- •«Political Systems of different countries»
- •Us legislative branch of power
- •Exercises
- •1. Give equivalents of the following:
- •2. Find as many synonyms as you can:
- •3. Translate into English:
- •4. Translate the underlined passage into Russian.
- •Uk Legislative Branch of Power: Law-making in theory and practice
- •Exercises
- •1. Find the equivalents for the following:
- •2. Give as many synonyms as you can:
- •3. Translate into English:
- •4. Translate the underlined passage into Russian.
- •Listen, read and discuss Exercises
- •Describe the procedure of legislating in the British Parliament.
- •Listen to the text and consider this particular case.Say what other factors should be taken into consideration for a bill to become a law. Listening I.
- •Read the article and discuss it. Before you read,
- •David Steel attacks Nick Clegg's reform of the House of Lords
- •Disscussion Point 1
- •Executive Branch of Power of the usa
- •Exercises
- •1. Give the equivalents to the following:
- •2. Give as many synonyms as you can:
- •3. Translate into English:
- •4. Translate the underlined passage into Russian.
- •The British Government: The Structure of Her Majesty's Government
- •Exercises
- •1. Read the text and complete these sentences:
- •2. Speak about these appointments and their responsibilities. Translate the names of the titles into Russian.
- •3. What is the difference between Ministers of State, Junior Ministers and Non-Departmental Ministers? The Cabinet
- •1. Find equivalents of the following:
- •2. Give as many synonyms as you can:
- •3. Translate into English
- •4. Translate the underlined passage into Russian.
- •Listen, read and discuss
- •Speak about Presidential powers and the ones of a Prime Minister.
- •Listen to the text and consider this particular case. Say what powers are exercised by the Monarch and by the British Prime Minister. Listening II
- •Read the article and discuss it. Before you read,
- •Us legal system
- •Exercises
- •1. Find equivalents of the following.
- •2. Give as many synonyms as you can.
- •3. Translate into English
- •4. Translate the underlined passage. Lesson 10. Uk legal system
- •Exercises
- •1. Answer the following questions.
- •Speak about criminals which should be sentenced to death penalty. Do you think there have been more or less hard criminals recently?
- •Read the article and discuss it. Before you read,
- •Miscarriages of justice are slipping off the public radar
- •Judicial systems of different countries
- •Elections in the usa
- •1. Find equivalents of the following:
- •2. Continue the following phrase as you wish:
- •3. Translate into English
- •4. Translate the underlined passage into Russian.
- •General elections in the United Kingdom
- •Polling Day
- •Exercises
- •Speak about Barack Obama’s electoral campaign. Which party does he represent? Who were his main rivals? What do you know about their political careers?
- •Listen to the text and answer the following questions. Listening IV.
- •Read the article and discuss it. Before you read,
- •Analysis: European elections can bring a cash bonanza for the far Right
Us legal system
Before you read think
- What functions are exercised by judicial branch of power?
- How is justice administered in most of the countries?
- Why is it necessary to have special bodies to administer justice officially?
The laws of the United States are a complex tapestry weaving through history, sometimes vague, sometimes specific and often confusing. It's up to the federal judicial system to sort through this web of legislation and decide what is constitutional and what is not.
Landmark Cases of Constitutional Review
The Supreme Court has dispatched some of the most important cases in U.S. history. The case of Marbury v. Madison in 1803 established the concept of judicial review, defining the powers of the Supreme Court itself and setting the precedent for the court to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional.
Dred Scott v. Sanford in 1857 determined that African Americans were not considered citizens and thus were not entitled to the protections afforded to most Americans, though this was later overturned by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.
The decision in the 1954 case of Brown v. Board of Education abolished racial segregation in public schools. This overturned an 1896 Supreme Court decision, Plessy v. Ferguson, which formalized the long-held practice known as "separate but equal."
Miranda v. Arizona in 1966 required that upon arrest, all suspects must be advised of their rights, particularly the right to remain silent and to consult with an attorney before talking to police. The 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, establishing a woman's right to an abortion, has proven one of the most divisive and controversial decisions, one whose reverberations are still felt.
The Supreme Court At the top of the pyramid is the United States Supreme Court, the highest court in the land and the final stop for any case that has not been settled by a lower court decision. Supreme Court justices - eight associates and one chief justice - are appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Justices serve for life or until they choose to step down.
The Supreme Court hears a select number of cases that may have originated either in lower federal courts or in state courts. These cases generally hinge on a question of constitutional or federal law. By tradition, the Court's annual term begins the first Monday in October and ends when its docket of cases is finished.
The Lower Federal Courts
Beneath the Supreme Court are the U.S. Courts of Appeals. There are 94 judicial districts divided into 12 regional circuits, and each circuit has a court of appeals. These courts hear appeals from within their respective districts as well as from federal administrative agencies. The circuit courts also hear appeals in specialized cases such as those involving patent or trademark laws; those decided by the U.S. Court of International Trade, which hears cases involving international trade and customs issues; and those decided by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, which hears cases involving monetary claims against the United States, disputes over federal contracts, federal claims of eminent domain and other claims against the nation as an entity.
District courts are the trial courts of the U.S. judiciary. Here, unlike in the higher courts, there may be juries who hear cases and render verdicts. These courts hear both civil and criminal cases.
Court of Military Appeals
The Court of Military Appeals hears appeals of military court-martial (when a person who is in the military commits a crime they can be tried and punished by the military courts.)
Court of International Trade
The Court of International Trade hears cases involving appeals of rulings of U.S. Customs offices.
Court of Claims
The Court of Claims hears cases in which the U.S. Government is sued.