Unit 2. The Russian Federation

 

2.1. BEFORE READING find out how many meanings these wordshave:

government, body, country, state, cabinet, term, number, region, right, branch, power.

 

SCANNING

 

State System of Russia

 

1. The term Russia is used historically to connote the former RussianEmpire. At its greatest extent, in 1914, the Russian Empire included about 22 millionsquare kilometers, an estimated one-sixth of the land area of the earth, divided into four general regions: Russia proper, comprising the easternmost part of Europe and including the Grand Duchy of Finland and most of Poland; the Caucasus; all of northern Asia, or Siberia; and Russian Central Asia, divided into the regions of the Steppes, in the southwest, and Russian Turkestan, in the southeast.

2. Nowadays the term Russia is commonly applied to the Russian Federation, the largest and most influential of the 15 former constituent republics of the USSR, and an independent nation since December 25, 1991.

3.The word "federation" is a part of the name of modern Russia, thus the question concerning the difference between the terms " federation " and " unitary state " logically arises. The major difference is that in a federation every political subdivision has the right to its own distinctions. What does this mean in practice?

4. First of all, it is the integrity of subdivisions. In a unitary state the central government can change administrative borders of regions or even abolish some of them. In a federation changes are possible only after a number of complicated legislative processes.

5.Secondly, political subdivisions in a federation have a degree of independence. Every subdivision, despite its size, religion, population, and economics,has the same right along with others. No region, even the majority of regions, can force the rest to accept or make a decision: common agreement is necessary.

6.Thirdly, in a federation the administration has two branches of government - the central and region ones. Political subdivisions have their legislature and executivepower.

 

LEXIS

Russian Empire - Российская Империя

include – заключать, включать в себя, содержать

divide into – делить(ся) на

former – бывший, прежний

independent – независимый, самостоятельный

federation – федерация, союз, объединение

unitary state – унитарное государство

subdivision – подразделение

integrity – целостность, неприкосновенность

administrative border – административная граница

abolish – отменять, упразднять

legislative process - законодательный процесс; законодательная процедура

independence – самостоятельность, независимость

accept – соглашаться, принимать

make a decision – принять решение

legislature – законодательная власть, законодательные учреждения

executive power – исполнительная власть

 

FORMATION

· administer, administrate, administration, administrative, administrator;

· depend, dependent, independent, dependence, independence;

· legislate, legislated, legislation, legislative, legislature, legislator;

· power, powerful, powerless.  

 

2.5. QUESTIONS

1. What is the term Russia historically used to connote?

1. When did the Russian Empire reach its greatest extent? Which parts did it comprise then?

3. What do we call “Russia” nowadays?

4. What are the differences between the terms “federation” and “unitary state”?

 

AGREE OR DISAGREE

1. The Russian Federation has been an independent nation since December 25, 1989.

2. The integrity of subdivisions means that in a federation it is only the central government that can change administrative borders.

3. In a federation no region, even the majority of regions, can force the rest to accept or make a decision.

4. In a federation the administration has two branches of government.

 

2.7. SAY WHAT YOU KNOW about the historical processes and events that have been causing certain changes to the former Russian Empire since 1914?

 

DEBATES

1. Which historical factors have had a particularly strong influence on the state system of Russia?

2. Analyzing the history of Russia which periods can you characterize as the most triumphal/crucial ones?

3. Name some historic figures whose contribution to the development of the state system in Russia has been especially great.

4. What are the advantages/disadvantages of living in a federation/unitary state?

 

SCANNING

The Russian Federation

1. Government is a political organization which performs the functions of the supreme administrative body of a country. Governments are classified in a great many ways: monarchic systems oppose republican governments; democratic governments are distinguished from dictatorships; federal states are distinguished from unitarystates;parliamentary or cabinet governments are distinguished frompresidentialones.

2. The Russian Federation (RF) is a democratic federal state with the republican form of Government. State power in our country is exercised on the basis of the separation of the legislative (the Federal Assembly), judicial (courts of the RF), and executive (the Government) branches. The President as a head of the state coordinates the activity of all three branches. He is the guarantor of the Constitution of the RF and of human and civil rights and freedoms of citizens. The President is elected for a term of four years by the citizens of the Russian Federation on the basis of general, equaland direct vote by secret ballot. A citizen of the Russian Federation not younger than35, who has resided in the Russian Federation for not less than 10 years, may be elected President of the Russian Federation but not more than for two terms in succession.

