The down of British History

    Like  the  Mississippi, all  the   rivers  in the east  of  the  Rockies  finally  reach  the  Atlantic; all  the  waters  to the  east  of  the  Rockies   finally  arrive  at  the   Pacific. For  this  reason   the  crests   of  the  Rocky Mountains is  known  as  the  Continental  Divide. There  are  many  places  in  the Rockies  where  a  visitor  may    throw    two  snowballs  in  opposite  directions  and  know  that  each  will  feed  a   different  ocean.

   The  two  great  rivers   of  The  Pacific   side  are  the  Colorado  in  the  south ,and  the  Columbia, which   rises  in  Canada   and  drains  the  North .In  the  dry  western  country ,both  rivers ,very   different   in  character ,they are  vital  sources of life. The  Columbia ,wild  in  prehistoric  times ,cutting  and  shaping  the  land,  

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now  flows  with  quiet   dignity. But  the Colorado  is  still   a  river   of    enormous   fury-wild, restless  and  angry. It  races  and  plunges, cutting  deeply   into   the  desert   rocks. But  even the   furious  Colorado  has  been   dammed  and  put  to work. All  the  farms   and  cities  of  the  Southwestern  corner  of  the  country   depend  on its  water.

   The   Rio  Grande ,About  3.200 kilometers  long, is  the   foremost  river  of  the  Southwest. It  forms  a   natural  boundary  between  Mexico  and the  US, which  together   have    built  irrigation  and  flood  control  projects of  mutual benefit .

     THE NATION OF IMMIGRANTS

       Immigrants in US  why  they  came, why  they  come. The  United  States  has   often  called “a  nation  of  immigrants”. There  are  two  good  reason  for  this. First, the country   was  settled ,built  and  developed  by   generation  of  immigrants. Secondly ,even  today America continuous  to  take  in  more  immigrants   than  any   other  country  in  the  world. It  is  not surprising, that the US is counted as the  most heterogeneous societies   in  the  world. Many  different  cultural  traditions, ethnic  sympathies, national  origins ,racial groups, and religious  affiliations   make  up” we  the  people”

  Nonetheless, it  would  be   very  misleading    to view  America  simply  as  a   collection  of  different   immigrant  groups  and  ethnic  or  religious   loyalties. It  is  not   true  that  there  are  more  Irish ,more  German, and  more  Puerto  Ricans living  in  New  York City  than  there  are  Dublin, Frankfurt  or  San Juan .Nor  do  most New  Yorkers  think  of   themselves  primarily   as  Jews ,Negroes, Puerto  Ricans, Italians, Germans  or Irishmen.

The  US  is one of  the  few  countries that  has  no “official” national  language. English   is  the  common   language   by  use , but  it  is  not  the  national  language  by  law. About  30 million   Americans  speak  a  language  other  than  English  at  home .This  means ,for example that  if  you   meet  an  American in New  Mexico  who   speaks  Spanish  as  his  first  language ,he  could  be  a  recent  immigrant ,having   arrived  in  the  US  only  a  few  years  ago ,or  his  grandparents  could have  arrived  in  the  US  a  hundred  years  ago.

    WHY THEY CAME, WHY  THEY  COME

     Major   changes  in  the  Pattern  of   immigration  have  been  caused  by  wars ,revolutions, periods  of   starvation ,persecutions, religious in toleration, and  in  short ,by any  number  of  disasters  which led  people  to  believe  that  America   was  a  better   place  to  be. More  than  a  million Irish ,for  instance  immigrated  to  America  between 1846 and 1851  in  order  to  escape  starvation  and  disease  in  Ireland. During  the  same  period  large  number  of  other  Europeans  lead  political   persecution. And  in  the  1870’s another  wave of  refugees  left  the  political  turmoil  of  eastern  and  southern  Europe   to seek  freedom  and  a   future  in America. The  largest  streams  of European  immigrants  came  between  1900  and   1920,that  is  before, after  and  during  World  War 1.

