The Government and Policy of the Russian Federation

Ø 1) Read the text and translate it into Russian.

According to the Constitution, which was adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993 following the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis, Russia is a federation and formally a semi-presidential republic, wherein the President is the Head of state and the Prime Minister is the Head of government. The Russian Federation is fundamentally structured as a representative democracy.

The federal government is composed of three branches:

Legislative: The national legislature is the Federal Assembly, which consists of two chambers: the 450-member State Duma and the 176-member Federation Council. The bicameral Federal Assembly adopts federal law, declares war, approves treaties, and has the power of impeachment, by which it can remove the President. The government is regulated by a system of checks and balances defined by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which serves as the country’s supreme legal document and as a social contract for the people of the Russian Federation.

Executive: Executive power is exercised by the government. The President is the commander-in-chief of the military. He can veto legislative bills before they become law, and he appoints the Cabinet and other officers, who administer and enforce federal laws and policies. The President is elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term but constitutionally barred for a third consecutive term). Ministries of the government are composed of the Premier and his Deputies, Ministers, and selected other individuals; all are appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Prime Minister (whereas the appointment of the latter requires the consent of the State Duma).

Judiciary: The Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Arbitration and lower federal courts, whose judges are appointed by the Federation Council on the recommendation of the President, interpret laws and can overturn laws they deem unconstitutional. According to the Constitution, constitutional justice in the court is based on the equality of all citizens, judges are independent and subject only to the law, trials are to be open and the accused is guaranteed a defense. Since 1996, Russia has instituted a moratorium on the death penalty in Russia, although capital punishment has not been abolished by law.

Leading political parties in Russia include United Russia, the Communist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, and Fair Russia.

Ø 2) The text contains a number of words to describe the structure of the Russian Federation. How many can you find?

Ø 3) Look at the phrases taken from the text. What do they mean?

a) according to the Constitution;

b) national referendum;

c) a semi-presidential republic;

d) a representative democracy;

e) the 450-member State Duma;

f) the 176-member Federation Council;

g) the bicameral Federal Assembly;

h) a system of checks and balances;

i) is elected by popular vote;

j) judges are independent and subject only to the law;

k) leading political parties.