Vocabulary Notes

the Supreme Court – Верховный суд

for life – бессрочно

courts of appeal – апелляционные суды

Exercise 1. Answer the questions:

1. What is the main instrument of the federal judiciary?

2. What chamber has the power to fix the number of judges sitting on the Court?

3. Can it change the powers given to the Supreme Court by the Constitution itself?

4. Who does the Supreme Court consist of?

5. How many federal courts of appeal and, below them, federal district courts

has Congress established in addition to the Supreme Court?

6. What cases does the Supreme Court try?

7. What is “the power of judicial review”?

Exercise 2. Are these statements true or false? Correct the false statements:

1. The main instrument of the federal judiciary is the Supreme Court.

2. Even Congress has no power to fix the number of judges sitting on the Court.

3. The Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and the jury.

4. No decision of the Supreme Court can be appealed to any other court.

5. The Supreme Court has direct jurisdiction in all kinds of cases.

Exercise 3. Match the words with their definitions:

1. supreme - a) the quality or fact of being just

2. court - b) a highest status or power

3. case - c) an authority having power to adjudicate in civil, criminal,

military, or ecclesiastical matters

4. jurisdiction - d) the evidence offered in court to support a claim

5. justice - e)the right or power to administer justice and apply laws

Exercise 4. Put the words in the sentences in the right order, and findunnecessary word:

1. The important Appeal Court is Supreme most the.

2. Laws Constitution laws keeping judicial the sure the new and makes the interprets court that in with branch are.

3. Federal eleven federal courts ninety courts of and below one has them appeal Congress established district Supreme.

4. Court is district Supreme the in there a eight chief and justice justices associate.

5. The Supreme Court courts the lower highest the Federal over court jurisdiction possessing supervisory final appellate exercising jurisdiction and Appeal.

Exercise 5. Retell the text “The Federal Judiciary”.

Text 7 Checks and Balances

The Constitution provides for three main branch­es of government which are separate and distinct from one another. The powers given to each are carefully balanced by the powers of the other two. Each branch serves as a check on the others. This is to keep any branch from gaining too much power or from misusing its powers.

Congress has the power to make laws, but the President may veto any act of Congress. Con­gress, in its turn, can override a veto by a two-thirds vote in each house. Congress can also re­fuse to provide funds requested by the President. The President can appoint important officials of his administration, but they must be approved by the Senate. The President also has the power to name all federal judges; they, too, must be ap­proved by the Senate. The courts have the power to determine the constitutionality of all acts of Congress and of presidential actions, and to strike down those they find unconstitutional.

The system of checks and balances makes com­promise and consensus necessary. Compromise is also a vital aspect of other levels of government in the United States. This system protects against extremes. It means, for example, that new presi­dents cannot radically change governmental policies just as they wish. In the U.S., therefore, when people think of "the government," they usually mean the entire system, that is, the Execu­tive Branch and the President, Congress, and the courts. In fact and in practice, therefore, the Presi­dent (i.e. "the Administration") is not as powerful as many people outside the U.S. seem to think he is. In comparison with other leaders in systems where the majority party forms "the govern­ment," he is much less so.

Exercise 1. Answer the questions:

1. What keeps any branch of government from gaining too much power or from

misusing its powers?

2. What does the system of “checks and balances” make necessary?

3. What are Congress’s powers under the system of “checks and balances”?

4. What are the President’s powers under the system of “checks and balances”?

5. What does this system protect against?

6. Can new presidents radically change governmental policies? Why?

Exercise 2. Are these statements true or false? Correct the false statements:

1. The system of “checks and balances” is to keep any branch from gaining too much power or from misusing its powers.

2. The President has the power to make laws, but Congress can veto any law of the President.

3. But the system of “checks and balances” can protect against extremes.

4. Congress cannot radically change governmental policies just as they wish.

5. The President can radically change governmental policies just as they wish.

Exercise 3. Translate into Russian:

The system of checks and balances, established by the Constitution, is meant to prevent any branch from having too much power. Each branch has certain controls over the other branches. For example, Congress makes the laws but the President can veto, or reject, a law and the Supreme Court can decide a law is unconstitutional.

Exercise 4. Retell the text “Checks and Balances”.

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