美国英语介绍 第四部.ppt

* * IV A New Form of Government The Articles of Confederation approved in 1781 was unusual in many ways. (p 241) 联邦条例 In what ways? Weakness? The “Great Compromise” in 1787 gave each state an equal vote in the Senate but making representation in the House reflect the size of each state’s population. Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, urged the ratification of the Constitution. The first ten amendments to the Constitution – the Bill of Rights. United States Government The Constitution of the United States describes how the country should be governed. It divides the national government into three parts, or branches. The Constitution of the United States describes how the country should be governed. The framers of the Constitution set up a system of checks and balances to make sure that no single branch of government ever became too powerful. Each branch has the power to check, or stop, the actions of the other branches. This helps balance the powers of government between the three branches. The legislative branch is made up of Congress. Congress is the national legislature. Congress has two parts, or houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The members of Congress are elected by the people to represent them in government. Their main job is to write and pass new laws for the country. The head of the executive branch is the president. The president is the leader of the United States. The president appoints (selects) the heads of different government departments to help run the country. The president is in charge of making sure laws and government plans are carried out. The president can approve or veto (reject) bills that have been passed by Congress. A bill becomes a law with the presidents signature. Even if the president vetoes a bill, it can still become a law if Congress votes to override the presidents veto. The judicial branch is made up of courts. The courts uphold and define laws. The most important court is the Supreme Court.