The Russian Constitution

Task4. Read the text and say what kind of the state Russia is under the Constitution.

During 1992-93 Boris Yeltsin had argued that the existing, heavily amended 1978 Constitution of the USSR was obsolete and self-contradictory and that Russia required a new constitution granting the president greater power. This assertion led to several rival constitutional drafts drawn up by the legislative and executive branches. The parliament's failure to make a compromise was an important factor in Yeltsin's dissolution of the body in September 1993. Yeltsin then used his presidential powers to form a constitutional assembly, which quickly produced a draft constitution providing for a strong executive. Thus, the new Russian Constitution was adopted December, 12, 1993 by referendum.

The 1993 constitution declares Russia a democratic, federative, law-based state with a republican form of government. State power is divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Diversity of ideologies and religions is sanctioned, and a state or compulsory ideology may not be adopted. The right to a multiparty political system is recognized. The content of laws must be made public before they take effect, and they must be formulated in accordance with international law and principles. Russian is proclaimed the state language, although the republics of the federation are allowed to establish their own state languages for use alongside Russian.

Answer the following questions:

1. When was the Russian Constitution adopted?

2. What were the reasons to change 1978 Constitution of the USSR?

3. What state body produced a new draft constitution?

4. What state is Russia under the 1993 Constitution?

5. What does the Russian Constitution establish and proclaim?

6. What is the state language in the national republics of the Russian Federation?

TEXT 3

Task5. Translate into English.

Конституция - основа политического строя государства. Это также основной закон государства, определяющий пределы осуществления государственной власти и представляющий собой систему правовых норм, принципы правовой системы государства и основу их взаимоотношений с обществом, населением.

Структура конституции включает в себя преамбулу (введение), основные статьи, заключительные и дополнительные положения. В преамбуле излагаются цели конституции, указываются исторические условия ее создания, провозглашаются права и свободы, руководящие начала государственной политики.

В основную часть конституции входят нормы о правах и свободах, об основах общественного строя, о системе и статусе государственных органов, о государственной символике, о порядке изменения конституции. Нормы о статусе государственных органов обычно помещаются в соответствии с принципом разделения властей - о парламенте, главе государства и правительстве, судебной власти, об организации власти на местах.

Task 6. Discuss the following quotations. Say whether you share your opinion or not.

1. If it be asked, what is the most sacred duty and the greatest source of our security in a republic? The answer would be: an inviolable respect for the Constitutions and Laws. …A sacred respect for the constitutional law is the vital principle, the sustaining energy of a free government.

- Alexander Hamilton, 1794

2. Almost all the world’s constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which ‘We the people’ tell the government what is allowed to do. ‘We the people’ are free.

- Ronald Reagan, 1989

Task 7. Project work

Select one other country in addition to the United States to research the answers to the following questions using the resources that follow.

United States of America Other country:

What form of government

exists in the country? __________________ _____________

Does the government have

a written constitution? __________________ _____________

Who wrote this constitution? __________________ _____________

Does the constitution include

a bill of rights? __________________ _____________

Does the constitution limit

the power of government? _________________ _____________

Does the constitution protect

individual rights? _________________ _____________

Does the constitution separate

the powers of government? _________________ _____________

Does the constitution create

a federal system? _________________ _____________

Does the constitution create

a republican government? _________________ _____________

Suggested countries to research: South Africa, China, Japan, North Korea, Australia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Russian Federation

Resources: http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/, http://www.freedomhouse.org

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