I. Find the English equivalents in the text.

A 1. отличаться 2. исполнительная ветвь власти 3. губернатор штата 4. уважать закон 5. противоречить 6. власти 7. распоряжение, постановление 8. полномочия 9. юридические толкования 10. расширять 11. местная община

B 12. местные власти 13. отдел среднего образования 14. зарплата 15. судебная система 16. рассматривать 17. спор, разногласие 18. дело 19. подавать апелляцию 20. мировой судья 21. судья 22. юридические услуги

 

II. Translate the sentences. Mark them True or False. Find the information in the text to prove your answer.

A

1. State governments have nothing in common (общее).

2. All states have a Senate and a House of Commons.

3. State laws mustn’t contradict federal laws.

4. Local laws and regulations don’t have to fit a state’s constitution.

5. Federal and state rights are the same thing.

B

6. State and local governments are alike.

7. The state government gives a charter to the local government.

8. The local charter is a document about public schools.

9. School boards discuss duties of local governments.

10. State courts consider small disputes and traffic law problems.

11. State courts usually deal with one area of law.

 

III. Answer the questions.

A

1. Why have the states been called “laboratories of democracy”?

2. What basic structures do state governments share?

3. All must respect the federal laws. What does it mean?

4. What is the role of modern judicial interpretations?

5. Do the rights of local communities differ in the USA and other countries?

B

6. What are the types of local governments?

7. Which is one of the most important functions of local governments?

8. Why do people want to take part in making decisions about schools?

9. What does a court system of local government do?

10. Who works in local courts?

11. Why do local courts specialize in one area?

 

IV. Find the following words in the word search.

THE US POLITICAL PARTIES

The Democratic Party is the oldest party in the United States. In 1829, Andrew Jackson became the first Democratic President. Since that time, the issues of the nation and the ideas of the party have changed. Both the major parties have liberal and conservative members but in general people consider the Democrats today more liberal than the Republicans. Democrats often want the government to establish social programs for people in need, such as the poor, the unemployed, and the elderly. They usually say they believe in equal rights (or women and minorities and they oppose nuclear weapon and too much military spending. The symbol of the Democratic Party is the donkey.

 

The Republican Party, sometimes called the G.O.P, (the Grand Old Party), began in 1854 over the issue of slavery. Republicans oppose slavery. The first Republican candidate to become President was Abraham Lincoln. After the Civil War, Republicans got interested in farm, land, and business issues. In general, Republicans vote more conservatively than Democrats. They want government to support big business but not to control the lives of citizens. They often oppose government spending for social programs but support military spending. The party symbol is the elephant.

 

Vocabulary Notes

nuclear weapon — ядерное оружие

slavery — рабство