Vocabulary:
one-party system- однопартийная система
bipartisan system- двухпартийная система
city folk- городское население
country folk- сельское население
inconsistency- несовместимость; противоречие
affiliation- присоединение
to cherish- лелеять
2. Give the English equivalents for:
- ратифицировать;
- средний класс;
- потомок;
- на партийном уровне.
3. Match each word on the left with the right definition on the right:
1) leader |
a) someone who works in politics, especially an elected member of the government |
2) party |
b) ideas and activities relating to the gaining and using power in a country, city, etc. |
3) voter |
c) the person who directs or controls a team, organization, country etc. |
4) politician |
d) an organization of people with the same political aims that you can vote for in elections |
5) politics |
e) someone who votes or has the right to vote
|
4. Answer the questions:
1. What kind of system was characteristic of the United States at the time of George Washington?
2. What were the first reasons of people’s division into political parties?
3. Whom did the Federalists represent?
4. Who were the Republicans?
5. What are the party emblems and who invented them?
6. What distinguishes the two parties?
Read the text without a dictionary. Try to catch the main idea:
The Democratic Party is the oldest party in the United States. In 1829, Andrew Jackson became the first Democratic President. Since that time, the issues of the nation and the ideas of the party have changed. Both the major parties have liberal and conservative members but in general people consider the Democrats today more liberal than the Republicans.
D
emocrats
often want the government to establish social programs for people in
need, such as the poor, the unemployed, and the elderly. They usually
say they believe in equal rights for women and minorities and they
oppose nuclear weapon and too much military spending. The symbol of
the Democratic Party is the donkey.
The Republican Party, sometimes called the G.O.P. (the Grand Old Party), began in 1854 over the issue of slavery. Republicans oppose slavery. The first Republican candidate to become President was Abraham Lincoln. After the Civil War, Republicans got interested in farm, land, and business issues. In general, Republicans vote more conservatively than Democrats. They want government to support big business but not to control the lives of citizens. They often oppose government spending for social programs but support military spending. The party symbol is the elephant.
Vocabulary:
nuclear weapon- ядерное оружие
military spending- расходы на вооружение
Notes to the text:
G.O.P. (the Grand Old Party) - великая старая партия (неофициальное название Республиканской партии США)
6. Say what party is spoken about in each sentence:
1. It is the oldest political party in the United States.
2. It is sometimes called the G.O.P.
3. Its first President was Abraham Lincoln.
4. Its first President was Andrew Jackson.
5. It is generally more liberal than the other party.
6. Its members usually prefer to spend tax money for military purposes rather than for social programs.
7. Its members do not want the government to control the lives of individuals.
8. The party symbol is the donkey.