the next one scheduled for November 6, 2012.
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Part I. The U.S. President Election
• Under the U.S. Constitution, the popular vote on Election Day is conducted by the various states and not directly by the federal government.
Lesson Fourteen -------------------------------
Star Wars: The Next Version
The New York Times, May 4, 2004
Part I. The U.S. President Election
• Elections for President and Vice President of the United States
• The former American President George W. Bush made the decision to mount the Antimissile Defense System, which is simply another version of Star Wars.
• The judicial branch interprets the law. (It may declare that the law is unconstitutional. )
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Part II. Text:Star Wars: The Next Version
• 1. Introductory Remarks:
• The 100 Senators serve staggered six-year terms. Each state has two senators, regardless of population. Every two years, approximately one-third of the Senate is elected at a time.
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• 4. What does the Pentagon expect to begin testing next year? What is another futuristic component of their plan?
• Secondly, the threat to the U.S. is not missiles but terrorism.
• Last but not least, the plan is likely to stimulate space arms race between countries.
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Part I. The system of checks and
balances
• The system of checks and balances is a part of American Constitution. It guarantees that no part of the government becomes too powerful:
• The legislative branch is in charge of making laws. (It can impeach and remove a president or judge that is not doing his/her job properly.)
• The executive branch carries out the law. (It can veto the law appoints judges and the legislative branch approves the choice of the executive branch. )
• The Congress is the final judge of the electors; the last serious dispute was in United States presidential election, 2000, in which the democractic nomanee, Al. Gore outnumered George W. Bush by 337.576 popular votes, but was defeated by the latter who got 271 elecoral voted, 4 more than the former.
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Part I. The U.S. Congress
• The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election.
• Since the beginning, the system has been subjected to criticism fromtly, it is unfeasible because of its incapability of withstanding the jamming from pseudo targets, airplanes as well as balloons.
1. What are the differences and similarities between the Star Wars and its new version?
(Unlike Star Wars, which faded into the realm of misbegotten high-tech dreams, the new system relies on agile but fairly ordinary rockets to smash incoming warheads rather than nuclear-powered lasers in space.)
• In 2001, George W. Bush proposed of speeding the National Missile Defense System (NMD).
• Then, he declared the U.S. to withdraw from Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
• Unlike Star Wars, which was conceived of mount missiles on satellites to hit attacking missiles from enemy countries with lasers, the Antimissile Defense System is to deploy interceptor missiles in Alaska and California.
• With the approach of the U.S. General Election, his decision and plan are meat for nothing but more votes for his second term election.
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2. Questions & Suggested Answers
• Each of the 435 members of the House of Representatives represents a district and serves a two-year term. House seats are apportioned among the states by population.
2. Why do some people criticize the missile defense system? Why does President Bush feel obliged to deploy the system?
(Because it is being rushed before being fully tested. Critics call it a flawed defense against the ICBM’s of yesteryear, not the suicide bombers and hijacked airplanes of the world since Sept. 11.)
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2. Questions & Suggested Answers
(Deploying the system will fulfill a campaign pledge by President Bush; as well as a more specific directive, issued in December 2002, that the nation have a functioning missile defense system by this year.) 3. Describe briefly what the interceptors are like and how they work? (In an attack, boosters would release the kill vehicle more than 100 miles above earth. With a heat-sensitive telescope, the vehicle would search the chill of space for the warhead, then maneuver with its thrusters and try to pulverize the weapon by simply ramming it at speeds faster than 20,000 miles an hour.)