英语国家概况Chapter 19.ppt

1.重点： ① A workable form of government under the Constitution　　 ② Separation of powers with checks and balances under the Constitution 　　 ③ Safeguards for individual liberty under the Constitution 　　 ④ Powers of the American President　　 ⑤ Powers of the House of Representatives　　 ⑥ Powers of the Senate　　 ⑦ The judicial system　　 ⑧ The two-party system and the characteristics of the two major parties  2.难点、考点： ① The Constitutional system: federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, and the Bill of Rights　　 ② The executive: the President　　 ③ The legislative: the two houses of the Congress 　　 ④ The judicial　　 ⑤ Two-party system Ⅰ.The U.S. Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the basic instrument of American government and the supreme law of the land. The American Constitution is the oldest written constitution in the world. It was drawn up in 1787 and went into effect in 1789. How was it drafted? ① After the War of Independence, the thirteen colonies became thirteen independent nations. ② They don’t want to give up their independence, so they set up a loosely knit organization. ③ At the Second Continental congress, they adopted a constitution, the Articles of Confederation. ④ But, they found there were weakness within it. ⑤ They try to revise this weakness, but they failed. ⑥ This turned out to be a new constitution. ⑦ The new constitution was officially adopted on March 4, 1789. (first passed by Delaware in 1787) The Articles of Confederation Congress In 1781, the Second Continental Congress adopted a constitution, the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation provided that each state had one vote in Congress, a lawmaking body set up according to the Articles. But Congress had no power to tax, could not control trade between the states and had no way of enforcing its laws. There was no national executive, or law-enforcing branch, neither was there a national court system. The Articles of Confederation did one important thi