Questions tagged [united-states]
Questions relating to the government or the politics of the United States of America
4,216
questions
3
votes
2answers
460 views
Why can a Chief Justice break ties in the Senate during an impeachment trial?
I came across a Politico article that suggests that Chief Justice John Roberts can vote to break ties in the US Senate during an impeachment trial.
Unless Chief Justice John Roberts shocked ...
3
votes
2answers
125 views
Who in the DOJ determined that two Carter Page FISA Warrants were invalid?
As part of its Trump-Russia investigation, the FBI obtained four FISA surveillance warrants on former Trump Campaign foreign policy advisor Carter Page. Michael Horowitz, Inspector General for the ...
1
vote
0answers
84 views
Does the year 2000 observation that issue alignment mainly affected the US political parties, but not the public at large still hold?
In a 2002 paper that is quite cited, Layman and Carsey conclude that
In recent decades, Democratic and Republican party elites have grown increasingly polarized on all three of the major domestic ...
-2
votes
3answers
207 views
Does the USA have a proportional or majoritarian voting system?
I know that in each state the voting system is first-past-the-post, a majoritarian method, but I believe that the federal aggregation, for both the president and the Congress, is approximately ...
0
votes
1answer
109 views
Is there any the law or procedure regarding non-political conflicts of interest during an impeachment trial in the US Senate?
Is there any the law or procedure regarding conflicts of interest during an impeachment trial in the US Senate?
I can think of many for senators on both sides; obviously political conflicts, (...
0
votes
0answers
39 views
What consequences would a senator who does not attend the impeachment trial face? [duplicate]
I have seen the argument that impeachment was not about removing Trump, but rather it was about keeping presidential candidates who also happen to be senators off the campaign trail, especially Bernie ...
1
vote
3answers
236 views
Why does Bernie identify as Democrat, while everyone else says he is a Socialist, when he is actually a Social Democrat? [duplicate]
Pretty much just that. I never knew why. Some people have said "because of the two-party system" but I don't really know what it means by the system, because there are definitely more than two parties,...
4
votes
2answers
160 views
Does a Senate trial have more authority to call witnesses than a House impeachment hearing?
During the hearings for the impeachment of President Trump, the House subpoenaed the testimony of several witnesses. However, some of the witnesses refused to testify, defying the House subpoenas. At ...
1
vote
1answer
160 views
Why would it be difficult to stop the practice of birthright citizenship in the United States? [duplicate]
I read on https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/22/trump-travel-ban-visa-social-security-medicare (mirror):
The Trump administration has been restricting all forms of immigration, but the ...
27
votes
4answers
7k views
Why would the Senate adopt such tiring impeachment trial rules?
Many took breaks from listening to the hours-long presentations by house managers to stretch. But only hours into the presentations, several senators were spotted nodding off, including Sen. Richard ...
3
votes
1answer
107 views
What is the Chief Justice's role regarding Senator's written questions in an impeachment trial?
Its been explained that the Senators in attendance at an impeachment trial must remain silent, but may submit written questions. Can someone explain the process these written questions go through?
...
-3
votes
1answer
163 views
Right to declare a war in modern time
While browsing random articles I found an interesting fact - that USA never formally declared a war in Vietnam. After googling a bit more it turned out that since WW2 USA never formally declared a war ...
20
votes
3answers
6k views
Why aren't the Congressional limits on press coverage during the Trump impeachment trial considered a breach of the first amendment?
Congress is proposing rules that would severely limit press coverage of the impeachment of Donald Trump, restricting where reporters may locate themselves and dramatically restructuring the way that ...
3
votes
1answer
116 views
How does a “delivery of military aid” play out in practice?
I am referring to the episode regarding the Ukraine conflict, where there was security assistance supposed to be paid by the United States to Ukraine.
How does this "release of aid" actually play out?...
4
votes
0answers
88 views
Restrictions to talking with the Press during Impeachment trial?
From my understanding, the impeachment trial of President Trump has almost started as the Senate is now voting on the rules of the trial. I know this might technically need to wait for those rules to ...
2
votes
0answers
112 views
Who is sitting behind Chuck Schumer? [duplicate]
Who is this blonde with the glasses behind Chuck Schumer?
2
votes
1answer
332 views
Have there been any sitting US presidents that regularly consult a former president, even informally?
