If the President dies, or resigns or can’t work, the Vice-President becomes President.

The Judicial branch of the federal government includes the Supreme Court if the US and the system of federal courts. The Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and 8 associate justices, holding office for life. It has the responsibility of judging the constitutionality of acts of law (whether laws agree with the Const.).

Besides the US Supreme Court (which is the highest tribunal in the US) there are various district courts and federal courts of appeals. They have somewhat less political importance, since their principal duty is to settle cases where no constitutional question is at stake. These courts handle both civil and criminal cases. Each state has at least one district court.

Courts of appeals were created in 1891 to facilitate the disposition of cases; they stand immediately below the Supreme Court. Only the Supreme Court reviews the decisions of the appeals court.

The Court of Claims consisting of a chief justice and 4 associate justices was established in 1855. This court hears claims of private individuals against the government for breach of contracts, unpaid salary, property taken for public use and personal injuries.

The Major. Political Parties.

The US began as a one-party political system.

The popularity of G. Washington, who wanted the country to stay one-party political system and the good effects of the Constitution on trade prevented the organization if opposing parties until the end of Washington ‘s second term. Then the question of who should be the new President began to divide the people into political organizations. On one side were the Federalists, representing business, finance and the middle classes of city folk. On the other side were the “Republicans” led by Thomas Jefferson. They represented mainly the country folk from Virginia.

The present day Democratic Party was founded in 1828, representing Southern planters – slave owners and part of Northern bourgeoisie. The Republican party was founded in 1854. It united industrial and trade bourgeoisie from North – East, farmers, workers, craftsmen who were interested in destroying the political power of the South.

The parties chose their own names, Republican and Democratic, but not their party emblems. The cartoonists Thomas Nast invented the Republican elephant and Democratic donkey in the early 1870s, and they soon became fixed types.

The differences between the two parties are small. Outsiders often complain that they find difficult to distinguish between the two major political parties, which appear to support such similar policies. How does a person choose sides in the game of party politics? The first and perhaps the most important determinant is family tradition. Most voters take the party of their parents. National origin plays a role, too. Descendants if northern Europeans tend to the Republican party while those of southern and eastern Europeans prefer the Democratic party.

Economic position is sometimes important. Recently there has been an increasing tendency for the well-to-do to vote Republican and for the less fortunate to vote Democratic.