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1500 questions
35
votes
3 answers
Why is there no Vice Presidential line of succession?
Congress can confirm a new Vice President, but if Congress couldn't operate due to an emergency like the attack on the Capitol, then there would be no one to fill in the the Vice President. Why is there no Vice Presidential line of succession?
The Mamba
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Have issues surrounding the Northern Ireland border been resolved?
The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland was one of the thorny issues that plagued the initial stages of Brexit negotiations. During Prime Minister Theresa May's tenure, the debate over the withdrawal agreement was largely…
Panda
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1 answer
Is there objective proof that Jo Jorgensen stopped Trump winning, like a right-wing Ralph Nader?
Breitbart is pushing the theory that if Jo Jorgensen hadn't run, Trump would have won (assuming that he didn't). Is this correct? Is there objective proof that all (or enough) of her votes would have been for Trump if she hadn't run, such that he…
Statsanalyst
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6 answers
In the United States, why aren't both legislative chambers involved in the Supreme Court confirmation process?
I'm following the situation around the recent Supreme Court vacancy left by the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. As a non-American, what's strange to me is that confirming a new SCOTUS Justice apparently involves a nomination by the…
Jules
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5 answers
Why did Wisconsin Republicans oppose postponing the April 7th election despite COVID-19 shutting down nearly all polling places?
After last minute, party-line decisions by the US and Wisconsin Supreme Courts, Wisconsin will hold their presidential primary and a hotly-contested Supreme Court election tomorrow (April 7th) despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The state's…
divibisan
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2 answers
What are the implications of Hungary's emergency coronavirus bill?
Today, Hungary's parliament voted by 137 to 53 to enact the new COVID-19 bill, which apparently grants Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sweeping powers, in order to allow Hungary to deal with the crisis. The move, which includes no time limit on the…
CDJB
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35
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3 answers
How does lobbying work in the US?
I don't understand why would federal officials or congresspersons in the US succumb to lobbyists' requests unless they have skin in the game. How do lobbyists, I mean legal ones, persuade legislators or administration officials to pursue one course…
Sergey Zolotarev
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35
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12 answers
Why do most countries have so many members of parliament?
The US House of Representatives consists of 435 members; the UK parliament has 650 members; the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad has 300 members, etc.
Why so many people? Anyone who's, e.g., tried to arrange a place & time for a gathering knows that the…
Allure
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35
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7 answers
Do any countries have a procedure that allows a constituent part of that country to become independent unilaterally?
In the last few years, there have been a few attempts made by such territories to achieve independence. Particularly in Europe, we had the cases of Scotland and Catalonia.
In the case of Scotland, the power to hold a referendum was granted by the…
CDJB
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35
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5 answers
Why, in the US, are politicians tried by other politicians?
If I understand correctly, in the United States, charges are currently being brought against President Trump on the suspicion of enlisting the assistance of foreign governments with re-election, in a procedure called impeachment.
Why does this trial…
gerrit
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7 answers
Why are Democrats mostly focused on increasing healthcare spending, rarely mentioning any proposals for decreasing the costs of healthcare services?
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are currently the two most prominent candidates campaigning for universal healthcare, as an expansion of Obama's original Affordable Care Act. However their plans are mostly focused on increased government funding…
JonathanReez
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11 answers
Will a nuclear country use nuclear weapons if attacked by conventional means by another nuclear country?
I am a learner of the Russian language and saw the following statement by a vice-president of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Problems:
Скажу лишь то, что в условиях обычной войны, если на нас нападут без применения ядерного оружия, мы свою…
Mitsuko
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35
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2 answers
Why is Ian Blackford allowed to speak in the Commons while having crossed the line?
The House of Commons (image below from Wikipedia) has two red lines on the floor.
Wikipedia states that:
In front of each set of benches a red line is drawn, which members are traditionally not allowed to cross during debates.
These lines can…
Jan
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35
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Why does a US government shutdown have a specific beginning time?
From coverage about government shutdowns, I have gathered that these always begin a specific date/time "when the government runs out of money". But, if it were just running out, surely the beginning would be distributed, so I assume in reality the…
user24343
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11 answers
Why are public institutions perceived as being inefficient?
I have experienced the carelessness of the government bureaucrats. The assurance of them not losing their jobs no matter what, makes them behave utterly careless (at least in India, say in a Municipality office).
Why are public institutions…
k.kulkarni19952
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