     At  other  times ,for  example ,during  the  Depression  and  during  World War II, smaller  numbers  of  immigrants  came  to  the US. Since  the  1960s more  and  more  people  have  seen  the  poverty  and wars  in Asia  and  Latin America  in 

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the  hope  of  finding  a  better  life  in  the US. There  is ,of  course, another  side  to Americans’  ethnic  pluralism  and  racial  variety ,one  that Americans, more  than  any  other  people  are  aware  of. The  first slaves  brought to what  is  today  the  United  States  arrived   in  Virginia  on  board  a Dutch  ship in  1619.On  the   eve  of  the  American Revolution ,slavery  was  already   firmly  established  in  what  was  shortly  to be  the  United  States  of  the  America .In 1776, probably about the  fifth  of  all  inhabitants  in  the  British  colonies  in  America  were  Negro Slaves.

    Without  a  doubt  the American  immigration  experience ,then  and  now ,is  one  of  the  most  important  factors  in  American life. All immigrants have contributed  to the   development  of  some ”typical” American  characteristics. Among  these are the  willingness  to  take  risk  and  to strike out   of  the  unknown  with  independence  and  optimism. Another  is  patriotism  for  the  many  who  feel  that  they  are  Americans.

5. Бақылау сұрақтары:

  1.Northeast

2. Central Basin

3. Mountains and Deserts

4. Coast Valley 

6. Лекция тақырыбына  сәйкес  СӨЖ тапсырмалары:

   Climate and weather

   Relief 

7. Қажетті әдебиеттер:

1. Stevenson D.K American Life and Institutions

2. Tomakhin Y.  Across the USA  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Лекция 12 

1.Лекция  тақырыбы: The structure of Government 

2. Лекция жоспары:

1. A new nation

2. The constitution and the bills of right

3.The American system of government 

3. Лекция мақсаты:  АҚШ конституциясымен таныстыру. АҚШ-тың заң шығару, атқару биліктерімен таныстыру.

4. Лекция мазмұны:  АҚШ Конгресі. Президент және оның қызметтерін үйрету.

                                                                  “Americans  are  a  nation   born  of  an idea; not the  place ,but  the  idea, created  the  United  States  Government.”     

1. A NEW NATION

In  1776, the 13 British  colonies  in  America  came  together ,stood  up and  told  what was  the world’s  greatest  power  that  from  now  on  they  would  be   free   and  independent  states. The British  were  neither  impressed  nor  amused and a  bitter  six-year  war  followed , the  Revolutionary  War(1776-1783)It’s  hard   to  appreciate   today ,over  two centuries  later, what  a  revolutionary  act  this  was. A new  republic   was  founded ,turning  into   reality  the  dreams and ideas  of  a  few  political  philosophers. Americans  broke  with  on  age-old  tradition and so  sent  shock  waves  back  across  the   ocean; they  decided that  it  was  their  right  to  choose  their  own  form  of  government. Something  new  was  under  the  sun :a  system  at  government ,in   Lincoln’s words, ”of  the  people ,by  the people, for  the  people”

2. THE CONSTITUTION AND THE BILL RIGHT

The  Constitution  of  the  US  is  the  central  instrument  of  American  government and  the  supreme  law of   the  land. For  200 years, it  has  guided   the  evolution   of  governmental  institutions  and  has provided the   basis  for  political  stability, individual   freedom, economic  growth and social   progress.

The  former  colonies ,now “THE  UNITED STATES  OF  AMERICA «first  operated under   an  agreement   called  the  articles   of  Confederation (1781)

It  was  soon  clear   that  this  loose agreement  among  the  states  was   not  working  well. The  central, federal  government  was  too  weak ,with  too  few   powers  for  defense, trade  &  taxation. In  1787,therefore  delegates  from the  states  met  in   Philadelphia .They  wanted  to  revise   the   articles, but  they  did  much  more  than  that .They  wrote  a  completely  new   document, the   Constitution , which  after  much  argument , debate and compromise  was  finished  in  the  same  year & officially adopted  by  the  13 states  by 1790.

The  American  Constitution  is  the  worlds oldest  written  constitution  in  force, one  that  has  served  as  the  model  for  a  number  of  other  constitutions  around  the  world .

