US political system

1. US government structure

The United States has a system of government that is based on separation of powers (hatalmi ágak
elválasztása). This means that power is divided into three branches, each with different
responsibilities and abilities to limit the power of the others.

These three branches are:

1. The Executive Branch (Végrehajtó Hatóság)
• Leader: The President (Elnök)
• Role: The President is the head of the country and the government. The President’s job is
to enforce laws (törvények végrehajtása), make decisions about foreign policy (külföldi
politika), and serve as the Commander-in-Chief (főparancsnok) of the armed forces
(fegyveres erők).
• Other parts: The President’s Cabinet (Kormány) and various agencies (ügynökségek) help
the President carry out their duties. The Vice President (Alelnök) helps the President and takes
over if the President can’t do the job.

2. The Legislative Branch (Törvényhozó Hatóság)

• Main Body: The Congress (Kongresszus)
• Role: Congress makes the laws. It is a bicameral (két házból álló) body, meaning it has two
parts:
o The Senate (Szenátus): 100 Senators (szenátorok) are elected to represent the people
of each state. Each state has 2 Senators.
 o The House of Representatives (Képviselőház): There are 435 Representatives
(képviselők), each elected to represent a specific district (választókerület) within a
state. The number of Representatives each state has depends on its population.
Congress writes laws, approves the government’s budget (költségvetés), and has the power to check
(ellenőrizni) the actions of the President. They can impeach (felelősségre von) the President if they
break the law.

3. The Judicial Branch (Bírósági Hatóság)

• Main Body: The Supreme Court (Legfelsőbb Bíróság)
• Role: The Judicial Branch interprets the laws (törvények értelmezése). The Supreme
Court is the highest court in the country. The job of the courts is to decide if laws follow the
Constitution (alkotmány). The judges in the Supreme Court are called justices (bírák).
o There are 9 justices in the Supreme Court. They are appointed (kinevezettek) by the
President and serve for life.
o Courts at lower levels, called federal courts (szövetségi bíróságok), help to resolve
legal disputes (jogi viták) and cases.

Key Terms:
• Separation of Powers (Hatalmi ágak elválasztása): Dividing the government into three
branches to avoid too much power in one place.
• Executive (Végrehajtó): The branch of government that enforces laws, led by the President.
• Legislative (Törvényhozó): The branch that makes the laws, consisting of Congress.
• Judicial (Bírósági): The branch that interprets laws and ensures they follow the Constitution.
• Checks and Balances (Ellenőrző és kiegyensúlyozó rendszer): A system to make sure no
branch gets too powerful.

2. The Constitution (Alkotmány)

The U.S. Constitution (Egyesült Államok Alkotmánya) is the supreme law (legfelsőbb törvény) of
the United States. It outlines how the government is set up and gives rights (jogok) to the people. It
also explains what powers the three branches of government (három kormányzati ág) have and how
they work together.
Key Parts of the Constitution:
1. Preamble(Előszó)
The Constitution begins with a short introduction, called the Preamble (Előszó). It states the
purpose of the document and the goals of the government. For example, it says the government
is created to promote justice(igazságosságot előmozdítani) and secure the blessings of
liberty (a szabadság áldásait biztosítani) for the people.
2. The Articles (Cikkek) The Constitution has seven articles (hétt cikk) that describe how the
government works:
o Article I (Első cikk): Describes the Legislative Branch (Törvényhozó Hatóság) and
its power to make laws.
o Article II (Második cikk): Describes the Executive Branch (Végrehajtó Hatóság),
led by the President(Elnök), and how the President carries out laws.
 o Article III (Harmadik cikk): Describes the Judicial Branch (Bírósági Hatóság) and
the Supreme Court(Legfelsőbb Bíróság), which interprets laws.
o Articles IV-VII (Negyedik-hétedik cikk): These articles discuss the relationships
between states (államok) and the federal government (szövetségi kormány), how
amendments (módosítások) are made, and other matters.
3. The Amendments (Módosítások) The Constitution can be changed or updated
through amendments(módosítások). There are 27 amendments (27 módosítás), and each
one adds or changes parts of the original Constitution. The Bill of Rights (Jogok
Nyilatkozata), the first 10 amendments, guarantees important freedoms, such as:
o Freedom of speech (szólásszabadság)
o Freedom of religion (vallásszabadság)
o Right to a fair trial (jog a tisztességes tárgyaláshoz)