A user, DJClayworth, asks in a comment (on this question )
I wonder how often Trump has consulted Obama for his "wise counsel". Or Obama consulted Bush for that matter.
I'd like to pose this as ...
-4
votes
0answers
161 views
What are the wounds caused by Bernie Sanders and his supporters? [closed]
In attempting to keep up with the discussion around this election, I keep seeing references to "wounds" inflicted by Bernie or the need for him to make amends, but I have been unable to discover what ...
1
vote
0answers
75 views
+50
How did the 4th of July “Salute to America” military parade compare to France's (regular one) on Bastille Day, numerically?
Trump's decision to have a military parade on the 4th of July last year was criticized as being out of character for the US and even costly.
According to Wikipedia, France regularly conducts such a ...
0
votes
0answers
91 views
YouTube videos on the US Navy? [closed]
I've noticed in recent times that a lot of YouTubers are being invited to make their videos aboard navy ships (most notably Dude Perfect). It seems like a strange concept to have silly videos created ...
-1
votes
0answers
65 views
Other consequences of impeachment [duplicate]
If Donald Trump were found guilty in his impeachment trial, does that come with any consequences other than leaving his office? Could, for example, now-president Mike Pence make him his vice-president?...
21
votes
1answer
7k views
Do former US presidents have the right to receive daily CIA briefings?
In Michael Moore's 2004 film Fahrenheight 9/11 a person named Dan Briody says the following:
George H.W. Bush is a man who has obviously incredible reach into the White House. He receives daily CIA ...
2
votes
0answers
203 views
Can the Trump Campaign use the voter data the Trump Administration received in 2017?
In 2017 the Trump Administration requested and received 2016 voting data from the states. In some states this data can be used to determine how a person voted based on a code that was entered into the ...
0
votes
1answer
124 views
Have any details been released (or leaked) on the Trump-Hifter (=Haftar) call?
A NYT article on Libyan civil war states:
And the messages from Washington have been mixed. Days after Mr. Pompeo urged Mr. Hifter to stop his assault on Tripoli in April, President Trump called Mr....
37
votes
1answer
9k views
Who pays for President Trump's impeachment defence?
Who pays for President Trump's impeachment defence? Is it the US state or does President Trump need to pay for his own defence?
5
votes
2answers
242 views
What's (roughly) the smallest percentage of the US population that through its Senators has successfully blocked a piece of legislation?
According to some US constitutional pundits, in theory,
senators representing about 11 percent of the population can filibuster a bill or those representing about 16 percent of the population can ...
10
votes
1answer
195 views
Do any 2020 Democratic primary candidates support repealing the PATRIOT Act and eliminating mass surveillance in the United States?
Thinking back to how big of a scandal it was when President Obama signed the USA Freedom Act in 2015, and more generally how much flak Obama received with his handling of the 2013 surveillance ...
19
votes
5answers
8k views
Why do betting odds give Bloomberg 10% chance of winning the Democratic nomination?
Currently https://www.electionbettingodds.com/ give Bloomberg a bit over 10% chance of winning the Democratic nomination.
Since he is polling single digits(not even close to double digits) 4th or ...
31
votes
5answers
9k views
A new proposal suggests subdividing Washington D.C. into 127 new states so that they can change the Constitution at will. Is this possible?
There is a new proposal in the Harvard Law Review titled: "Pack the Union: A Proposal to Admit New States for the Purpose of Amending the Constitution to Ensure Equal Representation".
Lamenting the ...
11
votes
1answer
303 views
Why does the Democratic Party perform well in New England?
A lot has been written about the current demographics of the voter base of the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States. A Google Search of Trump popular white working class will result ...
24
votes
1answer
3k views
Has Trump managed to implement any of his anti-corruption (lobbying reform) campaign proposals?
In a 2016 article, the BBC noted some (four) proposals of then-candidate Trump:
Currently, anyone spending less than 20% of their time engaged in lobbying can call themselves an "adviser" or "...
13
votes
4answers
4k views
Is there anything stopping an impeachment trial from being filibustered?
So, in American politics, there is the tradition of the filibuster, where a legislator prevents a legislative activity from moving ahead by standing up and continuing to talk indefinitely, which has, ...
1
vote
1answer
211 views
US Chief Justice Roberts' choices of “in conformity with” and “in conformance with” during the swearing in at the Senate
US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts used both the phrases in conformity with and in conformance with within the same minute during a swearing-in process in the senate. This can be heard in CNN’...
