Text b Characteristics of Constitutions

Every state has a constitution, since every state functions on the basis of certain rules and principles. It has often been asserted that the United States has a written constitution but that the constitution of Great Britain is unwritten. This is true, but only in the sense that in the United States there is a formal document called the Constitution, whereas there is no such document in Great Britain. In fact, however, many parts of the British Constitution exist in written form, whereas important aspects of the American Constitution are wholly unwritten. Written constitutions can concern themselves exclusively or prevalently with the organization of government or deal extensively with the rights of people and with the goals of governmental action.

Written constitutions are said to be “normative” when their binding principles are more or less all observed in the actual operations of the political system. This applies to the Constitutions of the United States, Canada, and of some western European countries. Other constitutions are said to be “nominal,” because they are largely or in substantial parts disregarded and do not provide insight into the real functioning of the system. This is often the case with constitutions of rapidly developing countries and of countries ruled by a one-person or a one-party dictatorship.

Constitutions, written or unwritten, must be distinguished according to whether they are “rigid” or “flexible.” Rigid are those constitutions at least some part of which cannot be modified in ordinary legislative way. Flexible are those whose rules can all be modified through the simple procedure by which statutes are enacted. The United States has a rigid constitution, because proposals to amend the constitutional document adopted in 1788 can only be added through a complex procedure of majority vote in each house of Congress. Great Britain has a flexible constitution because all of its constitutional institutions and rules can be modified by an act of Parliament.

Vocabulary

act n акт, закон, постановление; act of Parliament постановление парламента

amend v вносить поправки, изменения, дополнения (в конституцию, закон и пр.)

binding adj обязательный, обязывающий; binding principles обязательные принципы

dictatorship n диктатура; one-party dictatorship однопартийная диктатура

disregard v не принимать во внимание, игнорировать, не обращать внимания

enact v предписывать, постановлять; принимать, вводить в действие (закон),

устанавливать в законодательном порядке

enactment n издание, принятие (закона); законодательный акт, закон, указ, статут, постановление (законодательной власти), статья закона

exclusively adv исключительно, единственно, только

extensively adv пространно, обширно, широко, экстенсивно

flexible adj гибкий, маневренный, подвижный

goal n цель, задача

house of Congress палата Конгресса США

insight (into) n проникновение в суть чего-л., способность проникновения в сущность

modify v модифицировать, видоизменять; modify the rules видоизменять правила/нормы права

nominal adj номинальный, условный, символический

normative adj нормативный

observe v соблюдать (правила, обычаи, принципы)

operation n действие, работа, функционирование

prevalently adv общепринято, во многих случаях, главным образом

rapidly developing countries быстро развивающиеся страны

rigid adj жесткий, строгий, неукоснительный

rule n правило, норма права, постановление, предписание, приказ

statute n статут, законодательный акт

substantial adj значительный, основной, главный, реально существующий

vote n голос, право голоса; голосование, число голосов, вотум, решение; majority vote решение большинством голосов; большинство голосов

written constitution писаная конституция; unwritten constitution неписаная конституция

Reading tasks

A Answer these questions.

1 Why is it necessary for every state to have a constitution?

2 What type of constitutions do the United States and Great Britain have?

3 What are the characteristic features of existing constitutions?

4 What examples from the text illustrate these features?

B Complete the following sentences according to the information in the text.

1 The USA has a written constitution but the constitution of Great Britain is … .

2 In “normative” constitutions binding principles are … .

3 “Nominal” constitutions do not provide … .

4 If at least some part of the constitution … .

5 In “flexible” constitutions rules can all be modified through … .

Language focus

A Translate the following expressions into Russian paying special attention to the present participle.

1 leading documents

2 statutes dealing with the structure of the courts

3 developing countries

4 constitutions existing in European countries

5 providing insight

6 modifying rules

B Open the brackets putting the verbs in the Present Perfect active or passive form.

One of the reasons for having special constitutional laws is to prevent governments from becoming too powerful and from interfering too much in the lives of individuals. Whereas socialist legal systems 1) ________ (tend) to try to define exactly what the state allowed citizens to do, Anglo-American law 2) _______ (concern) with defining what the state could do, arguing that citizens are entitled to do everything other than that which the state forbids. As a check upon overpowerful government most modern constitutions 3) _______ (adopt) the principle of separation of powers, developed in the 18^th century by the French political philosopher Montesquieu.

Many presidents 4) ______ (have) important policies blocked by Congress. The Supreme Court (judiciary) has the task of interpreting laws which 5) _______ (dispute) in lower courts, and of deciding whether a law passed by Congress or by one of the individual states is in keeping with the Constitution.