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4)A. The Cabinet is responsible for government policy.

B.The Cabinet Ministers revise bills from Parliament.

5)A. Parliament represents the legislative branch of power.

B.Parliament represents the executive branch of power.

6)A. The House of Commons controls the government.

B.The government controls the House of Commons.

7)A. The House of Lords has the power to delay bills for one year.

B.The House of Lords opposes the decisions of the House of Commons.

8)A. The Cabinet coordinates the work of the government departments.

B.The Cabinet makes laws.

4.Answer the following questions.

Do people elect the Prime Minister directly?

What does each brand of power and each institution do?

Which institutions exercise the power of the people in Great Britain?

What functions did the monarch and Parliament have at different historical periods?

5.The idea of democracy plays a great role in politics. What do you think “democracy” means?

People do what they want. People rule the country.

People do what they want within the framework of law. People elect their representatives to rule the country. People elect the head of state directly.

People say what they think.

People can live in any place they choose.

The head of state guarantees the rights of citizens.

Task 2. Answer the questions.

1.Which of these people are not elected: a peer, an MP, a civil servant, the Prime Minister?

2.What is the difference between life peers and hereditary peers, Lords Temporal and Lords Spiritual?

3.What are civil servants in the UK?

4.Which areas of government do these people deal with: the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Home Secretary, the Lord Chancellor?

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UNIT 3. ELECTIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN

Task 1. Read and translate the texts. Remember as many details as you can. Render the texts.

Members of parliament in Great Britain

Each Member of Parliament (MP) represents one of 650 constituencies in the UK. British elections are usually fought between political parties, not individuals. Therefore, people who want to be elected to Parliament need to be nominated by one of the main political parties.

There is nothing to stop unconventional candidates from standing for election, however. A candidate has only to put down a deposit of 500 pounds and collect ten signatures from residents in the constituency where he wants to stand. A candidate who gets less than 5 per cent of the total votes loses his deposit. For somebody who is standing for election for publicity purposes, this is a small price to pay.

Although MPs will support a political party, they are not controlled by that political party and theoretically do not have to vote with their party in Parliament. MPs represent everyone in the constituency, not just the people who voted for them.

A lot of MPs’ work has nothing to do with voting in Parliament. There are hundreds of things MPs have to deal with in the day-to-day business of constituency life, such as housing or health care. MPs are there to help people and to try to make sure their rights under the law are not violated.

Some MPs hold an advice bureau in their constituencies, where people can go for advice. Anyone who feels that he has been unfairly treated by the central government can complain to their local MP who will do his best to see that the problem is solved.

Members of Parliament have been paid salaries since 1911. The rate has lately been nearly twice the average industrial worker’s wages. Since 1965 the allowances for travel, living in London, and paying part-time secretaries and research assistants, have all been increased. Still many MPs insist that they need to have outside earnings, through journalism, work in the law courts or businesses, to enable them to live up to the standard they expect.

The British government is elected for up to five years, unless it is defeated in Parliament on a major issue. The Prime Minister chooses the date of the next General Election, but does not have to wait until the end of the five years. A time is chosen which will give as much advantage as possible to the political party in power. Other politicians and the newspaper try very hard to guess which date the Prime Minister will choose. About a month before the election the Prime Minister meets a small group of close advisers to discuss the date which would best suit the party. The date is announced to the Cabinet. The Prime Minister formally asks the Sovereign to dissolve Parliament. Once Parliament is dis-

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solved, all MPs are unemployed, but government officers continue to function. Party manifestos are published and campaigning begins throughout the country, lasting for about three weeks with large-scale press, radio and television coverage.

Voting takes place on Polling Day (usually a Thursday). The results from each constituency are announced as soon as the votes have been counted, usually the same night. The national result is known by the next morning at the latest.

As soon as it is clear that one party has a majority of seats in the House of Commons, its leader is formally invited by the Sovereign to form a government.

Task 2. Read the text.

The Election Timetable

The British government is elected for up to five years, unless it is defeated in Parliament on a major issue. The Prime Minister chooses the date of the next General Election, but does not have to wait until the end of the five years. A time is chosen which will give as much advantage as possible to the political party in power. Other politicians and the newspapers try very hard to guess which date the Prime Minister will choose.

About a month before the election the Prime Minister meets a small group of close advisers to discuss the date which would best suit the party.