The Constitution, the  oldest  still  in  force  in  the   world, sets   the  basic form of

government: three  separate  branches each  one  having  powers (“checks &  balances “) over the  others. It specifies  the  powers and duties  at   each   federal  branch  of  government, with  all  other  powers and  duties  belonging  to  the states .The  Constitution  has  been  repeatedly amended   to  meet the  changing  needs  of  the  nation, but  it’s  still  the “supreme  law at  the  land”. All    governments  and  governmental  groups, federal   state and local, must  operate   within  its guidelines. The   ultimate  power  under  the  constitution  is  not  given  to  the  President(the  executive  branch) or  to the  supreme Court(the  judicial   branch).Nor  does   it  rest ,as  in  many   other  countries ,with  a   political group   or  party. It belongs to “WE THE PEOPLE”, in fact and in spirit.

In  this  way, Americans  first  took  for  themselves   the liberties and  rights  that  elsewhere   were  the   privileges  of  an   elite  few. Americans  would  manage  their   own laws  and  of course  ,they  would  make  their  own  mistakes .

They  stated   in  the  first  ten  Constitutional  Amendments, known  together  as  the Bill  of  Rights ,what they  considered  to  be   the  fundamental    rights  of  any  American .Among  these  rights  are  the  freedom  at  religion, speech and press, the  right  of   peaceful  assembly , and  the  right   to  petition the  government  to  correct  wrongs. Other  rights   guarded ,the   citizens   against   unreasonable   searches ,arrests  and seizures  of  property  &  established  a  system  of  justice  guaranteeing   orderly  legal  procedures .This  included   the  right  of  trial  by  jury ,that  is ,being  judged  by  one’s fellow  citizens .

The  great  pride Americans  have   in  their  constitution their  almost  religious  respect   for  it  comes  from  the  knowledge that  these   ideas ,freedoms and rights  were  not  given  to them  by a  small  ruling  class. Rather  they   are  seen as the  natural “unalienable” rights  of every  American ,which had  been  taught   for and won .They  cannot  be  taken away  by any  government ,court & official  or  law.

The   federal  & state  governments   formed  under  the  Constitution , therefore ,were  designed   to  serve  the  people and to  carry  out  their  majority  wishes(and not  the    other way  around ) One  thing   they   didn’t   want  their  government  to do  is  to  rule  them .Americans  expect  their   government  to  serve  them and tend  to think  of  politicians and governmental   officials   as  their   servants. This attitude   remains  very  strong  among  Americans  today.

Over  the  past   two  centuries ,the  Constitution  has  also  had   considerable   influence   outside  the  US .Several  other  nations  have  been  their  own forms   of  government  in  it. It’s  interesting   to  note   that  Lafayette, a  hero   of   the  American  Revolution   drafted   the  French    declaration  of  rights   when   he   returned   to  France . And  the  United  nation  Cuarter   also  has  clear echoes  of  what    once  was   considered  a  revolutionary   document.

3.THE  AMERICAN  SYSTEM  OF   GOVERNMENT   

The  governmental  system   in  the  US.-  federal  state   country and local  are  quite easy  to  understand ,that  is ,if  you grew   up  with  them and studied   them in  school . One  foreign  expert   complained  ,for  example  that  the   complexity  of  just   the   cities  political and governmental  structure   is  “almost  

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unbelievable. The “real Chicago,” he explained spreads over 2 states, 6 countries, 10 towns, 30cities, 49 townships and 110 villages. Overlaid   upon   this complex   pattern are 235 tax districts and more    than 400 school districts.

There  are, however  ,several  basic   principles   which  are    found   at  all    levels   of American  Government .One  of  these  is  the  “ One  person ,one  vote” principle  which  says  that legislators  are   elected  from    geographical  districts  directly  by  the   voters. Under  this  principle ,all   election   districts  must  have   about  the  same  number  of  residents. Another   fundamental   principle  of  American   government   it  that   because  of  the  system   of    cheeks and  balances ,compromise  in  politics   is  a  matter  of  necessity, not  choice. For   ex.,  the  House  of  Representatives   controls  spending and finance, so  the   President  must  have  its   agreement   for  his    proposals  and  programme . He  cannot declare  war,  either ,without   the  approval  of  congress. In  foreign   affairs, he  is  also   strongly   limited . Any  treaty  must  first   be  approved   by  the   senate .If  there  is  no  approval ,there  is  no  treaty .The  rule  is  the  president  proposes, but  Congress   disposes .What  a  President   wants  to  do, therefore, is  often  a  different  thing  from  what  a President  is  able  to  do. 

