Exam Questions June 2022: Rational Theory 9 Markers Flashcards
Give three ways rational theory could be used to compare election campaigns in the US and UK.
1) Marginal seats/states:
US - focus campaign energy on small states - e.g. Georgia in 2020 and Florida in 2016
UK - Also rational to target marginal seats - e.g. 67% seats in 2019 had a majority of <5%.
2) Campaigns to target certain demographics:
US - e.g. AOC played ‘Among Us’ to encourage youth turnout.
UK - Labour spend more on social media - £1.4 million in 2019.
3) Valence issues:
US - e.g. Immigration in 2016 - ‘we will build a wall and make Mexico pay for that wall’.
UK - Brexit - immigration was a large issue - e.g. Nigel Farage’s ‘breaking point’ poster.
Give three ways rational theory could be used to compare campaign finance in the US and UK.
1) Donors:
US - Greater rationale to donate to candidates - directly influence politics - e.g. Sheldon Adelson and George Soros are frequent donors
UK - more restricted - donors still remain - e.g. Lubov Chernukhin payed £160,000 for tennis with Cameron and Johnson.
2) Marginal states/seats:
US - rational to spend more in marginal areas - e.g. Georgia run off elections cost $510 million in 2020.
UK - Also rational - e.g. 67% of seats in 2019 had a majority of <5%.
3) Forming co-dependencies:
US - House Energy Subcommittee on Health chair - Anna Eshoo - received hundreds of thousands from drug companies in 2020
UK - Rational to form allegiances with pressure groups/unions - e.g. Labour and Unite
Give three ways rational theory could be used to study party dominance in the US and UK
Candidate Selection:
US - offers an attractive way to gain notoriety in the media - focus on personality and individual policy - Trump and Sanders are rational to opt for it
UK - no such system - more incentive to run for smaller parties.
Defections:
US - always from Rep-Dems and vice versa - e.g. Jeff Van Drew (NJ) - quit Dems for Reps in 2020
UK - Defections frequently involve Lib Dems - e.g. MPs who formed the Change UK party in 2019 joined the LD when it failed.
Wasted votes:
US - rational to vote for largest parties - every state is essentially a two party race
UK - tactical voting may benefit third parties - e.g. Daisy Cooper (LD) in St Albans in 2019 - Lab fell by 8000 - Labour voters had tactically switched.
Give three ways the rational theory may be used to compare pressure groups in the US and UK.
Lobbying:
US - congressmen are influenced by lobbying as they want the backing of pressure groups in elections - e.g. NRA ‘scorecards’ - support for 2nd amend.
UK - tighter finance/whips - less influential - pressure groups utilise other methods.
Political allegiances:
US - rational for trade unions to form co-dependencies with parties.
UK - also rational - e.g. Labour and Unite - e.g. direct impact on party policy
Use of courts:
US - rational due to constitutional sovereignty of SC - e.g. ACLU 56 cases against Trump - resulted in his ‘Muslim’ ban being suspended.
UK - less rational due to parliamentary sovereignty - e.g. R (Wright) v. Health Secretary 2002.
Give three ways rational theory may be used to compare the legislatures of the US and UK.
Party dominance:
US - congress is invariably two-party because primaries offer an attractive method of gaining press and notoriety - any press is good press.
UK - Third parties become more significant - e.g. Lib Dems - catered for remoaners in 2019 - 7.4% to 11.2% - rational to fill the niche ‘gap’ between parties.
Party discipline:
US - presidents often seek bipartisan support for bill - e.g. assistance for those affected by Covid-19 - 90-8 in Senate.
UK - whips keep MPs in line - have little rational choice - e.g. 21 MPs were suspended in 2019 for failing to back no-deal Brexit.
Influence of constituents:
US - important to consider views of constituents - e.g. Albert Wynne and Wayne Gilchrest defeated in 2008 congressional primaries for ignoring ‘folks back home’
UK - also important - e.g. Anna Soubry (Broxtowe) - voted remain in commons - constituents voted leave - ousted 2019.
Give three ways rational theory could be used to compare voting in Congress and Parliament.
Constituents:
US - rational to listen to ‘folks back home’ - e.g. Albert Wynne and Wayne Gilchrest - defeated in 2008 Congressional primaries for going against their constituents in Maryland.