9
votes
1answer
117 views
What has been the historical trend of U.S. congresspeople voting as blocks?
It feels as though every time I've looked at voting records from the U.S. congress, I notice that virtually everyone votes with their party; that is, for any given bill, every Republican votes the ...
24
votes
1answer
6k views
Who is the federal watchdog saying that Trump broke the law?
This report from NPR is about a watchdog report that says that Trump broke the law when he froze Ukranian funds. The White House says it was legal.
My question is: Who is the federal watchdog that ...
8
votes
2answers
437 views
Can impeachment managers be changed once the Senate trial starts?
So Pelosi has picked the "impeachment managers" for the House.
Are there rules that these managers can't be changed once the trial in the Senate starts? If so, what is the rationale for preventing a ...
16
votes
2answers
3k views
Are all U.S. Senators required to attend the impeachment trial?
Several U.S. Senators are campaigning for their party's nomination for the general presidential election of 2020. The impeachment trial will start next week.
Are these Senators required to attend all ...
-4
votes
1answer
370 views
Is Bill Gates correct about Warren's tax plan? [closed]
In an interview Gates said:
When you say I should pay $100 billion then I'm starting to do a little math about what I have... leftovers
Turned out it was a joke, as he added "Just kidding". But ...
7
votes
2answers
3k views
Why did G.W. Bush remove North Korea from the list of sponsors of terrorism?
According to some news reports:
The designation of state sponsor of terror was removed from North Korea by President George W. Bush in 2008. North Korea was named among the ‘axis of evil’ countries ...
0
votes
0answers
81 views
Why did the US allow North Korea to gain nuclear weapons? [closed]
Clearly the US had no qualms invading Iraq on the suspicion/claim that they were still having weapons of mass destruction. What "saved" North Korea from a similar US action? I would prefer answers ...
2
votes
2answers
206 views
Who presented the articles to the Senate alongside the Clerk?
During the preceding, the Clerk of the House and the Sergeant at Arms of the House were side-by-side. However, during the presentation, the Clerk was next to someone else, seen on the right below. Who ...
-4
votes
3answers
173 views
Fact Checking Presidents information [closed]
Why does America not have an information facts checker to ensure that the information that is being relayed to American voters is accurate? The American voters are expecting that what the president ...
16
votes
5answers
7k views
Grey area of “impeachment”
According to what I've read: the House has the ability to impeach a President, however this doesn't mean the President has to leave office. He only has to leave office if the Senate finds him guilty. ...
16
votes
3answers
12k views
Why is the US broadcast media mostly banned from fact-checking political advertising?
On this site the author writes:
Two more Facebook moderation stories. On one hand, they're moving to block 'deep fake' manipulated video, but on the other, they're holding firm on not fact-checking ...
-2
votes
0answers
86 views
How would war with Iran be WW3? [duplicate]
I'm sure you've seen some of the fearmongering online and in the media about escalating tensions with Iran. Some say we're on the brink of a third world war.
How is this? How would a war between ...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
Who is meant by 'enemy' and 'conspiracy' in Kennedy's speech?
President John F. Kennedy had a speech on April 27, 1961; famously called "THE PRESIDENT AND THE PRESS". In that speech, he mentions a hidden enemy with concealed acts. Who is it?
The President have ...
2
votes
1answer
47 views
Is there a good resource that lists all conference committees in the current Congress?
Conference committees are used to resolve difference between the two chambers of Congress. Even an astute observer may miss the creation of conference committees unless they regularly read the Record ...
2
votes
5answers
391 views
Why make large dense investigative reports for public release if there are significant barriers to understand them?
Background
The U.S. government time and again produces public large dense reports that describe specific phenomena in excruciating detail for someone not in the legal or lobbying profession. Every ...
3
votes
2answers
310 views
Why did the US add a group to terrorism list and after a while remove it?
I am not an expert or even medium in politic. I want to know: Why did the US add a group to terrorism list and after a while remove it?
My question is because of the following fact:
The United ...
14
votes
1answer
2k views
Is Iran missile strike the first unanswered strike to the US after Cuban crisis?
As everyone already heard, recently Iran launched a missile strike on US military bases in Iraq. US didn't answer with anything but tweets.
Is it the first time after Cuban Missile Crisis, when armed ...
