Elections in the USA

The US Constitution includes some general provisions on the franchise. It sets forth certain requirements for candidates running for a post of a president, vice-president, senator or member of the House of Representatives. Requirements usually concern age, residence and citizenship. The candidates who meet all these requirements are considered eligible for office. A residence qualification requires a permanent residence of an individual in order to get the right to vote.

The duration of the residence qualification is, in general, a few months though it may substantially vary from state to state.

Besides, some states have the so-called literacy qualification (the voter should be able to read and speak English, he (she) must know how to interpret the US Constitution, etc.

And at last it should be mentioned that in some states a poll tax is levied upon everyone who votes and this certainly discourages poor citizens and Negroes from voting. In this context, it is not surprising that not all the Americans participate in elections, including congressional or presidential elections.

The voters are registered by clerks of counties or towns and by local election commissions. When registering, the voter must produce an identification card. This is done to prevent fraud. The administration of elections is vested in an election commission which ordinarily is composed of two commissioners, one representing each of the major parties, and a third ex officio member, usually a sheriff, a county judge, or a clerk.

Prior to holding primary or general election, the commission appoints election officers for each precinct and also arranges for polling places. After the ballots have been cast, they are counted and the results obtained are tabulated and returned to the election commission which officially counts the precinct tally sheets.

Vocabulary:

general provisions - общие положения
on the franchise - по избирательному праву
residence qualification- ценз оседлости
clerk - чиновник
identification card - удостоверение личности
polling place, the polls - место голосования
salary - зарплата (оклад)

Answer these 7 “what” questions.

Now prepare 7 “who, where, when, why” questions for your classmates to answer.

1. What does the US Constitution set forth?

2. What do requirements usually concern?

3. What does a residence qualification require?

4. What is meant by literacy qualification?

5. What is levied upon everyone who votes?

6. What is done to prevent fraud?

7. What does the election commission do?

The Fifty States

The fifty states have joined to make one nation. The United States did not always have fifty states. At first there were thirteen. As the United States grew, more states joined the union. The last two states to join were Alaska and Hawaii. They both joined in 1959.

In the area of the United States covers every type of land, there are forests, deserts, mountains, and flat land. The area of the United States also covers every type of climate. The size of each state is different, too. Alaska is the biggest state. Rhode Island is the smallest one. Alaska is 500 times bigger than Rhode Island. About 250 million people live in the United States. The people of the United States come from all over the world.

People often name new cities after those where they come from. For example, in the United States you will find Paris, Rome, Delhi, Frankfurt, and Moscow. The state with the highest population is California. The state with the lowest population is Alaska.

Each state has its own name. More than a half of the states have names of American Indian origin. Each state also has a flag with colors that have a special meaning for the state. The flag is the symbol, of the state. There are also state flowers, trees, and birds.

Here is a list of states.

Choose a state and make a little report about the symbols of this state and its history.

ALABAMA	ALASKA	ARIZONA	ARKANSAS	CALIFORNIA
COLORADO	CONNECTICUT	DELAWARE	FLORIDA	GEORGIA
HAWAII	IDAHO	ILLINOIS	INDIANA	IOWA
KANSAS	KENTUCKY	LOUISIANA	MAINE	MARYLAND
MASSACHUSETTS	MICHIGAN	MINNESOTA	MISSISSIPPI	MISSOURI
MONTANA	NEBRASKA	NEVADA	NEW HAMPSHIRE	NEW JERSEY
NEW MEXICO	NEW YORK	NORTH CAROLINA	NORTH DAKOTA	OHIO
OKLAHOMA	OREGON	PENNSYLVANIA	RHODE ISLAND	SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTH DAKOTA	TENNESSEE	TEXAS	UTAH	VERMONT
VIRGINIA	WASHINGTON	WEST VIRGINIA	WISCONSIN	WYOMING

Take the cities from Unit 1, Part 2, Ex. 4 and tell which states are they located in.

Since Alaska used to be Russian territory, let’s be patriotic and take Alaska quiz =)

1) What two animals are shown on the Great Seal of Alaska?

a. Whale and Fish

b. Grizzly Bear and Bald Eagle

c. Fish and Seal

2) What Ocean borders Alaska on the north?

a. The Bering Sea

b. Pacific Ocean

c. Arctic Ocean

3) In what year did the United States purchase the Alaska Territory?

a. 1867

b. 1902

c. 1850

4) According to the 2000 Census, how many people are there per square mile in Alaska?

a. About 4

b. Less than 1

c. About 1

5) What visitor to Alaska has a glacier named after him?

a. John Muir

b. Jack London

c. Sheldon Jackson

6) What is the Official State Motto of Alaska?

a. To the stars through difficulties

b. North to the future

c. The star of the north

7) What is the Official State Insect of Alaska?

a. Honeybee

b. Four-Spot Skimmer Dragonfly

c. Four-dotted Alpine Butterfly

8) What is another name for the highest point in Alaska, Mt. McKinley (20,320 feet)?

a. Minchumina

b. Kuskokwim

c. Denali

9) What does the Big Dipper, depicted on the Alaska State Flag represent?

a. Providence

b. Strength

c. Opportunity

10) What is the capital of Alaska?

a. Juneau

b. Anchorage

c. Fairbanks

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Дата добавления: 2014-12-23