1. POLITICAL SYSTEMS USA

2. A federal state Government – 3 branches: Legislative – Congress Executive – President, Administration Judical– Supreme Court

3. Constitution Ratified on June 21, 1788 Went in effect on March 4, 1789 Since then it has not been changed 27 amendments The first 10 amendments = Bill of Rights (Ratified in 1791)

4. US Congress The Parliament of the USA Historical name – 1st Continental Congress, 1774 Bicameral Lower House – House of Representatives Upper House - Senate

5. US Congress

6. House of Representatives 435 members Each state represented proportionally (1 to 53 representatives) + 5 non voting delegates (D.C., Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Marian Islands) + 1 resident commissioner (Puerto Rico)

7. House of Representatives Democrats Republicans

8. Senate 100 senators 2 per each state + the vice-president – the chair of the Senate

9. Senate Democrats Republicans Independent (2)

10. The President

11. The US president is the head of the state and the head of the government at the same time. natural born US citizen at least 35 years old living in the USA for at least 14 years permanently can not be elected more than twice (since 1951, 22nd amendment) can be disqualified by the Senate (impeachment)

12. The President Vice-President is elected together with the President Barrack Obama is President No. 44 but actually there have been only 43 guys so far. Why? Has there ever been a president who was never elected?

13. Presidential Election Each and every US citizen has the right to vote the President, but… Electoral college – 538 members, 270 votes needed to be elected 435 + 100 + 3 The candidate who wins in the state gets all the votes of the electors for this state!

14. Presidential Election „Battle states“ Ohio, Connecticut, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida…

15. Political Parties Republicans Democrats

16. Sources and guiders The White House http://www.congress.org/ http://www.senate.gov/ http://www.republicans.org/ http://www.democrats.org/ PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2012

17. Some funny staff… George Bush and his quotes... Wow! Brazil is big...... and something about Obama.