1.19. Formation

- amend, amending, amended, unamended, amendable, amendatory, amendment;

- limit, limitable, limited, limitless, unlimited, delimited, limiting, limitating, limitation, limiter;

- settle, settleable, settled, settler, settlement, settling, unsettled;

- stable, unstable, stableness, stability, unstability, stabilize, stabilizing, stabilized, unstabilized, stabilizer, stabilizable, stabilization, stabilizator.

1.20. Questions

1. How many states are there in the USA?

2. How old is the US Constitution?

3. Each state in the USA has its own constitution, doesn’t it?

4. What is the US national government responsible for?

5. The seat of the national government is New York, isn’t it?

6. What is the purpose of creating a system of checks and balances?

7. How many members are chosen to the US Congress?

8. Do all states have the same number of members of the House of Representatives?

9. Are all senators reelected every two years?

10. What is the structure of the federal court system?

11. Why are federal courts sometimes called constitutional courts?

1.21. Agree or disagree

1. Americans are subject to two governments.

2. The executive branch of the federal government comprises 25 departments.

3. Representatives serve four-year terms, and senators two-year terms.

4. The Supreme Court of the United States, as well as 12 courts of appeal, 91 district courts, and special courts such as the Tax Court and the Court of Veterans' Appeals, are all established by Congress.

5. The federal courts perform two constitutional functions.

1.22. SAY WHAT YOU KNOW about:

1. how the Constitution of the USA was created;

2. amendments to the US Constitution;

3. the Bill of Rights (1791) as a part of the US Constitution;

4. elections of the US President and the role of Electoral College;

5. some of the American states.

1 .23. Debates

In Russia, the national (ethnic) principle, even though supplemented by the territorial one, has become the crucial one in building federal statehood. On the contrary, the national (ethnic) factor is not a federal principle in the USA and has no meaning in the construction of American federalism. Why is it so?

1.24. Key words

Act of Parliament administrative authority branch of power by-election Cabinet chairperson checks and balances citizen Congress constituency constitution constitutional court country court department deputy executive body Federal Assembly federal court federal government federalism Federation Council general election(s) government head of state Higher Arbitration Court House of Commons independence judiciary

legislature Lord majority party monarch Official Opposition parliament parliamentary monarchy policy political party political power President representative democracy rights and freedoms Royal Family separation of power Shadow Cabinet Speaker state State Duma state government Subject of the Federation Supreme Court to appoint to be subject to to elect to exercise power to manage to regulate to serve Vice-President

1 .25. MAKE A REPORT on the topic “Form of Government”, paying attention to the following points in your speech:

- definition of government as a political organization;

- classification of governments;

- division of powers in modern governments;

- comparative description of structure, composition and functions of three branches of power (legislative, executive and judicial) in Russia, Great Britain and the USA.

Unit 2. Law and Its Sources

2.1. BEFORE READING learn the following words and phrases which are essential on the topic:

adjective law = law of procedure, procedural law - процессуальное право, формальное право

agreement - договор, соглашение

bill - законопроект, билль (вносимый в парламент на обсуждение)

branch of law - отрасль права, область права

civil law countries – страны с континентальной (цивильной, римской) системой права

common law - общее право (прецедентное право), англо-саксонское право (в отличие от континентального права)

common law countries - страны с англосаксонской системой права (основанной на общем/некодифицированном праве); страны-незаконодатели

custom - обычай, традиция

enforce - проводить в жизнь; придавать законную силу; осуществлять, приводить в исполнение

govern - править, управлять, регулировать, регламентировать

international law = law of nations - международное право

interpret - объяснять, интерпретировать, толковать (правовую норму, закон, договор)

justice – справедливость, правосудие; юстиция

law - закон; правило; право; правоведение, законоведение, юриспруденция

lawmaker = legislator, lawgiver – законодатель, субъект правотворчества

legal rule - норма права, правовая норма; принцип господства права

legal action - правовое действие, судебный иск, судебное дело, судебный процесс

legislation = enacted law, enactments - законодательство; писаное право, закон, свод законов

make law - издавать законы, устанавливать правовые нормы

means of social control – средство/инструмент общественного контроля

national law = domestic law, internal law, municipal law - внутригосударственное право

negotiate - вести переговоры, договариваться (с кем-л.); обсуждать условия

precedent - судебный прецедент

private law - частное право, частный закон; закон, действующий в отношении конкретных лиц

prohibit – запрещать, препятствовать

protection – защита, охрана, средства защиты

provision - положение, условие (договора, закона и т. п.); постановление; обеспечение; предоставление; предоставляемая возможность

public law = political law - общественное право, публичный закон (закон, касающийся всего населения)

public opinion – общественное мнение

regulation - предписание, постановление, распоряжение, директива

resolution of disputes - разрешение споров

settle - улаживать(ся); решать, приходить или приводить к решению; регулировать(ся); приводить(ся) в порядок; утрясать

society - общество; объединение, организация

source of law - источник права

substantive law - материальное право

treaty - международный договор