Основы политической системы США (стр. 3 )

A bill passed in one House is called an “engrossed bill” (отредактированный законопроект, принятый одной из палат), and the final authoritative copy of a bill passed by both Houses and signed by their presiding officers is called “enrolled bill” (окончательный проект закона для представления на утверждение президента).

The bill becomes law following one or several steps by the president. He may approve the bill and sign it; he may sign the bill with a statement expressing his disapproval; or he may simply not sign the bill, in which case it automatically becomes law after ten days. But if the president wants to prevent the bill from becoming law, he vetoes it. But the proposal may still become law if two thirds of each house of Congress vote for it, thus overriding, or defeating the president’s veto. When a president puts a bill into his “pocket” and holds it until Congress adjourns, the bill dies. Known as a “pocket veto”, this action has several advantages. For one thing, it allows a President to veto a bill without announcing the reasons for the veto. More important, the pocket veto makes it unnecessary for a President to spend political capital to sustain a veto in Congress.

Task 1. Find in the text the English for:

1.  передавать законопроект на рассмотрение в комитет палаты;

2.  рассматривать законопроект;

3.  одобрить и подписать законопроект;

4.  наложить вето на законопроект;

5.  преодолеть президентское вето;

6.  окончание работы Конгресса, перерывы между сессиями.

Section 2. Glossary

to vest power (in) to vest smb with [usually passive]	облекать властью
to levy taxes	облагать налогами, взимать налоги
to appropriate	ассигновать
bicameral	двухпалатный
odd-numbered even-numbered	нечетный четный
regular session	очередная сессия
special (extraordinary) session	специальная (чрезвычайная) сессия
to be in session	заседать
transaction of business	ведение дел
to convene / to call Congress, session	созывать Конгресс, сессию
under standing order	согласно существующему регламенту/порядку
majority leader	лидер большинства
minority leader	лидер меньшинства
to be in the minority/majority	быть в меньшинстве/большинстве зд. о политической партии в Конгрессе
to keep a check on	осуществлять контроль за…
caucus	совещание фракции Конгресса (чаще демократической)
bill	законопроект
pertaining to	относящийся к
to introduce a bill/ to originate a bill	вносить законопроект на рассмотрение палаты
to draw a bill	составлять (формулировать) законопроект
to recall a bill	отклонять законопроект
standing committee	постоянный комитет

special committee/ conference committee	согласительный комитет
to stand for election	баллотироваться; зд. подлежать (пере)избранию
term of office	срок пребывания на посту, срок полномочий
to hold office	занимать пост
to expire	истекать (о сроке)
to preside	председательствовать, выполнять функции председателя
President of the Senate	председатель Сената
president pro tempore	председатель pro tempore (лат).; временный председатель Сената
constituents	избиратели
power of recognition	право предоставлять слово
to recognize smb.	предоставлять слово кому-либо
to keep track (of)	следить за (ходом дел и т. п.)
tie vote	равное количество голосов, поданных «за» и «против»
close vote	почти одинаковое число голосов “за” и “против” при голосовании
division	голосование (путем вставания)
tellers	счетчики
roll call	поименное голосование
to adjourn	объявлять перерыв между сессиями
to veto legislation/ a bill	наложить вето на законопроект
to override the president’s veto	преодолеть президентское вето

TEXT 4

What is the role of the lobbyist?

Special-interest groups play an important role in American politics. These organizations try to exert pressure on Congress (or on any governmental body) to pass, defeat, or interpret legislation to their own advantage. Groups that play this political game are called pressure groups or lobbies.

People join pressure groups because they share a common interest. Business, farming, and professional organizations, for example, send people called lobbyists to Washington to promote their economic interests. Special-interest groups can spend millions known as “soft money” promoting a particular policy in a state or a district at election time, without mentioning any particular candidate and thus escaping all restrictions.

“Soft money” is the best kind because it escapes all regulations.