The date is announced to the Cabinet. The Prime Minister formally asks the Sovereign to dissolve Parliament.

Once Parliament is dissolved, all MPs are unemployed, but government officers continue to function.

Party manifestos are published and campaigning begins throughout the country, lasting for about three weeks with large-scale press, radio and television coverage.

Voting takes place on Polling Day (usually a Thursday). The results from each constituency are announced as soon as the votes have been counted, usually the same night. The national result is known by the next morning at the latest.

As soon as it is clear that one party has a majority of seats in the House of Commons, its leader is formally invited by the Sovereign to form a government.

Task 3. Find in the text the English equivalents for the phrases below.

избирательный округ правящая партия

вопрос первостепенной важности дать кому-либо преимущество сформировать правительство

широкое освещение предвыборной кампании в прессе объявить дату выборов

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объявить результаты выборов иметь большинство мест в палате общин распустить парламент подсчитывать голоса потерпеть поражение в парламенте

Task 4. Read the text.

Political Parties

The main parties in the UK are the Conservative party (right wing), The Labour party (left wing) and the Liberal Democrats (center).

The Conservative party goes back to the Tories, Royalists, who originated in King Charles’ reign (1660–1685). The Tories were the party that supported Church and King; the other main party at the time were the Whigs, who were a group eager for political reform. The Tory party gave way to its successor, the Conservative party, in around 1830.

The Conservative party believes in free enterprise and the importance of a capitalists economy, with private ownership preferred to state control.

In 1899 the Trade Union Congress summoned a special conference of trade unions and socialist bodies to make plans to represent labour in Parliament. The proposal for such a meeting had been formed in 1893. The conference met in February 1900 in London and has always been looked on as the foundation of the Labour Party. The Labour party believes that private ownership and enterprise should be allowed to flourish, but not at the expense of their traditional support of the public services.

There has been a Liberal party in Great Britain since 1868 when the name was adopted by the Whig party. The Whig party was created after the revolution of 1688 and aimed to subordinate the power was created by 24 Labour MPs. It was called the Social Democratic party, and soon formed an alliance with the Liberal party. They formed a single party which becomes the Liberal Democrats after the 1987 election.

The Liberal Democrats believe that the state should have some control over the economy, but that there should be individual ownership.

There are other political parties within the UK. The Green party offers economic and industrial policies that relate directly to the environment. The Scottish Nationalist Party wants independence for Scotland within the European Community. Plaid Cymru – the Welsh Nationalist Party – is determined to preserve the Welsh language and culture and the foundation of a distinctive Welsh identity within the UK. Its radical wing has resorted to arson attempts as a means of protest.

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Task 5. Explain the meanings of the following words and expressions.

free enterprise to flourish

at the expense of to subordinate environment

Task 6. Answer the questions.

1.What are the origins of the main political parties in Great Britain?

2.What political priorities do the main political parties in Britain have?

Task 7. Complete the following sentences with the words from the box.

(a)I voted ______________ the Liberal candidate.

(b)Put your voting papers _____________ the ballot box.

(c)He’s very right-wing, so he’s _____________ the socialists.

(d)She belongs _____________ the Communist Party.

(e)The Liberals formed an alliance _____________ Social Democrats.

(f)There’s split _____________ the two parties.

(g)There’s a split _____________ the party.

Task 8. Complete the following text with the words and expressions from the box.

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A (a)_____________ has just taken place all over the United Kingdom. These must take place every five years unless the Prime Minister decides to

(b)_____________ earlier. Above id the result in Middleford, one of the approximately 650 (c)_____________ into which the country is divided for this purpose. (d)_____________ was last Thursday, when the election

(e)_____________ and door-to-door (f)_____________ stopped and the people of Middleford went to the (g)_____________ to make their choice, in a

(h)_____________, from the four candidates (anyone over the age of 21 can

(i)_____________. Voting is not compulsory and the number of people

(j)_____________ to vote in Middleford (everyone over 18) was 100,000, so the

(k)_____________ was 70 per cent. Now Mr. Smith will become the

(l)_____________ for Middleford, which means he will represent the people of Middleford in the (m)_____________ in London. If he should die or be forced to give up his seat, the people of Middleford will have to vote again, in a

(n)_____________ to replace him. It is a very simple system and Mr. Smith will try to represent all his (o)_____________ fairly, whether they voted for him or not. However, the fact remains that most voters in Middleford voted for candidates (and parties) other than Mr. Smith, and their votes are now lost. It is seats which are important in Parliament, not votes, and it is easy to see why smaller parties would like a system of (p)____________, in which the number of votes they won was reflected in the number of seats they received in Parliament.

