US politics key facts Flashcards
Tuesday in early March significance?
- SUPER TUESDAY = In March 2020 30 primaries were held, in comparison to 4 in February
- Front loading = In 2004 36 states were done by the end of March vs. 2008 = 44 states done by the end of March
- Joe Biden won 10/15 on Super Tuesday so hinted to win despite 29 candidates declared
- raise profile = books- audacity of hope by Obama
Valuable political experience
Candidates are usually VPs, governors, or senators
The last one not form this pool was General Dwight Eisenhower in 1952
Senator for Delaware for 36 years - Joe Biden
Importance of Parties to win
Ross Perot in ‘92 had 18% of the vote but no ECV
= nearly 1 in 5 votes
War-chest facts
Obama spent $874.6 million towards his re-election campaign
In the 2020 election, $4.9 billion was spent in total by all candiadates
Disadvantages of the ECV system
Small states are over represented =
California - 1 ECV for 617,000 people
Wyoming - 1 ECV for 165,000 people
You can get half way to victory with 4 largest states: California = 55 ECV, Texas, NY, Florida
2000 GE facts
Bush won 48% of the votes vs. 271 ECV = WON
Gore gained 48.4% vs. 266 ECV
Supreme Court stopped recounting in Florida in Bush v Gore 2000 so Bush won
Supreme Court facts
- US v Nixon 1974 = watergate tapes forced to be handed over
- Abe Fortas resigned in 1968 before he could face being impeached as he accepted money to give legal advice
- Plessy v Ferguson ‘separate but equal’ vs. precedent overturned by Brown v Board of Education
- Roe v Wade precedent overturned by Dobbs v Jackson
- Markby v Madison = The Supreme Court’s powers were extended
- Supreme Court struck down Congressional Income Tax Act 1894 so Congress reacted by passing the 16th amendment
- set new policy = Obergefell v Hodges 2015 allowing same sex marriage
- upheld existing policy = NFIB v Sebelius 2012 vs struck down = Texas v US 2016
War Powers?
1973 War Powers Act
Congress authorises action, declares war, and withdraws troops
Unconstitutional? = constitution states the President is Commander-in-chief
Obama = 2011 air strike on Libya
Vs. 2013 when less popular he asked Congress for air strikes on Syria = republican house
Obama SC nomination
Obama nominated Merrick Garland but was not confirmed as Senate refused to hold hearings so Trump got to appoint Neil Gorsuch in 2017.
Amendments
1st = freedom of speech, religion
2 = right to bear arms
8 = no cruel and unusual punishments
10 = powers not mentioned belong to the states
17th = Senate becomes elected in 1913
Federalism
George W Bush vs. Obama vs. Trump
Federal spending grew 33% in his forst term
Homeland security created 2002 and war in Iraq
Education = No Child Left Behind
Banking Crisis 2003
Affordable Care Act challeneged in SC but passed = NFIB v Sebelius — passed on party lines: 60-39 in the Senate in 2010
2008 House Market Crash
DAPA (Defferred action for Parents of Americans) was overturned by Texas v US 2016
Trump used 220 executive orders — one overturned DACA
Appointment of Justices
- Clarence Thomas - rated qualified by American Bar Association yet confirmed 52-48 along party lines in 1991
- Currently a 6-3 conservative majority — 9-0 had been the most common vote now it is along party lines 6-3 in 14/19 cases heard in 2021-22
- Ruth Bader Ginsberg was appointed by Bill Clinton in 1993, the Senate confirmed her by a 96–3 vote on August 3, 1993
- Amy Coney Barrett was appointed by Donald Trump, in October 2020, the Senate voted 52–48 in favour of confirming ACB = along party lines — all 47 Democrats voted against her appointment + held shortly before the 2020 election
Money
THE BUDGET
Budget Committees have the power to set levels of spending
Governmnet shutdown in 2013 = 800,000 federal employees sent home - Congress failed to pass 12 appropiation bills and a continuing resolution
Commerce Clause = enumated power ‘regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states’
Party discipline/partisanship
Presidential support = percent of votes that went the President’s way
1995 Clinton = 36.2% - House and Senate turned to R [1993 Healthcare not passed despite having both houses]
2003 Bush Jr = 87.8% - War on Terror - Had both - trifecta
112th Congress = 2011 until 2013 = most unproductive in history - Obama President, in 2010 the Rs won the House and Ds kept the Senate
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act 2022 included checks on young buyers and was passed by 234 votes to 193 in the House [D controlled] and was successfully passed following a shooting in Texas [Uvalde school shooting]
Interest group facts
- NRA lobbied Congress on 190 bills and has a branch called the Institute for Legislative Action to educate lawmakers on gun ownership, to prevent measures being passed
- Citizens United v FEC = election donations a form of free speech
- NRA made $350 million in revenue in 2013
- America Civil Liberties Union has 1.6 million members
- American for Prosperity 98% for Ted Cruz and 0% for Elizabeth Warren vs. Human Rights Campaign 100% for Elizabeth Warren and 0% Ted Cruz
