In its 1903 decision in the case of Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock, the United States Supreme Court rejected the efforts of three Native American tribes to prevent the opening of tribal lands to non-Indian settlement without tribal consent. In his study of the Lone Wolf case, Blue Clark properly emphasizes the Court's assertion of a virtually unlimited unilateral power of Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate) over Native American affairs. But he fails to note the decision's more far-reaching impact: shortly after Lone Wolf, the federal government totally abandoned negotiation and execution of formal written agreements with Indian tribes as a prerequisite for the implementation of federal Indian policy. Many commentators believe that this change had already occurred in 1871 when-following a dispute between the House and the Senate over which chamber should enjoy primacy in Indian affairs-Congress abolished the making of treaties with Native American tribes. But in reality the federal government continued to negotiate formal tribal agreements past the turn of the century, treating these documents not as treaties with sovereign nations requiring ratification by the Senate but simply as legislation to be passed by both houses of Congress. The Lone Wolf decision ended this era of formal negotiation and finally did away with what had increasingly become the empty formality of obtaining tribal consent.
According to the passage, the congressional action of 1871 had which of the following effects?
Native American tribal agreements were treated as legislation that had to be passed by both houses of Congress.
The number of formal agreements negotiated between the federal government and Native American tribes decreased.
The procedures for congressional approval and implementation of federal Indian policy were made more precise.
It became more difficult for Congress to exercise unilateral authority over Native American affairs.
The role of Congress in the ratification of treaties with sovereign nations was eventually undermined.
题目分析:
题目释义:
细节题目
考点:
支持主题(Supporting ideas)
旨在考察我们对文章细节的认知。
这道题的定位相对简单,主要是有关键词“1871”。应该定位在“1871”以后至“The Lone Wolf decision”之前。这个题目如果对于“Federal Government”和“Congress”之间的关系十分不了解的话,定位部分还是比较难以看明白的,在下面的补充提示之中做了尽可能简洁的介绍,某些美国的常识还是需要了解的。
这里啰嗦一些吧,意义一下定位的那句话,就是说,在1871年,国会是已经不在和土著签订什么协议了,但是联邦政府并没有完全的放弃与土著的协商,这是因为国会是立法机关,那么联邦政府就把所谓的协议当做法令来让国会通过,这是并不需要参议院的批准。这样,参议院和众议院也没必要争谁在印第安事物上有主要权力,必须想法令一样通过他们两个共同的通过。
选项分析:
A选项:Correct。与美国土著人的协议被当做一些必须被两个议院都通过的法令。这个选项几乎是原句“treating these documents not as treaties with sovereign nations requiring ratification by the Senate but simply as legislation to be passed by both houses of Congress. ”的重复。这也就解释了为什么国会不在与土著签订条约,但是与土著的协议还是继续不断地有的原因。
B选项:联邦政府与美国土著签订的协议减少了。我们无从得知联邦政府与土著协议的签订在1871年时是否受到很大的影响,文中只提到了联邦政府和土著继续联系着。
C选项:国会的批准过程和联邦印第安政策的贯彻过程变得更加清晰了。这个选项的关键词出现在这句话中“shortly after Lone Wolf, the federal government totally abandoned negotiation and execution of formal written agreements with Indian tribes as a prerequisite for the implementation of federal Indian policy. ”首先这个出现在1903年以后,而非1871年。其次,仔细看这句话说的是不把联邦印第安政策的贯彻视为先决条件了,和其是否变得更加精确无关。
D选项:国会实行在土著这一事件上实现单边权力变得更加困难了。这个其实考点中也提到了,其实这个选项是贴边的,不过在1871年,国会是没有对土著事件的权力的,因为这个事件已经被当做了法令。
E选项: 国会在与主权国家签订条约的批准权力方面最终是被削弱了。这个选项较易误选。在1871年以后其实国会对于条约的批准权是没有改变的,只是联邦政府“钻”了空子,走的是立法的道路,所以就谈不上削弱了。
讨厌一切美国跟美洲土著撕逼的阅读题……
美国三权分立,行政权归政府the federal gov.首脑是总统。主要处理日常事务,如内政外交军事建设等;立法权归议会chamber or congress including the House and the Senate.议会管立法,通过法律来调教国家关系,两院分工不同,大部分议案需要两院都通过。由于两院的选举方式不同,平衡了大州和小州的关系。当然总统可以否决法案,但是议会以更高票数再次通过时,总统不得否决;司法权归法院,由法院独立于行政体系执法,美国司法体系是判例法,最高法院super court有一个非常重要的权利就是解释宪法,可以以违宪为由否决法律,通过解释宪法使得不变的美国宪法用了200多年仍然保持青春,只通过了20多条修正案来完善宪法。 回复
But in reality the federal government continued to negotiate formal tribal agreements past the turn of the century, treating these documents not as treaties with sovereign nations requiring ratification by the Senate but simply “as legislation to be passed by both houses of Congress”.
