II. Answer the following questions:

1. Americans are proud of their political system, aren't they?

2. What is their pride based on?

3. If they express a negative view of politics, what do they mean?

4. What do they think of their politicians?

5. How was the American system established originally?

6. What are the main principles of division of power?

7. What can't people from other countries understand in the government structure?

8. Do Americans feel free in criticizing their political leaders?

9. Do they like their political leaders to be criticized by foreign visitors?

10. What do they say when the others make negative comments about American politics?

III. Complete the following sentences:

1. Americans believe that their political system has ... .

2. But politicians are generally seen as ... .

3.They suppose that only a few government workers are ... .

4.The American system was established to prevent it from ....

5.The decentralization is most evident in ... .

6.The Immigration and Naturalization Service is the agency with which ... .

7.Foreign visitors are sometimes shocked and embar­rassed to see ... .

8.Americans do not welcome criticism from ... .

IV. Find in the text the facts to prove that:

1. Americans are proud of their political system.

2. Many of them have a negative view of their politi­ cians.

3. There is a separation of powers in the political system.

4. Americans feel free to criticize their political leaders.

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Учебное пособие для философов и политологов

V. SPEAK ON THE TEXT.

VI. READ THE TEXT AND FIND THE KEY POINTS TO GIVE A GENERAL IDEA OF THE TEXT:

THE RULE OF LAW

The idea behind the «rule of law» is that impartial laws, not human beings with their irrational and arbitrary tastes and judgments, should govern the formal aspects of social interaction. «We live under a rule of law, not of men,» American teachers tell their students. The students accept the idea. They believe that «no man is above the law,» that laws equally apply to all people regardless of their wealth, personal connections, or station in life.

Their faith in the rule of law explains the conviction many Americans held, and many foreigners could not un­derstand, that President Richard Nixon should be removed from office as a result of his behavior in connection with what was called the «Watergate scandal.» Nixon had broken the law and therefore should be punished, Americans believed, even if he was the president.

The belief in the rule of law goes beyond the realm of politics to other areas of life that are governed by formal rules and procedures. Getting a job with a government agen­cy, for example, or getting a government grant for a re­search project, entails following published procedures and demonstrating that one meets the published requirements. Personal connections are not supposed to matter under the rule of law.

This is not to say that personal contacts,,wealth, and social influence do not matter where laws and rules are concerned. They may. What is said above describes the ideal to which Americans subscribe. In reality, connec­tions can sometimes go unpunished for illegal behavior that poor people would be likely to be punished for. But in general the rule of law prevails, and Americans are proud that it does.

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Part

Political science