Important Principles of the Constitution

1. Separation of Powers (Hatalmi ágak elválasztása)
The Constitution divides the government into three branches (Executive, Legislative, and
Judicial) to ensure that no one branch becomes too powerful.
2. Checks and Balances (Ellenőrzés és kiegyensúlyozás)
Each branch has some control over the other branches to make sure no one branch has too
much power. For example, the President can veto (megszavazás) laws made by Congress,
but Congress can override the veto.
3. Federalism (Szövetségi rendszer)
The Constitution creates a system of federalism, which means that the federal
government (szövetségi kormány) shares power with the state governments (állami
kormányok).
4. Popular Sovereignty (Népi szuverenitás)
The government is based on the will of the people. This means that the people elect
representatives (képviselők) to make decisions for them, and the government’s power comes
from the people.

How the Constitution affects us

The Constitution affects every part of life in the United States. It guarantees rights and
freedoms (jogok és szabadságok), sets up the government's rules (kormányzati szabályok), and
helps ensure that everyone is treated fairly (méltányosan). When a new law is made or a decision is
taken, it must follow the Constitution.

Key Terms:
• Constitution (Alkotmány): The supreme law of the United States.
• Preamble (Előszó): The introduction to the Constitution.
• Amendment (Módosítás): A change or addition to the Constitution.
• Bill of Rights (Jogok Nyilatkozata): The first 10 amendments that protect individual
freedoms.
• Federalism (Szövetségi rendszer): The sharing of power between the federal government
and state governments.
• Popular Sovereignty (Népi szuverenitás): The idea that the government’s power comes
from the people.
 3. Form of the government
Form of government: federal presidential republic
↓
The country is made up of smaller political units (states) that share power with a central
government.
↓
Each state has its own government, but they all follow the rules set by the U.S. Constitution
Meaning of the phrase:
federal presidential republic

power is divided between the the president is the head of a state in which supreme
national government and the the country power is held by the people
state governments • elected by the and their elected
• state has control over people representatives, and which
some local matters, • responsible for has an elected or nominated
like schools and leading the country, president rather than a
roads making sure laws monarch
• national government are enforced, and
handles bigger representing the
issues, like the U.S. internationally
military and foreign • president serves for
relations four years and can
be re-elected once
In the U.S. system, power is balanced between three branches of government:
1. The Executive Branch – led by the President, it carries out the laws.
2. The Legislative Branch – made up of Congress (the Senate and the House of
Representatives), it creates laws.
3. The Judicial Branch – made up of courts, including the Supreme Court, interprets the laws
and makes sure they are constitutional.
This system is designed to prevent any one person or branch from having too much power. The three
branches check and balance each other.
• Checks and balances: Prevents any branch from having too much power.

4. Parties
In the United States, political parties (politikai pártok) are groups of people who share similar ideas
about how the government should work. These parties help organize elections, choose candidates for
office, and influence laws and policies. There are two main political parties in the U.S.:
1. The Democratic Party (Demokrata Párt)
• Ideology: The Democratic Party generally supports (támogat)
more liberal or progressive ideas. This means they often believe in:
o Social equality (társadalmi egyenlőség), such as supporting civil rights (polgári
jogok) and equal treatment for all people.
 o Government involvement (kormányzati szerepvállalás) in the economy, like
providing healthcare (egészségügy) for all and ensuring welfare (jóléti) programs for
people in need.
o Environmental protection (környezeti védelem), such as fighting against climate
change (klímaváltozás).
• Symbol: The symbol of the Democratic Party is the Donkey (szamár), and its color is blue
(kék).
2. The Republican Party (Republikánus Párt)
• Ideology: The Republican Party generally supports (támogat) more conservative ideas. This
means they often believe in:
o Limited government (korlátozott kormányzás), which means they prefer less
government control over people’s lives and the economy.
o Lower taxes (alacsonyabb adók) and more freedom for businesses (vállalkozások).
o Personal responsibility (személyes felelősség) for things like healthcare and
education.
• Symbol: The symbol of the Republican Party is the Elephant (elefánt), and its color is red
(piros).

Third Parties (Harmadik Pártok)

While the Democrats and Republicans are the two main parties in the U.S., there are also third
parties (harmadik pártok). These smaller parties usually focus on specific issues (problémák), such
as the environment (környezetvédelem) or social justice (társadalmi igazságosság). Some examples
of third parties include:
• The Libertarian Party (Szabadságpárt): Focuses on individual freedoms (szabadság) and
limited government.
• The Green Party (Zöld Párt): Focuses on environmental issues (környezeti problémák) and
sustainability (fenntarthatóság).

