The Constitution and the amendments.

The authors of the Constitution were keenly aware that changes would be needed from time to time if the Constitution were to endure and keep pace with the growth of the nation. They were also conscious that the process of change should not be easy, permitting ill-conceived and hastily passed amendments. By the same token, they wanted to ensure that a minority could not block action desired by most of the people. Their solution was to devise a dual process by which the Constitution could be revised.

The Congress, by a two-thirds vote in each house, may initiate an amendment. Alternatively, the legislatures of two-thirds of the states may ask Congress to call a national convention to discuss and draft amendments. In either case, amendments must have the approval of three-fourths of the states before they enter into force.

The Constitution has been amended 26 times since 1789, and it is likely to be further revised in the future. The most sweeping changes were made within two years of its adoption. In that period, the first 10 amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, were added. They were approved as a block by the Congress in September 1789, and ratified by 11 states by the end of 1791.

Amendments to the Constitution subsequent to the Bill of Rights cover a wide range of subjects. In essence, the 14^th Amendment applied the protections of the Bill of Rights to the states. By other amendments, the judicial power of the national government was limited; the method of electing the president was changed; slavery was forbidden; the right to vote was protected against denial because of race, colour, sex or previous condition of servitude; the congressional power to levy taxes was extended to incomes; and the election of U.S. senators by popular vote was instituted.

Questions:

1. Why was the Constitution amended?

2. How is an amendment being adopted?

3. How many amendments are there to the Constitution?

4. When were the most impressive added?

Всего: 5 баллов.

2. Read the description of political views the two major political parties of the USA have. Summarize and fill in the table below.

the Republican Party	the Democratic Party
Republicans follow a conservative policy.	Democrats follow a liberal policy.
Republicans are opposed to abortion. They call it murder of the fetus. This is called the “pro-life” stance.	Democrats support the right of abortion. They argue that women should have a right on their bodies. This is called the “pro-choice” stance.
Republicans are opposed to same-sex marriage.	Democrats want to legalize it.
Republicans believe in a more robust version of federalism with greater limitations placed on federal power and a larger role for the states.	Democrats don't.
The Republicans are opposed to it.	Democrats support stem cell research.
Republicans believe that the United States should intervene if its national interests are at stake regardless of world opinion.	Democrats oppose the doctrine of unilateralism, which says that the United States should use military force without any assistance from other nations whenever it believes there is a threat to its security or welfare. They believe the United States should act in the international arena in concert with strong alliances and broad international support
Republicans believe that minimum wage increases hurt many businesses by forcing them to cut jobs and services as well as raise the prices of goods to compensate for the decrease in profit. This hurts the poor the most, who have the least number of options when prices rise, and/or when jobs and services are cut.	Democrats favor a higher minimum wage.
Republicans favor tax cuts.	Democrats are opposed to it saying that the tax revenues are used to help the neediest.
The Republicans want individuals or companies to pay for it.	Democrats want the government to pay for universal health care.
Republicans want more money to be spent on national defense than the Democrats. The Republican support stricter immigration laws and border controls than the Democrats.
Republicans believe that strict environmental standards hurt businesses and hence support reductions in environmental regulations.	The Democrats believe that the health of families and the strength of the economy depend on proper governance of the environment. Democrats are committed to fight to strengthen the laws that ensure people have clean air to breathe and safe water to drink. They also are ready to fight to make sure these laws are enforced. They feel that a sensible energy policy is necessary for a strong economy, national security, and a clean environment. The Democrats reject the idea that a healthy economy and a healthy environment cannot co-exist, because they believe that a cleaner environment means a stronger economy. They advocate open space and rail travel to relieve highway and airport congestion and combat air pollution and improve the economy, and believe that communities, environmental interests, and government should work together to protect the resources while ensuring the vitality of local economies.
Republicans are skeptical about global warming.	Democrats treat it as a serious issue.
The Republicans are opposed to it. They believe it works against meritocracy and doesn't genuinely benefit the target groups.	Democrats support affirmative action to help blacks, minorities and women.
The Republicans argue that if the vital interests of the nation are at stake, monitoring should be permitted.	The Democrats support the right of privacy for the individual and oppose government monitoring.
The Republicans fiercely oppose to it.	The Democrats advocate gun control.

The Republican Party	The Democratic Party
economy
foreign policy
domestic policy
society
what social groups support the party

Всего: 5 баллов.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20