Pressure groups work hard to elect members of Congress who are favorable to their causes. Because of this, the law limits the amount of money a pressure group can give to a political campaign. This limitation has led to the creation of separate money-giving groups called political action committees (PACs). At the present time, PACs are pouring millions of dollars into the campaign chests of Congressional candidates. Typical PACs represent realtors, doctors, tobacco farmers, auto workers, and about 3,000 other special-interest groups.

Lobbyists employ a variety of methods to influence legislation. Some of their techniques are as follows:

1.  Communications. Lobbyists often organize campaigns to flood Congress with telegrams, letters, personal visits, and telephone calls. These communications are meant to convince the lawmakers that the public supports the lobbyists’ position on a particular bill.

2.  Contributions. “Money is the mother’s milk of politics,” said Tip O’Neill, Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 70s. Thus, a good lobbyist knows how to keep friendly lawmakers well nourished. Along with cash donations to their campaigns, lobbyists often provide a variety of useful services. Legislators running for reelection, for example, may receive help for their campaigns from “volunteers” lined up by lobbyists.

3.  Social contacts. Entertaining politicians has always been a favorite lobbying technique. Parties, dinners, and “nights on the town” help cement the friendships and create the obligations that are the stock-in-trade or the lobbyist.

4.  Sanctions. Lobbyists have ways of “punishing” members of Congress who refuse to cooperate. They can cut off campaign contributions or throw their support to a lawmaker’s opponent.

5.  Demonstrations. Pressure groups often organize protest marches and picket lines to enforce their demands.

In order to be welcome in a lawmaker’s office, lobbyists must do more than hand out gifts and services. They must develop an expertise in their field that makes their opinions valuable. The success of a pressure group also depends on its size, prestige, leadership skills, and financial resources.

Task 1. Answer the following questions:

1.  Why are special-interest groups called pressure groups?

2.  What makes people join pressure groups?

3.  In what way does the law limit the amount of money a pressure group can give to a political campaign?

4.  What methods do lobbyists employ to influence legislation?

5.  What does the success of a pressure group depend on?

FOR YOUR INFORMATION…

Growth of the United States

ORIGINAL THIRTEEN STATES

DELAWARE	SOUTH CAROLINA
PENNSYLVANIA	NEW HAMPSHIRE
NEW JERSEY	VIRGINIA
GEORGIA	NEW YORK
CONNECTICUT	NORTH CAROLINA
MASSACHUSETTS	RHODE ISLAND
MARYLAND

LIST OF THE STATES SHOWING THE DATES WHEN THEY WERE ADMITTED INTO THE UNION

state	date	state	date
Vermont	March 4, 1791	Minnesota	May 11, 1858
Kentucky	June 1, 1792	Oregon	Feb. 14, 1859
Tennessee	June 1, 1796	Kansas	Jam. 29, 1861
Ohio	March 1, 1803	W. Virginia	June 20, 1863
Louisiana	April 30, 1812	Nevada	Oct. 31, 1864
Indiana	Dec. 11, 1816	Nebraska	Mach 1, 1867
Mississippi	Dec. 10, 1817	Colorado	August 1, 1876
Illinois	Dec. 3, 1818	N. Dakota	Nov. 2, 1889
Alabama	Dec. 14, 1819	S. Dakota	Nov. 2, 1889
Maine	March 15, 1820	Montana	Nov. 8, 1889
Missouri	August 10, 1821	Washington	Nov. 11, 1889
Arkansas	June 15, 1836	Idaho	July 3, 1890
Michigan	Jan. 26, 1837	Wyoming	July 10, 1890
Florida	March 3, 1845	Utah	Jan. 4, 1896
Texas	Dec. 29, 1845	Oklahoma	Nov. 16, 1907
Iowa	Dec. 28, 1846	New Mexico	Jan. 6, 1912
Wisconsin	May 29, 1848	Arizona	Feb. 14, 1912
California	Sept. 9, 1850	Alaska	Jan. 3, 1959
		Hawaii	Aug. 21, 1959

Section 3. Reading assignment.