3. The legislative power is exercised by the Federal Assembly, which consists of the Federation Council and the State Duma. The State Duma has 450 seats which areallocated to the various political parties based on national election results. The deputies are elected for a four-year term. The Upper Chamber - the Federation Council – reflects the federal nature of our state, whereby political power is divided between a central or national authority and smaller, locally autonomous units – the Subjects of the Federation. There are two deputies of the Council from each Subject of the RF: one from the representative and one from the executive bodies. The main job of the deputies is to make laws.

4. The executive power in the RF is exercised by the Government headed by theChairman. The Chairman (or Prime-Minister) is appointed by the President of the RFwith consent of the State Duma. The Government of the Russian Federation manages federal property and ensures:

- the implementation in the Russian Federation of a uniform financial, credit and monetary policy;

- the implementation in the Russian Federation of a uniform state policy in the field of culture, science, education, health, social security and ecology;

- the country's defense, state security and the implementation of the foreignpolicy of the Russian Federation.

The work of the Government of the Russian Federation shall be regulated by federal constitutional law.

5. The judicial power belongs to the system of courts. It consists of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Higher Arbitration Court and inferiorcourts. All federal judges are appointed by the President of the RF.

6. The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation consists of 19 judges. The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation interprets the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Legislative enactments, executive bylaws and international agreements may not be enforced and applied if they violate the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

7. The Supreme Court is the highest judiciary body on civil, criminal, administrative and other matters triable by general jurisdiction courts, and shall effect judiciary supervision over their activity in line with federal procedural forms and shall offer explanations on judicial practice issues.

8. The Supreme Arbitration Court is the highest judiciary body resolving economic disputes and other cases considered by arbitration courts, and carries out judicial supervision over their activity.

 

LEXIS

perform - исполнять, выполнять

monarchic - монархический

republican - республиканский

democratic - демократический

federal - союзный, федеральный

unitary - унитарный, единый

parliamentary - парламентарный, парламентский

presidential - президентский

exercise - осуществлять, проявлять, применять

judicial - судебный

guarantor - поручитель; гарант

general, equal and direct vote – всеобщее прямое голосование

secret ballot - тайное голосование

reside - проживать, жить

elect - избирать (голосованием)

in succession - подряд

the Federal Assembly – Федеральное Собрание

the Federation Council – Совет Федерации

the State Duma - Государственная дума, нижняя палата парламента Российской Федерации

political parties – политические партии

deputy - депутат

representative body - представительный орган

executive body - орган исполнительной власти

the Chairman – председатель

appoint - назначать (на должность), утверждать (в должности)

manage - руководить, управлять, заведовать; стоять во главе

monetary policy - кредитно-денежная политика, валютная политика

uniform state policy – единая государственная политика

state security – государственная безопасность

foreign policy - внешняя политика

the Supreme Court - Верховный суд

the Higher Arbitration Court – Высший арбитражный суд

inferior courts - нижестоящий суд judge – судья

legislative enactment - законодательный акт

bylaw - подзаконный акт; постановление местных органов власти (часто принятое в развитие общенационального закона)

enforce - проводить в жизнь; придавать законную силу

apply – применять, использовать violate - нарушать, попирать, преступать

triable by general jurisdiction courts - подлежащий рассмотрению в суде общей юрисдикции

supervision - надзор, наблюдение; заведование, контроль

judicial practice issues – вопросы судебной практики

 

2.11. FORMATION

- democrat, democracy, democratic, democratize;

- govern, governable, governance, governed, governing, governor, governess, government, governmental, ungovernable, ungovernability;

- republic, republican, republicanism.

 

QUESTIONS

1. What is a broad meaning of the term “government”?

2. How are governments classified?

3. What state is the RF?

4. How many branches of power are there?

5. Who coordinates all of them?

6. How are the deputies of both chambers chosen?

7. Who is the executive power in the RF headed by?

8. What is the composition of the judicial system in the RF?

9. What are:

- the powers of the President?

- the powers of the legislative body?

- the powers of Government of the Russian Federation?

- the powers of the judicial branch?

10. What is the structure of the Federation Council and the State Duma?

11. What is the jurisdiction of these two chambers?

12. How is the work of Government regulated?

13. What is the composition of the Constitutional Court?

14. What is the jurisdiction of the highest judicial bodies?

 

AGREE OR DISAGREE

It is possible to establish the democracy by means of dictatorial methods.

 

SAY WHAT YOU KNOW

1. about the characteristic features of federal form of the Russian Federation;

2. about pluses and minuses of the democracy;

3. about the difference between the role of force structures in democratic and totalitarian state.

 

DEBATES

1. Does Russian Federation need national symbols? What do they symbolize?

2. What problems of Russian democracy development are the most urgent in your opinion? Why do you think so?