Unit two Text a levels of government

(1) Within the country government officials perform their functions at three levels: federal or national, regional and local. Each level of government has its own civil servants.

(2) Federal level of government is responsible for policy - setting, decision-making and evaluating the process of political, economic and social development of the country as a whole. Federal government officers formulate principal state policies and play a vital role in establishing smooth functioning of government bodies throughout the country.

(3) Regional public administrators cover the matters within the region boundaries. Regional administration is subordinate to the national government and performs particular functions in particular area. Civil servants of this level have to decide how to handle policies placed on them by the central government. Their activities deal with the policies affecting economic growth of their region, cultural change and environment protection. Regional public employees are the largest in number.

(4) Local governments administer localities and municipalities. They structure public policies of their localities to move it in the right direction. Their powers pertain to local matters, such as transport, job availabilities, public welfare, level of services, support of public order as well as affordable housing and water supply. Municipality is a governing body that administers a city, a town or a village. As a rule, it enjoys local self-government.

(5) Much work at all levels is done through the committees of all kinds: standing committees, temporary or planning committees, advisory boards. Their goals are to develop better effects of public programs and to save time of the entire governing bodies. Among the great variety of committees there is Educational committee, Housing and Health Care committee, Financial committee and many others. Financial committee, for example, decides how money is to be collected and spent for community needs. These committees work in close contact with voluntary citizens and thus receive additional background information, opinions and views on many public issues and concerns.

(6) The responsibility for the political decisions lies with the political members of the executive - the so-called political executives – those who have been appointed by the President to give political direction to the government. Political appointees are presented in a small number of persons, some of them are from the immediate or family environment of the President. They are at the very top in the hierarchy of civil service and exercise great influence on government activity and public policies.

СЛОВАРЬ АКТИВНОЙ ЛЕКСИКИ:

government (n) управление, государственное управление; государ

ственная власть; государственное устройство; поли

тический строй, форма государственного правления

levels of government уровни государственного управления; огранизационо

-административные уровни управления

government official/

public administrator государственный служащий, чиновник, должностное

лицо, администратор, руководитель (страны)

government body орган государственного управления

local government орган местного самоуправления, местная власть,

муниципальные образования

policy-setting (n) определение основных направлений государственной

политики, формирование политики государства

decision - making принятие решения

handle (v) управлять, регулировать, проводить решения

в жизнь

administer (v) управлять, исполнять (должностные функции),

организовывать, заниматься решением вопроса

locality (n) муниципалитет, район

municipality (n) городское самоуправление, муниципальные

власти; муниципалитет

availability(n) доступность, наличие

affordable housing доступное (по ценам) жилье

public welfare благосостояние общества

public order общественный порядок

standing committee постоянный комитет

advisory board консультативный совет

public program государственная программа

health care охрана здоровья

voluntary citizens граждане из числа добровольцев; лица,

действующие на добровольной основe

public issues вопросы, представляющие общественный интерес

community (n) общество; население; местность

concern (n) дело большой важности; заинтересованность

executive (n) руководитель, руководящий работник,

управляющий, администратор, административное

должностное лицо, государственный чиновник

appointee (n) получивший назначение, назначенный.

exercise (v) осуществлять, оказывать влияние, применять

власть

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