Dictionary Yandex.Lingvo

The US Government

	The Executive Branch You can read these VOA Special English articles to find out more about the US presidents and branches of power. Please, be advised to use your iPods or other mp3 players to listen to them. The audio files are free for download. John Kennedy, Part 1. First 100 Days. John Kennedy, Part 2. Lyndon Johnson, Part 1. Lyndon Johnson, Part 2. Richard Nixon, Part 1. Richard Nixon, Part 2. Richard Nixon, Part 3. Gerald Ford. Jimmy Carter. Ronald Reagan, Part 1. Ronald Reagan, Part 2. George H.W. Bush. Clinton's First Term. Clinton Second Term. Clinton Legal Problems. George W. Bush. War on Terror. George W. Bush. First Four Years, Revisited. The Juducial Branch The Supreme Court. Supreme Court. Affirmative Action. Supreme Court Ends Term. The Jury System. Americans Wait to See Next Face of the Supreme Court.

The WebQuest on the System of Checks and Balances

Introduction

ne of V. Putin's - former Russian President from 2000 to 2008 - political decisions was a so-called "single chain of command (vertikal' vlasti)". By this plan the President has the right to appoint governors in Russia's 83 regions (used to be 89). Opponents of this legislation think it might shake the system of "checks and balances" while advocates believe it would strengthen the country.

In this simple WebQuest you and your teammates will have a closer look at what the system of "checks and balances" is and how it works in the USA. The other name for it is "separation of powers". Baron de Montesquieu, one of the great political philosophers of the Enlightenment, is credited for this idea.

Question

• What are the fundamental principles of the system of "checks and balances"?

To answer this question you and your teammates will read some background articles on the separation of powers and discuss them with the rest of the team.

Process and Resources

The articles you are going to read are authentic and they might challenge you in terms of unknown words. Please, feel free to use one of the online dictionaries or one at hand.

Here are the step-by-step instructions to use when studying the question.

1. BACKGROUND. The idea of "checks and balances".
• The whole group should read the text "How does our system of checks and balances help protect our rights?" to have a general idea on the issue. The text gives a drawing on the system of "checks and balances" with some brief explanations.


2. LOOKING DEEPER. The Branches of Power.
   • A third of the people on your group should read:
     • "The Executive Branch: Powers of the Presidency."
     • "The Presidency."
     • "The Cabinet."
     • "The Government of the United States."
     The articles tell about the powers of the US president and the executive departments.
   • A third of the people on your group should read:
     • "The Legislative Branch: The Reach of Congress."
     • "The Oversight Powers of Congress."
     • "The Committee System."
     The articles stress the powers of the houses and the whole Congress, the role of committees, congressional powers of investigation.
   • Another third of the people on your group should read:
     • "The Judicial Branch: Interpreting the Constitution."
     The article describes the federal judiciary make up: the Supreme Court, courts of appeals, district courts, and special courts.
   
   
3. DISCUSS WHAT YOU LEARNED
• Having researched a separate branch of the US Government and found out its powers you are to
  • exchange your findings in your small groups and then
  • with those who studied the other branches thus forming a new group.
  • As a new group you should find the evidences of "checks and balances" working in the USA.


4. DEBATE AN ISSUE
• Read the article "PRESIDENTIAL POWERS IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY: Could Terrorism Result In A Constitutional Dictator?" by John W. Dean, a FindLaw columnist, a former Counsel to the President of the United States. You can also view an excerpt of John Dean's speech - "Does the President Have Too Much Power?" - at Commonwealth Club of California on October 1, 2007.
• Debate whether in times of emergency it is justified for the executive to arrogate extensive powers breaking checks and balances "to avert a disaster" as Franklin D. Roosevelt said. [Use the expressions.]

Conclusion

n American history there have been times when presidents expanded their powers to meet emergencies they faced. John W. Dean wrote they "acted undemocratically, but only to preserve our [the US] democracy".

From this point the Russian president's right to appoint regional leaders sounds reasonable as we have been experiencing a transition period. What effects this decision will bring is a matter of time. But the thing we should keep in mind is that any government that excessively gains powers may once turn to dictatorship.

News Feeds

Here are the news feeds provided by some of the US mass media. You can use these resources for a five minute news warm-up at the beginning of our class. Click the headline to open the whole article in a new window.