UK - also rational - e.g. Anna Soubry (Broxtowe) - voted remain even though constituency voted leave - ousted in 2019,
Ideology/party whips:
US - rational to vote on party lines - may lead to future promotion within the party
UK - whips reduce rational choice - rational to vote in line with whips to protect career - e.g. 21 MPs suspended in 2019 for failing to back a ‘no-deal’ Brexit.
Seeking re-election
US - Rational to listen to those who lobby - gain their support at the next election - e.g. NRA ‘scorecards
UK - lobbying is less prominent - whips/tight finance laws limit the outside influence on the way MPs vote.
Give three ways the rational theory may be used to compare the constitutions of the US and UK.
Judiciary:
- US - constitutional sovereignty means pressure groups may use the courts to gain influence through rulings - e.g. ACLU initiated 56 cases against the Trump administration - eventually led to the suspension of Trump’s ban on Muslim immigrants.
- UK - Parliamentary sovereignty means lobbying is a more preferable method to gain influence - as rulings have little influence on the legislative agenda.
Voting in legislatures:
- US - president may require bipartisan support - e.g. Assistance to those affected by Covid-19 - 90-8 in the Senate.
- UK - PM doesn’t really - so long as he has whips and a majority in Parliament - (21 suspended in 2019)
Federalism/devolution:
- US - state legislatures are an attractive target for pressure groups to gain influence - more so than the federal government.
- UK - devolved assemblies are becoming increasingly a target for pressure groups - though the post-Brexit EU is less of a target - due to its waning influence over the UK.
Give three ways rational theory may be used to compare the Supreme Court of the US and UK.
Personal analysis of the law:
US - judges take a rational approach to evaluating each case in accordance with the law - will result in a unanimous verdict if the law is clear - National Labour Relations Board v. Canning.
UK - Judges also apply the law objectively.
Philosophy of the bench:
US - Strongly lib. or con. justices mean rulings may be controversial - e.g. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Org. - draft opinion to reverse Roe v. Wade
UK - judges are supposed to be free from political influence - judicial impartiality - however R v. Bow Street Mags ex parte Pinochet - Lord Hoffman failed to declare ties with Amnesty.
Role of individuals seeking to advance their interests:
US - president will appoint justices who will support their political agenda - e.g. Trump appointed Kavanaugh, Coney Barrett and Gorsuch - making it a conservative majority bench.
UK - PM may appoint Attorney general who supports their political agenda - e.g. Suella Braverman appointed by BJ - aims to ‘take back control’ from the judiciary.
Define rational choice theory.
Created by John Blondel and states that individuals use their self interests to make choices that will provide them with the best benefit.
Rational theory could be used to compare Republican and Conservative policies.
1) Immigration:
US - e.g. Trump’s Muslim ban - added Chad and North Korea to make it an immigration ban
UK - e.g. 2022 policy to send migrants to Rwanda.
2) Healthcare
US - Obamacare repeal attempts in 2017 from Reps - 49-51 in Senate.
UK - Conservatives pledged £34 billion to NHS in 2019.
3) Tax
US - Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 2017 - reduced corp tax from 37% to 21%
UK -betrayed 2019 policy to not raise NI - increased NI by 1.25% in 2022.
Rational theory could be used to study Democrat and Labour policies.
1) Gun Control:
US - Clinton supported the Assault Weapon Ban Act 1994 - following Ulvalde shooting.
UK - Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 - pursued by Labour when they won in 1997.
2) Taxes:
US - Biden pushed for a 15% global rate of corp tax at G-20 in 2021.
UK - Starmed condemned 1.25% NI rise - Labour would tax wealth to secure social care.
3) Healthcare
US - Affordable Care Act 2010 - Obamacare.
UK - NHS established by Clement Atlee’s government.
Rational theory could be used to compare the considerations made by the President and Pm when appointing cabinet ministers.
1) Experience:
US - can be a hard sell - expertise and experience is valuable - e.g. Jeff Sessions and Tom Price to Trump’s cabinet.
UK - also rational to appoint experienced members - e.g. Rishi Sunak is so in law of Indian billionaire Narayana Murthy.
2) Policy Specialists:
US - Trump appointed John Kelley as Defence Secretary - he served as general in the Marines.
UK - rational in UK to appoint various ideologies - e.g. Blair with John Prescott as deputy PM to appease ‘old Labour’ MPs
3) State Governors:
US - have experience in running large scale bureaucracy - e.g. Sonny Perdue of Georgia was appointed in 2017.
UK - Rational to not appoint old cabinet ministers - e.g. TM with George Osborne and Gove - makes new cabinet appear fresh.
