Part 2. Transparency in government James keeps playing with Lappy. Help him.

1. Work in pairs. Read the quotation of the former U.S. President James Madison below. He said it in 1822. Do you think it is still true now? How do you understand the word combination popular informa­tion? What kind offarceortragedydoes the author mean? Can you think of any particular examples?

A popular Government, without popular informa­tion, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm them­selves with the power which knowledge gives.

2. For questions 1-15, read the text below and then decide which word best fits each space. The exercise begins with an example (0).

The heart of any democracy is _______(0), active participation by its people in government decisions. The soul of such a system is the ability of _______(1) citi­zens to hold government officials _______(2) for their actions. Known as "trans­parency," this essential demo­cratic process takes many forms, but all allow _______(3) citizens to see openly into the activities of their government, rather than permitting these processes to be cloaked in secrecy. The principles underlying transparency in government activity are _______(4) in the fundamental tenets that have guided the United States since its _______(5), including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. And, over time, a body of law, regulation, and practice has grown up that makes it easy for ordinary citi­zens to have _______(6) to some important meetings of govern­ment officials, to request and receive government docu­ments, and to have _______(7) into government decisions and rule-making. To _______(8) degrees, the principles of transparency have taken root at the local, state, and federal level. The U.S. Congress has _______(9) opened itself to influence from many groups of citizens and organizations, and to com­ment from _______(10) experts, officials, and citizens during "hearings" on pro­posed _______(11). In addition, transparency can be found at work in the various federal government "executive branch" agencies that _______(12) to the president of the United States. From food, to automobiles, to the envi­ronment, everyday lives of cit­izens are touched in many ways by decisions issued by these agencies. And, increas­ingly, there are numerous ways for individuals to have _______(13) on policy-making pro­cedures of the executive branch. Some groups attempt to influence all three branch­es of the federal government — the judicial, legislative, and executive, simultaneously In general, U.S. citizens are free to participate in the political process as much or as little as they wish. Some people become deeply ____(14) in causes they believe in, either as individu­als or, frequently, through groups formed to ____(15) one or more causes. Others rarely get involved or voice their concerns only when they have individual concerns.

0	A	evocative	B	meaningful	C	large	D	momentous
1	A	regular	B	usual	C	everyday	D	ordinary
2	A	accountable	B	blamed	C	answerable	D	accusable
3	A	worried	B	anxious	C	concerned	D	apprehensive
4	A	exemplified	B	embodied	C	symbolized	D	personified
5	A	discovery	B	founding	C	pronouncement	D	conclusion
6	A	approach	B	right to use	C	excess	D	access
7	A	effort	B	inclusion	C	intake	D	input
8	A	varying	B	verifying	C	varied	D	various
9	A	gradually	B	regularly	C	leisurely	D	commonly
10	A	knowledged	B	known	C	knowledgeable	D	knowing
11	A	legality	B	legislation	C	legitimacy	D	legalization
12	A	give details	B	report	C	give an account	D	recount
13	A	impression	B	bearing	C	collision	D	impact
14	A	immersed	B	submerged	C	plunged	D	ducked
15	A	encourage	B	sponsor	C	advocate	D	upgrade

3. Find in the text in activity 2 the words with the same meaning as those in the box. Use them to fill in the gaps in the sentences below.

clearness, hidden, doctrine, adjustment, appeal, become established,

more and more, at the same time, take part, often, caught up, matters

1. The Parliament denied the existence of such _______ as racism and corruption in local governments. 2. All citizens are encouraged to ______ in the decision making process. 3. The election campaign was snowballing and their lives were getting _______ tense.4. Citizens dealing with international organisations may feel secure despite the lack of legal _______. 5. The new law is aimed at preventing illegal dealing and promoting market _______. 6. He had never meant to get _______ in political activities. 7. Both officials resigned _______ to clear the way for the debate on constitutional reform. 8. All the employees were _______ to make the necessary arrangements for the meeting. 9. Their intentions are often _______ by the sophisticated terminology. 10. Many MPs described how conflicts _______ arose between themselves and the opposition. 11. Experts believe that democracy has finally _______ in that country. 12. To better understand these documents you have to study the main _______ of conservative and liberal political thought.

4. Read the paragraph on the US government departments below and then proceed to the tasks.