Task 9. Explain the meanings of the following words and expressions.

a figurehead obsessed with

a growing republican sentiment a roving ambassador

an opinion poll

Task 10. Complete the following text with the words and expressions from the box and translate them into Russian.

In most countries, expect (a) _________, there are several different political parties. The one the (b) _________ of seats normally forms the government, and the parties which are against the government are called (c) _________.

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Sometimes no single party wins enough seats, and several parties must combine together in a (d) _________to form a government. The principal ministers in the government from a group are called the (e) _________. The leader of this group, and of the government, is the (f) _________. Of course, there are many different kinds of parties and governments. A socialist or communist party is often described as (g) _________. A conservative party on the other hand, is usually said to be (h) _________. Political situations are always changing. Sometimes in a party of between two parties there is a big argument or deep difference of opinion. This is called a (i) _________. When, on the other hand, two parties work together, this is sometimes called an (j) _________.

UNIT 4. THE EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES

Read and translate the texts. Remember as many details as you can. Render the texts.

“The Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law, principles which are common to the Member States.

The Union shall respect fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms signed in Rome on 4 November 1950 and as they result from the constitutional traditions common to the Member States, as general principles of Community law.

The Union shall respect the national identities of its Member States.

The Union shall provide itself with the means necessary to attain its objectives and carry through its policies”.

The UC Treaty

There are five principal institutions mentioned in Article 7 of the EC Treaty (as amended by the Single European Act, the Maastricht Treaty and the Treaties of Amsterdam and Nice) which are entrusted with carrying out the tasks of the Community: the Council, the Commission, the European Parliament, the Court of Auditors, and the Court of Justice.

Each of these institutions has powers specifically assigned to it by the Treaty and shall act within the limits of powers conferred on it by the Treaty.

There are a number of other bodies established: e.g. the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, the European Central Bank, the European Investment Bank, the Economic and Financial Committee, the European Social Fund, the Committee of Permanent Representatives, the European Environmental Agency.

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An institution can ‘act’, that is like generally binding decisions. The other bodies, on the other hand, operate in specific fields and have either a purely advisory role or take decisions which are not generally binding.

The Council of the European Union and the European Council

The Council of the European Union (also known as the Council of Ministers) is the EU’s main decision-making body. When it meets at Heads of State or Government level, it becomes the European Council whose role is to provide the EU with political impetus on key issues. The EU member states take it in turns to hold the Council Presidency for a six-month period. Every Council meeting is attended by one minister from each EU country. Which ministers attend a meeting depends on which topic is on the agenda: foreign affairs, agriculture, industry, transport, the environment, etc.

The Council has legislative power, which it shares with the European Parliament under the ‘co-decision procedure’. In addition to this, the Council and the Parliament share equal responsibility for adopting the EU budget. The Council also concludes international agreements that have been negotiated by the Commission.

According to the Treaties, the Council has to take its decisions either by a simple majority vote, a ‘qualified majority’ vote or unanimously, depending on the subject to be decided. The Council has to agree unanimously on important questions such as amending the Treaties, launching a new common policy or allowing a new country to join the Union. In most other cases, qualified majority voting is used. This means that a Council decision is adopted if a specified minimum number of votes are cast in its favour. The number of votes allocated to each EU country roughly reflects the size of its population.

A minimum of 255 votes out of 345 (73,9%) is required to reach a qualified majority. In addition a majority of member states (in some cases two thirds) must approve the decision, and any member state may ask for confirmation that the votes cast in favour represent at least 62% of the EU’s total population.

The European Council meets, in principle, four times a year. It is chaired by the president or prime minister of the country holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union at the time. The President of the European Commission attends as a full member.

Under the Treaty of Maastricht, the European Council officially became an initiator of the Union’s major policies and was empowered to settle difficult issues on which ministers meeting in the Council of the European Union fail to agree. The European Council also deals with pressing international issues through the common foreign and security policy (CFSP), which is intended to allow the EU to speak with one voice on diplomatic questions.

