Unit 2. Politics and politicians

Libertarian

Totalitarian

Socialist

Republican

Capitalist

Democrat

Anarchist

PRE-READING TASKS AND DISCUSSION

1. Answer the questions. 1. What associations do you have with the word “politics”? 2. What nouns go with the adjective “political”? 3. What is politics and why do we need it? 4. Can we live without politics? 5. Who are politicians? Do you like them?

2. Arrange the following words into as many word collocations

as you can. Make up your own sentences with the collocations.

politics

addiction to

be engaged in

national

party

adopt

set

follow / pursue / adhere to

form / shape

implement / carry out

talk

policy

home

foreign

military

monetary

sound

flexible

cautious

firm / tough

pro-Western

aggressive

long-term

short-term

3. Bear in mind, that the word 'policy' has another meaning, not connected with the sphere of politics. Translate the following sentences using the dictionary if necessary.

Honesty is the best policy. 1. I'd like to receive a life insurance policy. 2. It's vital to pursue a policy of peace in the region.

3. What can you say about the recruitment policy of the company?

4. If you leave the country, your medical care policy will be cancelled.

4. Translate the sentences paying attention to the difference in meaning of the adjectives 'political' and 'politic'.

1. I think, it will be politic to make a compromise and agree with them on some of the issues.

2. My favourite subjects are Political Economy and Political geography.

3. The leaders of the main political parties took part in the yesterday's TV debate.

4. Were you present at the lecture on Political Science?

5. I believe, the policy of this political party is very politic.

READING

Vocabulary Input

1. Say what meanings the noun and the verb 'exercise' have in the following sentences.

1. Demonstrations and meetings are our legal exercise of rights and freedoms.

2. Leadership is not the exercise of force alone.

3. The government must exercise control over its committees.

4. We need this newspaper to exercise our right to free speech.

2. Translate the sentences paying attention to the difference in meaning of the nouns 'economics' and 'economy'.

1. He is an Economics major.

2. Many of the fundamental concepts and principles of classical economics were set forth by Adam Smith.

3. Most of the countries on the region have unstable economies.

4. China is a socialist country, and the government plays a predominant role in the economy.

5. The shift to market economy helped the country to survive.

Politics is the art of the possible.

Otto von Bismarck

Reading Assignment

Read the text and be ready to discuss it.

WHAT IS POLITICS?

Politics is exciting because people disagree. They disagree about how they should live. How should power and other resources be distributed? Should society be based on cooperation or conflict? And so on. They also disagree about how such matters should be resolved. How should collective decisions be made? Who should have a say? How much influence should each person have? And so on. For Aristotle, this made politics the ‘master science’: that is, nothing less than the activity through which human beings attempt to improve their lives and create the Good Society. Politics is, above all, a social activity. It is always a dialogue, and never a monologue.

Solitary individuals such as Robinson Crusoe may be able to develop a simple economy, produce art, and so on, but they cannot engage in politics.