In most states, senators serve four-year terms, and members of die lower house serve two-year terms.

Washington’s Most Powerful Lobbies

Fortune magazine sponsored a survey of more than 2,000 Washington “insiders,” including members of Congress, their staffs, and White House officials, asking them to rank the most powerful lobbyists in the capital. The results were as follows:
'Top 15M
1. The American Association of Retired Persons
2. American Israel Public AiGEairs Committee
3. AFL-QO
4. National Federation of Independent Business
5. Association of Trial Lawyers of America
6. National Rifle Association of America
7. Christian Coalition
8. American Medical Association
9. National Education Association
10. National Right to Life Committee
11. National Association of Realtors
12. American Bankers Association
13. National Association of Manufacturers
14. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
15. Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A.