Public Opinion and Presidency

to conduct/ to take an opinion poll

io measure public opinion

polling organization, pollster; respondent

the technique of random sampling

results/findings of opinion polls; polls indications

approval/popularity rating

to be ahead/ to ride high in opinion polls, a front runner

to be behind/ to trail behind in opinion polls

to run neck and neck, level pegging

Impeachment

Impeachment, is often by mistake, taken to mean only the removal from office of an accused public official. In fact, it is a proceeding by a legislature for the removal from office of a public official charged with misconduct in office. Impeachment comprises both the act of formulating the accusation and the resulting trial of the charges. An impeachment trial may result either in an acquittal or in a verdict of guilty. In the latter case the impeached official is removed from office;

The U.S. Constitution, in Article I, Section 3, provides for the impeachment of federal public officials and gives explicit directions for conducting impeachments The House of Representatives initiates impeachment proceedings by resolution and appoints a number of its members to act as managers in prosecuting the impeachment before the Senate, which serves as a court to try the official. The vice president, who presides over the Senate, also presides at impeachment trials, except in the case of £n impeachment of the president, when the chief justice of the U.S. presides. A two-thirds majority vote of the senators present at an impeachment trial is necessary to secure conviction. Most impeachment proceedings in U.S. history have involved federal judges, and acquittals have been more numerous than convictions. In 1868 President Andrew Johnson was impeached on charges of defying the authority of Congress and of violating a federal law, the recently enacted Tenure of Office Act. Johnson was acquitted, in 1974, three articles of impeachment against President Richard M. Nixon were voted by the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives. The president was charged with obstructing justice, abusing his constitutional authority, and failing to obey the committee's subpoenas. Nixon resigned, and the House accepted the committee report without further action. Impeachment procedure in the states is modeled on that of the federal Constitution and has been infrequently invoked.

In England, the House of Lords exercised the exclusive right of impeachment of public officials from the earliest days of Parliament until 1376. in that year the House of Commons began to initiate by resolution impeachment proceedings that were then tried by the House of Lords. Among notable instances of impeachment in English history was that involving the colonial administrator Warren Hastings in 1788. In recent years in England impeachment has rarely been invoked.

ELECTIONS

VOCABULARY:

1. Election to (Parliament), to elect sb.to.../ for a term of (5 years)

general, local, parliamentary, congressional, presidential, mid-term elections

primary election, primaries

run-off election, first/ second round

by-election

to call / hold an election

constituency, electoral district; one-member constituency

marginal constituency/ safe seat (constituency)

swing voter/ state

voting systems, simple majority/ first-past-the-post; proportional representation

2. electron campaign; to run, launch, organize a campaign; campaign trail

the run-up to an election

a bid for presidency/ a presidential bid

to stand for election/ to run for election (Am.E)

to put forward a candidate, to nominate a candidate (for presidency)

to win/ get the nomination; a presidential nominee

to run in a close race

party's platform, party's manifesto

canvassing

3. to win/ lose an election; to win by a narrow/ huge margin; landslide

to gain or win/ lose seats

to claim victory/ to concede or admit defeat

to get one's candidate elected; to return a candidate to Parliament

incumbent, to get re-elected/ to receive a fresh mandate

to oust/ throw out of office

to withdraw one's candidacy

4. to be entitled to vote, the right to vote, universal suffrage

to vote Labour, Conservative, etc.

educational, residential, property, age qualification

to abstain/ stay away from the polls

popular/ electoral vote; voters' electors, electoral college

voting is by secret ballot

5. polling day, to go to the polls, electorate

to cast a vote/ a ballot; to poll for the Labour candidate

to count the votes, to declare the poll, to declare the early returns

polling station/ booth; ballot-box; ballot paper, spoiled/ invalid ballot

returning officer, poll watcher

heavy/ light poll; voter turnout, heavy/ light or poor turnout

to vote by proxy/ proxy voting; postal/ absentee voting

exit poll

6. electoral fraud/ electoral irregularities; to fix/ rig an election

vote-rigging; gerrymandering

a close/ hotly contested election

smear campaign, mudslinging, digging for dirt