1. Unique character
   1. ideals of European Enlightement that were too radical
   2. first political structure, then the ntion
2. The American Constitution
   1. 1787
   2. Declaration of Independence
      1. 1776
   3. social and political life of the new state
   4. not a structure with monarch
   5. political community
      1. protect those who form it
   6. separating the executive, the legislature and the judiciary powers
   7. Constitution cannot be changed
      1. adding amendments
   8. Bill of Rights
      1. 10 amendments
      2. 1791
      3. 1st Amendment
         1. freedom of speech, of press and assembly
      4. 2nd Amendment
         1. the right to keep and bear arms
      5. 5th and 6th
         1. due legal process and trial by jury
3. Federation of states
   1. federal government decides about some general aspects of the state organization
   2. the state governments decide about most day-to-day issues like details of legal system taxation, educational system, etc
   3. limitation of power of the federal government
   4. great autonomy of each state
   5. "District of Columbia"
      1. "Washington", as the capital of the USA
      2. federal territory and is not a part of any state
      3. no state law has legal power over it
4. United States Congress
   1. bicameral
      1. the House of Representatives
         1. 435
         2. majority vote in districts
         3. two-year terms
      2. the Senate
         1. 100
         2. each state has got two representatives
         3. six-year term
         4. every two years one-third of the Senate stands up for election
   2. Washington, D. C
   3. Lobbying
      1. presenting demands and expectations of various parties to the Congress to influence the shape of new legal regulations passed there
   4. legislative power
5. The President
   1. executive power
   2. head of the state
   3. head of the government
   4. impeachment
      1. may be removed legally
      2. Andrew Johnson
         1. 1860
      3. Bill Clinton
         1. 1998
   5. maximum of two terms
   6. Election
      1. every 4 years
      2. Election Day
         1. Tuesday after the first Monday in November
      3. Americans vote for electors
      4. pre-elections
         1. the Democrats
         2. the Republicans
      5. visit states
      6. presidential election debate
6. Federal Courts&Supreme Court
   1. federal courts
      1. independent from the state courts
   2. Supreme Court
      1. nine judges appointed by the President
         1. serve for life
         2. removed only by impeachment
      2. interprets the Constitution when doubts arise
      3. settles legal cases between states and between the federal government and citizens
      4. majority vote
7. Checks and balances
   1. limiting powers of each branch of the government and their controlling each other
8. Political parties
   1. the Democratic Party
      1. the Donkey
   2. the Repulican Party
      1. the Elephant
   3. majority vote
   4. differences
      1. taxes
      2. social problems
      3. foreign policy of the USA
9. The state government
   1. executive power
      1. the Governor
   2. bicameral
      1. not Nebraska
   3. state courts
10. Other
    1. death penalty
    2. capital punishment
       1. Alabama, Connecticut or Indiana
          1. electrocution
       2. Utah
          1. firing squad
          2. lethal injection
       3. Washington
          1. hanging
          2. lethal injection
       4. Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Alaska or New York
          1. no death penalty
    3. juvenile crime