5. Бақылау сұрақтары:

1. A new nation

2. The constitution and the bills of right

3. The American system of government 

6. Лекция тақырыбына  сәйкес  СӨЖ тапсырмалары:

     Political system of the USA 

7. Қажетті әдебиеттер:

1. Stevenson D.K American Life and Institutions

2. Tomakhin Y.  Across the USA  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Лекция 13 

1.Лекция  тақырыбы: The structure of Government 

2. Лекция жоспары:

1. Congress

2. President and federal department

3. The judicial branch

4. Checks and balances

5.  political parties

3. Лекция мақсаты:  Сот биліктерін үйрету. Саяси партиялар туралы мәлімет  беру.

4. Лекция мазмұны: АҚШ-тың сот және оның қызметтерімен және саяси партияларымен таныстыру. 

1..CONGRESS  LEGISLATIVE   BRANCH

Congress, the  legislative  branch of  the  federal  government, is  made  up  at the   Senate and The  House  of  Representatives. There  are 100  senators ,two from  each  state .One  third  of  the  senators are  elected every two  years for  six-year  terms  at  office. The  senators  represent  all  of  the  people  in  a  state and their  interests.

The  House  has 435 members. They are elected  every  two  years  for  two-year   terms. They  represent   the  population  of “Congressional   districts” into  each  state  is  divided. The  number  of  Representatives  from  each  state   is  based  upon its  population. For instance ,California ,the  state  with  the  largest  population ,has 45  Representatives ,while  Delware  has  one . There  is  no  limit  to  the  number  of  terms  a  senator  or  a  Representative  may  serve.

Almost  all  election  in  the  United States  follow  the “winner-take-all” principle :the  candidate  who  wins  the  largest  number  at  votes  in  a   congressional   district  is  the  winner.

Congress  makes  all laws and  each  House  of  congress  has  the  power  to   introduce  legislation .Each  can  also   vote  against  legislation   passed   by  the   other. Because  legislation  only   becomes  law  if  both  houses  agree ,  compromise  between  them is   necessary . Congress  decides   upon  taxes  how much money  is  spent. In  addition, it  regulates  commerce  among  the  states  & with  foreign  countries .It  also  sets   rules  for  the   naturalization  of  foreign  citizens.

The  US  congress ,the lawmaking   arm  of  the  federal  government  consists  of  two  houses: The House  of  Representatives& The  Senate . Any  congressman  in  either  house ,or  the  president ,may  initiate  new  legislation .

The  Proposed  legislation ,or  bill, is  first  introduced in  the  House  of  Representatives, then   referred  to one   at  the  standing   committees, which   organizes   hearings  on  it and may  approve, amend the  draft. If  the  committee  passes the  bill ,it’s  considered  by  the  House  of  Representatives as a  whole. It passed there. It  goes  to  the Senate   for  a  similar  sequence  of  committee  hearings and general  debate.

In cases of disagreement, the House of Representatives and the Senate confer together. Once passed  by  the   senate as a  whole, the  bill   has  to  be examined  by  two  more   standing   committees –The  Committee on  House  Administration and The  Senate  Committee on   Rules and Administration and is  then   signed  by  the  speaker at  the House and by  the  President. Finally it  must  be  signed  by  the  president, who has  the  right  to  veto  it .If  the  president  vetoes  a  bill, it  can still  become  a  law-but only  if it’s    passed  by a  two –third  majority of  both  houses  of Congress.

2. THE PRESIDENT AND FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS.

The president  of  the  US is  elected  every  four years to  a  four  year  term  of  office, with  no more  than  two full terms  allowed. As  it is   true  with  Senators and  Representatives, the