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UNIT 5. THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Read and translate the texts. Remember as many details as you can. Render the texts.

The European Parliament is the elected body that represents the EU’s citizens. It exercises political supervision over the EU’s activities and takes part in the legislative process. Since 1979, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have been directly elected, by universal suffrage, every five years.

The European Parliament normally holds its plenary sessions in Strasbourg and any additional sessions in Brussels. It has 20 committees which do the preparatory work for plenary sessions, and a number of political groups that usually meet in Brussels. The General Secretariat is based in Luxembourg and Brussels.

The Parliament takes part in the legislative work of the EU at three levels: Under the ‘cooperation’ procedure, introduced by the Single European Act in 1987, the European Parliament can give its opinion on draft directives

and regulations proposed by the European Commission, which is asked to amend its proposals to take account of Parliament’s position.

Since 1987, there has also been the ‘assent’ procedure, under which the European Parliament must give its assent to international agreements negotiated by the Commission and to any proposed enlargement of the European Union.

The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht introduced the ‘co-decision’ procedure, which puts the Parliament on an equal footing with the Council when legislating on a whole series of important issues including the free movement of workers, the internal market, education, research, the environment, trans-European networks, health, culture, consumer protection, etc. The European Parliament has the power to throw out proposed legislation in these fields if an absolute majority of members of Parliament vote against the Council’s legislation in these fields if an absolute majority of members of Parliament vote against the Council’s ‘common position’. The Treaty has made provision for a conciliation procedure.

The European Parliament also shares, with the Council, equal responsibility for adopting the EU budget. The Parliament can reject the proposed budget, and it has already done so on several occasions. When this happens, the entire budget procedure has to be re-started. The European Commission proposes the draft budget, which is then debated by the Council and the European Parliament. Parliament has made full use of its budgetary powers to influence EU policymaking.

Last but not least, the European Parliament exercises democratic supervision over the Union. It has the power to dismiss the Commission by adopting a motion of censure. This requires a two-thirds majority. It also supervises the day-to-day management of EU policies by putting oral and written questions to the Commission and the Council. Finally, the President of the European Council reports to the Parliament on the decisions taken by the Council.

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The European Commission

The European Commission, which is the main executive body, is the third part of the institutional triangle that manages and runs the European Union. It has the right to propose legislation and ensures that EU policies are properly implemented. Its members are appointed for a five-year term by agreement between the member states, subject to approval by the European Parliament. The Commission is answerable to the Parliament, and the entire Commission has to resign if the Parliament passes a motion of censure against it.

Since 2004, the Commission has been made up of one Commissioner from each member state. The Commission enjoys a substantial degree of independence in exercising its powers. Its job is to uphold the common interest, which means that it must not take instructions from any national EU government. As ‘Guardian of the Treaties’, it has to ensure that the regulations and directives adopted by the Council and Parliament are being implemented in the member states. If they are not, the Commission can take the offending party to the Court of Justice to oblige it to comply with EU law.

As the EU’s executive arm, the Commission implements the decisions taken by the Council in areas such as the common agricultural policy. It has wide powers to manage the EU’s common policies, such as research and technology, overseas aid, regional development, etc. It also manages the budget for these policies. The Commission is assisted by a civil service made up of 46 di- rectorates-general (DGs) and services, which are mainly based in Brussels and Luxembourg.

UNIT 6. FUNDAMENTIAL HUMAN RIGHTS

Read and translate the texts. Remember as many details as you can. Render the texts.

The Court’s first tentative recognition of fundamental human rights as part of EC law was prior to Internationale Handelsgesellschaft, in the case of Stauder v City of Ulm (case 29/69). Here the applicant was claiming entitlement to cheap butter provided under a Community scheme to persons in receipt of welfare benefits. He was required under German law to divulge his name and address on the coupon which he had to present to obtain the butter. He challenged this law as representing a violation of his fundamental human rights (namely, equality of treatment). The ECJ, on reference from the German court on the validity of the relevant Community decision, held that, on a proper interpretation, the Community measure did not require the recipient’s name to appear on the coupon. This interpretation, the Court held, contained nothing capable of prejudicing the fundamental human rights enshrined in the general principles of Community law and protected by the Court.

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