All Other Evidence

Question 1

Both parties agree on foreign policy e.g

Answer 1

Bipartisan support for Ukraine - strategic importance of supporting a democratic ally against external Russian aggression

Strong support for Israel

Question 2

R&D agreement over broad economic policy

Answer 2

Neither party typically advocated for major structural changes to the economy

Ability to unite in specific events - illustrated by support for the CARES Act during COVID-19

Question 3

2020 Green Party received….. of the vote

Answer 3

0.3% of the vote

Question 4

Independent example

Answer 4

Senator Angus King

Vote in favour of ACA repeal efforts, where his opposition was crucial in preserving the ACA in several close votes in 2017.

Question 5

Two parties count for …..% of the 118th congress

Answer 5

98%

Question 6

Why is the two-party system so dominant

Answer 6

Electoral system

Strategic voting in an era of extreme polarisation

Political culture and history

Legal and institutional barriers

Question 7

Race on voting

Answer 7

2020
87% of African American voters voted Biden

58% of white Americans voted for Trump

Question 8

Gender on voting

Answer 8

2020
Women - 57% Biden
Men - 52% T

Question 9

Religion on voting

Answer 9

2020
White evangelical Christian’s - 76% voted Trump

Jews - 68% Biden

Question 10

Age on voting

Answer 10

2020
Biden - 60% 18-29year olds
Trump - 52% of 65+

Turnout
53% 18-29
71% 65+

Question 11

Increased polarisation examples

Answer 11

Near-universal Republican opposition to the Affordable Care Act and the Democratic opposition to the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reflect the deep ideological divisions and party loyalty that characterise modern congress.

Question 12

Marjorie Taylor Green

Answer 12

Known for support of far-right conspiracy theories, won her primary in Georgia in 2020, signifying the GOP’s shift towards more extreme right-wing candidates.

Question 13

Senate filibuster has become a tool for the minority party to block legislation (gridlock)

Answer 13

Republicans used a filibuster to obstruct the passage of the For the People Act, a major piece of legislation intended to expand voting rights and reform campaign finance.

Question 14

Affordable Care Act

Answer 14

Passed 2010

Faced intense partisan opposition and numerous attempts at repeal.

Question 15

American rescue plan passed in with

Answer 15

220-211 house
50-49 senate

No replicant votes, unified democratic support

Question 16

Infrastructure investment and Jobs Act

Answer 16

13 house republicans and 19 senate republicans joined democrats

Question 17

National security bipartisan support

Answer 17

National defence authorisation act

84-13 senate
335-78 house

Question 18

Buckley v Valeo

Answer 18

Opened the door for candidates to spend unlimited amounts of their own money on campaigns

Donald Trump - 2016 - $66million of his own money

Question 19

Increasing scale of campaign finance in US elections gradually reduced the need for publicly matched funding, further diminishing the power of the FECA

Answer 19

In 2008 Obama opted out of public financing raising $745 million, which far outstripped the public funding limit

Question 20

2020 presidential election spending

Answer 20

$1.4billion spent by parties, PACs, Super PACs and candidates

Question 21

Super PACs

Answer 21

America first action - Donald Trump $200million

Question 22

Campaign funding is not everything

Answer 22

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump spend considerably less than Hillary Clinton but still emerged victorious.