The bill of rights

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution and their purpose

Protections afforded fundamental rights and freedoms

Amendment 1. Freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly; the right to petition the government,

Protections against arbitrary military action

Amendment 2. Right to bear arms and maintain state militia (National Guard).

Amendment 3. Troops may be quartered in homes in peacetime.

Protections against arbitrary police and court action

Amendment 4. No reasonable searches or seizures.

Amendment 5. Grand jury indictment required to prosecute a person for a serious crime. No ‘double jeopardy’ – being tried twice for the same offence. Forcing a person to testify against himself or herself prohibited. No loss of life, liberty or property without due process.

Amendment 6. Right to speedy, public, impartial trial with defense counsel, and the right to cross-examine witnesses.

Amendment 7. Jury trials in civil suits where value exceeds 20 dollars.

Amendment 8. No excessive bail or fines, no cruel and unusual punishments.

Protections of states’ rights and unnamed rights of the people

Amendment 9. Unlisted rights are not necessary denied.

Amendment 10. Powers not delegated to the United States or denied to states are reserved to the states or to the people.

4. Give Ukrainian equivalents for the following words and expressions; make up sentences or situations using them.

1. checks and balances; to rest with a political party; the Supreme Court; to specify the powers and duties of each federal branch of government; to apply and interpret laws; regulate interstate and foreign trade; operate within its guidelines; in fact and in spirit; trial by jury; fellow citizens; legal procedures; the right of peaceful assembly; to correct wrong; the guarantee of specific rights of individual citizens against any violation by the government; ultimate power; freedoms of religion; the other way round; to petition the government; tend to think; to guard the citizens against unreasonable searches; seizure of property; to guarantee orderly legal procedures; to be judged by one’s fellow citizens; to be compelled to be a witness against himself; an integral part of the Constitution; to abolish slavery; to define citizenship; to give the vote; regardless of race, color or previous condition of servitude; to hold office for more than two terms; to lower the voting age; to serve the people; to carry out their majority wishes; governmental officials.

5. Find in the text English equivalents for the following words and expressions:

1. ділити повноваження між національним урядом та урядами штатів; окремі незалежні гілки; Верховний суд; тлумачити закони; застосовувати закони; правові суперечки; збирати податки; оголошувати війну; приймати /додати поправки до конституції;повна влада; доручати владу політичним партіям; запропонована Конституція; забрати права у людей; привести до відхилення Конституції; повноваження та обов’язки; ратифікувати конституцію; діяти у рамках (згідно директив) конституції; свобода слова, релігії, преси; система стримувань і противаг; безпідставний арешт; право на свободу зборів; подавати клопотання уряду; конфіскація майна; свідчити проти себе; встановити систему правосуддя; судочинство; незалежно від раси; визначати громадянство; попереднє перебування у рабстві; невід’ємні права; служити народу.

6. A: Fill in the appropriate word from the list below.

Effect, due, check, legislative, unreasonable, lowered, rests, petition, specifies, judicial, balanced, searched, executive.

1. The contract … that a penalty must be paid if the work is not completed on time. 2. It .... with the court to decide the prisoner’s guilt. 3. The law goes into …. soon. 4. The defence lawyers decided to … for a new trial. 5. It is …….to demand that employees work without a break. 6. The police officer … the criminal to see what he had in his pockets. 7. The arrest of the diplomat will produce its … effects. 8. The Central Bank has …. interest rates by 2 percent. 9. The … branch enforces national laws. 10. The … branch makes laws. 11. The … branch applies and interprets laws. 12. The powers given to each branch are carefully … by the powers of the other two. 13. Each branch serves as a … on the others.

B: Fill in the appropriate proposition or adverb where necessary.

1. Don't concern yourself … matters that are not your business. 2. ….the British constitution, there are no similar documents. 3. The local people have petitioned the council …. improved street lighting. 4. Take care in your writing to guard …. typical mistakes. 5. You cannot compel good work … unwilling students. 6. The government established … the Articles …. Confederation was not strong enough to govern a new nation. 7. … example, it lacked ... an executive body and a system … national court.

7 . Match the definition in the right column to the word in the left.

