The distribution of seats in the Congress in terms of political parties
| Political Party | The Senate | The House of Representatives |
| Democratic Party | 53 | 199 |
| Republican Party | 45 | 233 |
| Independents* | 2 | 0 |
| Vacant | 3 | 0 |
NB! * Independents
Some political candidates, and many voters, choose not to identify with a particular political party. In some states, independents are not allowed to vote in primary elections, but in others, they can vote in any primary election of their choice. Independents can be of any political persuasion, but the term most commonly refers to politicians or voters who hold centrist views that incorporate facets of both Democratic and Republican ideology.
E) Judicial Branch – the Supreme Court and the system of courts
The US has the most complex judicial system in the world. It consists of a system of courts spread throughout the country and is headed by the Supreme Court.
Structure:
Important issues of the American judicial system:
¨ The US has 2 distinct system of courts – federal and state;
¨ Alongside with the federal system each state has its own judicial system headed by the State Supreme Court;
¨ All in all there 51 sets of courts (50 states + 1 District of Columbia);
¨ All the courts are independent;
¨ The Congress has the power to create and abolish federal courts;
¨ The Congress has the power to determine the number of federal judges;
¨ The Congress cannot abolish the Federal Supreme Court;
¨ The federal judges are appointed by the President for life (until they die or retire);
¨ The federal judges can only be removed for misconduct after a trial in the Congress;
¨ Federal Courts deal with the cases of arising out of the Constitution, laws and treaties, foreign citizens’ cases, etc.
| The Supreme Court | |
| Residence | the Supreme Court Building, Washington D.C. |
| Members | @ The Chief Justice @ 8 Associate Justices |
| Meetings | on the 1st Monday of October till June |
| Duty | @ to decide whether the laws of the Congress are constitutional @ to decide on the appeals from the lower courts (most cases) |
| The number of cases per session | 150 cases |
| Courts of Appeals | |
| Created | 1891 |
| Total number | 11 (50 states = at least 1 court of appeal, but some states have got 2-4) |
| Districts | The country is divided into 11 separate regions |
| Members | 3-15 members |
| Duty | @ to hear the appeals from the district courts |
| District Courts | |
| Districts | The US is divided into 89 districts + 1 District of Columbia + 1 Puerto Rico |
| Size of a district | It is determined by: ü population ü size (territory) ü volume of work |
| Members | 1-27 judges 1 judge may deal with cases of more than 2 districts |
| Duty | @ to hear all criminal and civil cases of the district |
| Special Courts | |
| Purpose | the Congress may set up the court for special purposes |
| Members | appointed for life the President |
| Examples: | The Court of Claims |
| Created | 1855 |
| Members | @ chief justice @ 4 associate justices |
| Duty | To deal with monetary claims against the Federal Government |
| The Customs Court | |
| Members | 9 judges |
| Duty | @ to deal with the cases on taxes on the imported goods |
Chapter XVI
Hollywood: The Movie World
Preview and Review
Use the following questions to motivate and prepare for reading about this topic.
© What is your favorite film? Why is it your favorite film?
© Who were the actors, director, and producer of this film?
© How does this film represent the time period (culturally, socially or politically) in which it was produced?
© What do you know about Hollywood?