Talking Point

I. Find the text of the American Constitution. Compare the main items to the ideas of the Articles of Confederation. Fill in the table. Why did the Articles of Confederation fail?

Weakness in Articles of Confederation	Problems caused	Change in Constitution
No standing army	Inability to deal with different threats
No federal taxation	States did not pay debts to Congress, so federal government had no money
No single national currency	States minted money, no set exchange disrupted trade among states
No Executive Leadership	It resulted in indecision
Each state had equal vote in Congress	Smaller states had disproportional power
Required Unanimous vote to amend	Complete inability to correct the failures under the articles

II. Discuss the following questions in groups. Share your ideas with your groupmates.

1. Why is American Constitution often called ideal? What are its peculiar features?

2. What role does a Constitution play in the political life of the country?

3. Compare the Constitution of the USA to those of the Russian Federation and Great Britain. What are their peculiar features? Do they have anything in common?

Speaking

Prepare a monologue on the following topic:“American Constitution as the basis of American Democracy”.

Writing

Write an essay on the following topic:“Constitution as the main law of the land. Its role in the political life of the country and its citizens”.

UNIT III

THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF POWER

IN THE USA

Warm-up

Discuss the following questions in pairs. Share your ideas with your groupmates.

1. What are the functions of the legislative branch of power? What is it usually vested in?

2. What is understood by a bicameral legislative body? Whose interests do the upper and lower chambers represent?

Pronunciation

Watch the pronunciation of the following words. If it is necessary consult a dictionary.

legislative powers

chambers

Senate

senators

House of Representatives

guarantee

congressional district

to preside

revenue bills

to levy

naturalization

impeachment trial

Reading

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