把这些documents作为必须由两院都通过的法令
E选项,国会在treaties with sovereign nations的角色并没有被削弱,只不过是联邦政府把这件事不作为treaties with sovereign nations,而是作为legislation了
作者是不同意评论员们的观点的,所以答案出现在in reality后面
重点是 but in reality
but but but 作者观点和commentator的观点不一样
这个选项几乎是原句“treating these documents not as treaties with sovereign nations requiring ratification by the Senate but simply as legislation to be passed by both houses of Congress.
But in reality the federal government continued to negotiate formal tribal agreements past the turn of the century, treating these documents not as treaties with sovereign nations requiring ratification by the Senate but simply as legislation to be passed by both houses of Congress.
CLARK赞扬了法案带来的联邦对印第安部落单边控制权。但他没有提及法案更深远的影响:终止了联邦与部落 形式上的沟通、条约。
有的人认为1871年这种表面形式就终止了,但其实,1871年前是制定正式treaty,1871年后联邦与部落依然有订立“legislation”(变相的treaty)。LONE WOLF法案后,再也没有这样形式的要求了!(联邦权力从此绝对超越印第安部落)
在1903年的L. vs. H 案件中,美国高等法院判L败诉。L企图阻止没有部落同意的对非土著人的土地转让。在研究该案例时,BC合适的强调了高院对国会(包括众议院和参议院)对土著事务的绝对的单方面的权利的维护。但是他没有注意到该判决的深远意义:该判决后,联邦政府完全放弃作为执行土著事务前提条件的和土著人的正式书面协议的谈判和执行。很多评论家相信这种改变早在1871年就出现,众议院和参议院的权力之争导致国会不再和土著人签条约。但在过去的世纪之交,联邦政府实际上仍然和土著人签协议,并且没有将这些协议当作需要参议院批准的与主权国家的条约,而是简单当作两院通过的立法。该判例结束了正式谈判的时代,最后废除了越来越流于形式的部落同意。
国会包括参议院和众议院
But in reality the federal government continued to negotiate formal tribal agreements past the turn of the century, treating these documents not as treaties with sovereign nations requiring ratification by the Senate but simply as legislation to be passed by both houses of Congress.
一遍看不懂就强行去匹配原文,阅读没那么难,不要放弃
prevent v.预防 阻止 ~ sb/sth (from doing sth) stop or hinder sb/sth 阻止或妨碍某人[某事物]: prevent the spread of a disease/a disease from spreading 防止某种疾病的蔓延
unilateral adj.单边的
这个题的时间线很绕
①先提出了一个事件B 然后分析一个人对这个事件的评价(提到这个人fail to emphasize这个事件的far-reaching impact,并且说到了后续的事情)
②目光又转向事件B发生之前,说其实这种变化(趋势)在B发生之前就有了,即A发生后(A先于B),然后进行描述,写了一些具体现象
③接着说事件B结束了这个时代(A发生后B发生前的一些现象)
在1871年,国会是已经不在和土著签订什么协议了,但是联邦政府并没有完全的放弃与土著的协商,这是因为国会是立法机关,那么联邦政府就把所谓的协议当做法令来让国会通过,这是并不需要参议院的批准。这样,参议院和众议院也没必要争谁在印第安事物上有主要权力,必须想法令一样通过他们两个共同的通过。
美国三权分立,行政权归政府the federal gov.首脑是总统。主要处理日常事务,如内政外交军事建设等;立法权归议会chamber or congress including the House and the Senate.议会管立法,通过法律来调教国家关系,两院分工不同,大部分议案需要两院都通过。由于两院的选举方式不同,平衡了大州和小州的关系。当然总统可以否决法案,但是议会以更高票数再次通过时,总统不得否决;司法权归法院,由法院独立于行政体系执法,美国司法体系是判例法,最高法院super court有一个非常重要的权利就是解释宪法,可以以违宪为由否决法律,通过解释宪法使得不变的美国宪法用了200多年仍然保持青春,只通过了20多条修正案来完善宪法。
对一个理科生又不喜欢政治的人来说,这题就算了吧。。。看的时候就在想这个参议院,议会,白宫中间是什么关系啊。。。果然栽在上面了。。。知识盲点。。。
原文的意思是 :不把这些文件视为(treat as)合约 ,并不意味着合约整体失效。E选项应该是错在了对谓语动词的理解上
观点题。