Scanning. I. Answer the following questions.

I. Answer the following questions.

1. What are the main functions of parties in the American political system? Do they perform these functions adequately?

2. What are the major political parties in the United States?

3. Do political parties in the United States differ from the political parties in other democratic nations? What are the main differences?

4. Can the plurality system be regarded as an explanation for the endurance of the two party system in the U.S.?

5. Are there any other factors that contribute to the persistence of the two major parties?

6. What is the role of the third parties in the U.S.?

7. Why do third party candidates fail in most elections?

8. Is there any evidence that third parties can have a major impact on election outcomes?

9. Why do Americans tend to dislike the two-party system?

10. Do American political parties seem to be in a state of decline?

II. Comment on the following statements.

1. The parties allow the United States to approach the ideal of democracy more closely.

2. Political parties in the United States tend to have relatively low internal unity and lack strict adherence to an ideology or set of policy goals.

3. The American two-party system results in the relative absence of irreconcilable differences within the American electorate.

4. The other key factor of the persistence of two parties is the huge influence of money in the American electoral system.

5. Most elected officials are members of one of the major parties.

6. Under the plurality system, third party candidates have a serious disadvantage.

7. Candidates of any other party face a formidable financial barrier to entry.

8. Third parties can have a major impact on election outcomes.

9. America's political parties now seem to be in a state of decline.

10. Approximately 59 percent of Americans identified themselves as either Republicans or Democrats.

Word Study

I. Translate the following words and word combinations from Russian into English.

- приводить в действие

- забирать голоса

- собрать большинство голосов

- живучесть двухпартийной системы

- непримиримые противоречия

- значительный

- явный выбор

- соперничать

II. Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases.

- the plurality system

- a third party

- Gallup Poll

- a conservative approach to taxation and spending

- low internal unity

- lack strict adherence to an ideology

III. Use the words in the sentences of your own.

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