Unit 5 The History of Constitution
Before you read
Study the following definitions of CONSTITUTION. Which of them best matches your understanding of the concept?
1 A body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be.
2The body of doctrines and practices that form the fundamental organizing principle of a political state.
3The basic principles and laws of a nation, state, or social group that determine the powers and duties of the government and guarantee certain rights to the people.
Text A
The Concept and History of Constitution
The idea of a constitution was first elaborated by Aristotle in his classification of governments as monarchies, tyrannies, aristocracies, oligarchies, democracies, and so on. For Aristotle, the best form of government – the best constitution – was that which combined elements of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy in such a way that the citizens of every class were enabled to enjoy their respective privileges and encouraged to exercise their respective responsibilities in the interest of the whole society.
A constitution, to be worthy of the name, must contain provisions for certain political attributes: stability, both of form and of procedure; yet, on the other hand, adaptability to the social, economic, technological, and other changes that are inevitable in the life of a state; accountability of those in power to some other organ of the state, such as an electorate; representation of the governed within the government; openness in the conduct of government; and division of power among distinct branches of government. Constitutional government is thus limited government, and it is a chief function of a constitution to serve as the standard of legitimacy by which governments may be judged.
In its wider sense, the term “constitution” means the whole scheme whereby a country is governed; and this includes much else besides law. The constitutional lawyer must constantly keep glancing backward into constitutional history; he must also keep his eye on current political practice and the day-to-day working of political institutions. In its narrower sense, “constitution” means the leading legal rules, usually collected into some document that comes to be almost venerated as “The Constitution.” But no country’s constitution can ever be compressed within the compass of one document, and even where the attempt has been made, it is necessary to consider the extralegal rules, customs, and conventions that grow up around the formal document.
Vocabulary
accountabilityn ответственность, подотчетность
adaptabilityn приспособляемость, способность к приспособлению
attributen атрибут, неотъемлемое свойство, символ, отличительная черта
branchnветвь, отрасль, отделение;branches of government«ветви» власти
compassnпредел, граница; within the compass of…в пределах…
compressv сдавливать, сжимать
conductn поведение, руководство
conventionn условность, обычай
customn обычай, привычка
day-to-dayadj повседневный
distinctadj ясный, отчетливый, определенный
elaboratev детально/тщательно разрабатывать или обдумывать, вырабатывать
electoraten избиратели
enablev давать (кому-л.) возможность или право (что-л. сделать)
encouragev вселять мужество, надежду; воодушевлять
exercisev осуществлять, применять, использовать
extralegaladj не подпадающий под действие закона, не предусмотренный законом
governvуправлять, руководить;(the) governedn те, кем управляют/руководят
governmentn государственная власть, правительство
grow upv создаваться, возникать (об обычаях и т.п.)
inevitableadj неизбежный, неминуемый
judgev судить, делать вывод
keep glancing backwardпродолжать оглядываться назад
keep one’s eye onне спускать глаз с чего-л., неотступно следить за чем-л.
legitimacyn законность (власти )
monarchyn монархия
oligarchyn олигархия
privilegenпривилегия, преимущество;enjoy privilegeпользоваться привилегией
provisionn положение, условие (закона), постановление
representationn представительство
respectiveadj соответственный, соответствующий (чему-л.)
responsibilityn ответственность, обязанность, обязательство
tyrannyn тирания, деспотизм
veneratev чтить, преклоняться
wherebyadv посредством чего, с помощью которой
worthyadj достойный, заслуживающий
Reading tasks
AAnswer these questions.
1 Who was the first person to introduce the idea of a constitution?
2What kind of government did Aristotle consider to be the best?
3What political provisions must a true constitution contain?
4Why is constitutional government limited?
5What is a chief function of a constitution?
6What does the term “constitution” mean in a narrower sense and a wider sense?
BFind in the text the English equivalents for the following words and expressions.
1законность
2в пределах единого документа
3не предусмотренный законом
4неизбежные изменения
5осуществлять правление
6подотчетность
7 пользоваться привилегиями
8разделение власти
9тщательно разрабатывать/развивать идею
СMark these statements T (true) or F (false) according to the information in the text.
1The idea of a constitution was first elaborated by English philosophers.
2People’s interests didn’t play great role in Aristotle’s view of the best form of government and the best constitution.
3A constitution must be adaptable to changes occurring in the life of a community.
4Accountability of those in power to an electorate is one of the necessary provisions of a constitution.
5Division of power among distinct branches of government is unnecessary in a democratic society.
6A constitution is a kind of scheme whereby a country is governed.
7The constitution of any country can be compressed within the compass of one document.
Language focus
Complete these sentences with the past simple passive form of the verbs in brackets.
Did you know …?
1 The concept of a constitution ___________(elaborate) by Aristotle.
2A lot of elements __________(combine) in the best form of government.
3The citizens of every class __________(encourage) to exercise their respective responsibilities in the interest of the whole society.
4Governments __________(judge) by a constitution as the standard of legitimacy.
5The term “constitution” meant the whole scheme whereby a country _______(govern).
6No attempts _________(make) to compress the constitution within the compass of one document.
Text B