How political parties work in elections

Political parties play an important role in elections. They:
• Select candidates (kiválasztják a jelölteket) to run for office.
• Organize campaigns (kampányokat szerveznek) to help their candidates win.
• Help voters (szavazók) understand the party’s ideas and goals.
In the U.S., elections usually focus on the President (elnök), members of Congress (Kongresszus),
and other important positions at the state and local levels.
Key Terms:
• Liberal (Liberális): Believes in change and government action to help people.
• Conservative (Konzervatív): Believes in traditional values and less government control.
• Election (Választás): The process by which people vote for their leaders.
• Campaign (Kampány): Activities to promote a candidate or a political party.
 U.S. Political parties

Aspect Democratic Party Republican Party

Color Blue Red

Symbol Donkey Elephant

Political Leaning Left-leaning (Liberal) Right-leaning (Conservative)

Core Values Progress, Equality, Community Tradition, Individual Rights, Free

Responsibility Market

Stance on Gay Generally supportive Generally opposed or more

Marriage restrictive

Stance on Abortion Generally pro-choice Generally pro-life

Stance on Gun Advocates for stricter gun control Advocates for gun rights
Control measures

Immigration Policy More lenient, supports paths to Stricter, emphasizes border

citizenship security

Tax Policy Advocates for higher taxes on the Advocates for lower taxes
wealthy

Environmental Supports strong environmental Emphasizes economic growth over

Policy regulations regulations

Support in States Strong in states like California and Strong in states like Alabama and
New York Oklahoma

Swing States Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania

Famous Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush,

Kennedy, Barack Obama Donald Trump
 5. Election
In the United States, the process of choosing the President and Vice President takes a long time and
has many steps. Here is a simplified version of how it works.

1. Campaigning One Year Before the Election

One year before the election, candidates from the two main political parties (politikai pártok) start
their campaigns. These parties are the Democrats (Demokraták) and the Republicans
(Republikánusok). Candidates set up teams (csapatok), travel across the country (ország) to talk to
people, and raise money (pénzt gyűjtenek) for their campaigns.

2. Televised Debates (Vita műsorok)

As the campaign starts, candidates participate in televised debates. These are public discussions
shown on TV where candidates talk about their ideas (ötleteik) and explain why they should be
President. They answer difficult questions (nehéz kérdések) and argue (vitáznak) with other
candidates about different issues (problémák).

3. Primaries and Caucuses (Előválasztások és gyűlések)

In the U.S., there are many people who want to become President, but not all of them can win. To
help choose who will run for President, the political parties hold two types of events: primaries
(előválasztások) and caucuses (gyűlések). These are special voting events where people in each state
(állam) vote for the candidate they like the most.
• Primaries: In a primary, people vote directly (közvetlenül) for the candidate they want to
represent (képviselni) their party in the general election.
• Caucuses: In a caucus, people meet and discuss (megbeszélik) who they think should be the
best candidate. Then, they vote (szavaznak) on it.
The results from these events decide which delegates (delegáltak) will go to the national conventions
(nemzeti kongresszusok) to officially support (támogatni) the candidate they like best.

4. National Conventions (Nemzeti Kongresszusok)

After the primaries and caucuses, each political party holds a national convention. At the convention,
delegates vote (szavaznak) to choose the final presidential nominee (elnökjelölt). This means they
officially announce who will represent their party in the general election.
During the convention, the presidential candidate also chooses (választ) their running mate, who will
be the Vice President (alelnök). The candidates then continue campaigning to gain support from
people across the country.

5. The General Election (Általános Választás)

The general election happens in November. On this day, people in each state vote (szavaznak) for
their President and Vice President. However, when people vote, they are actually voting for electors
(választók), not the President directly.
• In most states, the candidate who wins the most votes from the people gets all of the state's
electoral votes (választási szavazatok).
• The candidate who wins a majority (többség) of electoral votes—at least 270 out of 538—
becomes the President.
6. The Electoral College (Választási Kollégium)
The U.S. does not directly elect the President based on the popular vote (népszerűségi szavazat).
Instead, they use the Electoral College. This is a group of electors (választók), one from each state,
who vote for the President after the general election.
Each state gets a number of electors based on its population (lakosság) and representation in Congress
(kongresszus). There are a total of 538 electors, and a candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to
win.

7. Inauguration (Beiktatás)
Once the new President and Vice President are elected, they are sworn into office in January in a
ceremony called the inauguration. During this event, the President takes an oath (esküt tesz) to
promise to serve the country and protect the Constitution (alkotmány).