1. search	a. a recommendation as to policy or conduct;
2. seizure	b. to state something explicitly or in detail;
3. guideline	c. to present a formal written request made to somebody in authority, e.g. government, esp. one made by a large number of people;
4. check and balances	d. to do away with something (e.g. law, custom) wholly; annul (it);
5. to specify	f. proper, suitable, right;
6. to ratify	g. examining (a person) for concealed articles, e.g. weapons, drugs, etc.
7. to petition	h. a company of people gathered together for a particular purpose;
8. due	i. to approve or confirm formally, so that it can come in force;
9. to abolish	j. methods of control or supervision by Government, or other authorities to guard against misuse of power;
10. assembly	k. taking possession of somebody or something by legal process;

8. Read and say whether these statements are true or false:

1. The US Constitution was adopted after the Civil War. 2. The document embodied the political theories of the Founding Fathers. 3. All the amendments adopted by the Congress are included in the Bill of Rights. 4. The Constitution of the United States was based on the separation of powers – the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. 5. The separation of powers means the system of governmental powers where one governmental branch checks and balances those of others. 6. Under the constitution the ultimate power rests with the President of the USA. 7. The US Constitution can be altered easily, like many other written constitutions. 8. The Constitution of the USA abolished slavery. 9. A constitutional amendment can be added if a very substantial majority, both in Congress as in the individual States, approve it. 10. A lot of contemporary constitutions are based on the US Constitution.

9. Complete the following text with the suitable words or phrases.

When the Constitution was written in 1787, there were only 13 states. Because the 1) ___________ of the Constitution saw that the future might bring a need for changes, they 2) ____________ a method of adding 3) _____________ . Over the years 27 amendments have been added, but the basic 4) ____________ has not been 5) _______. The pattern of government planned so long ago for 13 states today meets the needs of 50 states and more than 57 times as many people.

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, called the 6) ___________, assure individual 7) _______________ and 8) _____________. Added in 1791, they included provisions for freedom of the 9) ____________ and 10) ____________: the right of citizens to 11) __________ peacefully; the right to be 12) _________ in one’s own home against unreasonable 13) ____________ and 14) ___________ of person or property; and the right of any person charged with 15) ___________ the law to have a speedy trial by 16) _________ of fellow 17) __________.

The Constitution 18) _______ the powers of the government into three branches: the 19) _____________ headed by the 20) ___________; the 21) ___________ which includes both houses of 22) __________ (the Senate and the House of Representatives) and the 23) __________ which is headed by the Supreme Court. The Constitution limits the role of each 24) ___________ to prevent any one branch from gaining undue 25) ____________ .

10. Answer the questions.

1. What three main branches is the federal government divided into? 2. What are the main duties of each branch? 3. What principle forms the basis of the Constitution? 4. Has the text of the Constitution ever been changed? How did it become possible? Why does the US Constitution need some changes? 5. Does any governmental organ or official in the USA have the ultimate power? Why? 6. What is the Bill of Rights? 7. What freedoms and rights are proclaimed by the Constitution? Which of them has become the most important?

11. Translate into English.

Розчарувавшись (to disappoint) у британському правлінні, тринадцять північноамериканських колоній послали 1776 року своїх делегатів на Континентальний конгрес у Філадельфію. Там вони ухвалили Декларацію про незалежність. Північноамериканські штати стали незалежними державами-штатами.

Спочатку вони заснували конфедерацію. Невдовзі після проголошення Декларації про незалежність Континентальний конгрес запропонував Статті конфедерації, і до 1781 року їх ратифікували всі тринадцять штатів. Ці статті стали першою Конституцією Сполучених Штатів Америки. Конфедерація, проголошена Статтями, була вельми слабка. Центральний уряд мав широкі повноваження у сфері військових та закордонних справ. Однак у сфері внутрішніх справ майже вся влада зберігалася за окремими штатами. Конгрес не мав повноважень накладати податки на покриття федеральних витрат. Федерального суду практично не було. Центральний уряд залежав від штатів.

Незадоволення Статтями конфедерації підштовхнуло штати послати знов, 1787 року, делегатів до Філадельфії. Делегати мали право лише запропонувати поправки до Статей, але невдовзі вони вирішили скасувати їх зовсім і представити народові зовсім нову Конституцію. Через два роки після ратифікації законодавчими зборами дев’яти штатів нова Конституція набула чинності.

Цю Конституцію час від часу підправляли, але її положення чинні й досі. Складається вона з семи статей і двадцяти семи поправок. Вона дає повноваження центральному урядові, розподіляє ці повноваження поміж кількох урядових розгалужень та обмежує владу як центрального уряду, так і окремих штатів.

До найбільших переваг (merit) Конституції належать три великі принципи, покликані забезпечити неможливість зловживати урядовою владою. Принцип федералізму обмежує офіційний гніт, розподіляючи повноваження між нацією і штатами; принцип розподілу влад забезпечує це, ділячи владу між трьома гілками федерального урядування. Принцип стримування та противаг дає ще більший захист, наділяючи в багатьох випадках котрийсь підрозділ владою, щоб стримувати хибні чи незаконні дії іншого.

8. Home assignment. Read about the Constitution of Ukraine and speak about its main provisions.