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Are Non-Muslims from the banned countries allowed into the US? I keep seeing Trump's latest bit of executive action regarded as a 'Muslim Ban'. It doesn't make sense to me, since all of the information I can find shows that he is imposing a 90-day ban on travel for all citizens of those countries, not just the Musli...	Although the ban is nominally targeted at everyone of certain nationalities, it specifically excludes people from religious minorities in those countries.
Rex Tillerson is a business leader. Have other business people held high office? With today's appointment of Rex Tillerson as head of the US State Department I can't help but wonder if other business leaders have been head of major diplomatic posts such as this or Office of the President? I've heard of Trump so he doe...	Since 1945, there truly is no precedent for having a business professional without a background in law or international relations as Secretary of State.
What does this mean "upending standard committee rules"? I'm just wondering if someone could break this down Senate Republicans pushed through a pair of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees Wednesday, upending standard committee rules to circumvent a Democratic boycott. Did the Republicans break a rule, or not? If s...	No rules were broken, but rather, they were 'upended' by changing them.
Can a US President declare a "State of Emergency"? Is there any provision within the US Constitution whereby the President can declare a state of emergency, suspending the powers of the judiciary/congress to override executive actions. What happened during WW2 that permitted the detention of people of Japanese descent...	No, there is no provision in the U.S. Constitution for the president to declare a state of emergency.
Why would a government sell off student loans? This question was brought on by the recent news that government owned student loans in the UK are being sold off to a private company. How is this financially beneficial for the government? The way I see it, a company would only buy the loans for less than what can actu...	Governments sell off assets to make the budget numbers look better.
Recounting votes - isn't a recount just as prone to error as the initial count? In elections, whenever there is a too close margin between the two winning candidates, there is the legal opportunity to initiate a recount in order to minimize possible errors. However isn't the following scenario likely? Assume the first...	It is less likely that there will be clerical errors in a recount, though one could argue that there has been more opportunity for intentional manipulation.
Can the vice president of the United States be fired? Does the vice-president serve at the discretion of the president, such that he or she can be removed from office at the president's will? <Q> No. <S> The President can not fire the Vice President. <S> Unlike the cabinet (e.g., Secretary of State, Attorney General,...	Only Congress can forcibly remove a Vice President from office
What steps are required for the successful legal secession of California from the United States? From what I have heard from Yes California , it requires a state constitutional amendment and then a referendum put before the populace. Are there any other steps? <Q> An official legal secession of a state from the union ...	The options are: Amend the U.S. constitution to establish a procedure for one or more states to leave the union.
Why is Iran buying passenger jets from USA and EU? Source Interestingly, even after long sanctions and diplomatic melt down, they are buying 80 jets from USA (Boeing) and 50-60 jets from EU (Airbus). Why did Iran order jets from USA and EU when they could have bought jets from Russia ( UAC )? Also, why are not Russ...	This is a matter of economics, not politics: nobody else makes large passenger jets.
Can a TV station refuse a politically oriented advertisement which does not comply with its editorial line? John Oliver said in his last Sunday show (12th February) that he paid several TV channels to broadcast an advertisement obviously making fun of Mr Trump (around 21:40, toward the end of the video). The message ...	It seems, then, that the answer to your question is this: Yes, networks can refuse John Oliver's ad, but rarely would any network turn down paying customers on an editorial basis, largely because of the traditionally "walled-off" nature of the structure of traditional news organizations.
Can congress be sued? Can congress be sued by a presidential candidate campaigning during an election year? Can suing congress be part of a candidate's political platform? <Q> No. Sovereign Immunity. <S> It means they can not be sued (except under specific conditions that amount to waivers). <S> As a legal princip...	As a general matter, governments in the U.S. (federal, state, municipal and tribal) enjoy what is called Sovereign Immunity .
Why is Schulze the most popular Condorcet election method? It's been my impression that when people are discussing "Condorcet voting", they often implicitly mean the Schulze/beatpath method . Wikipedia's "Use of Condorcet voting" list also seems to be mostly Schulze, and there's an even longer list at Schulze me...	The Schulze method satisfies many academic criteria (e.g. monotonicity, resolvability, reversal symmetry, independence of clones) so that it is a very good election method even when there happens to be no Condorcet winner.
Why can't Americans purchase health insurance across state lines? What is the logic for not allowing purchase of health insurance across state lines? Who is responsible for this situation? And why did they do it? <Q> It started in 1851 when states began regulating insurance: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurance_i...	For larger insurers, you CAN essentially cross state lines and buy from a larger insurance company, but they have separate, state-level entities to deal with the specifics of each state. Insurance companies won't do it.
Why does Trump want to increase military spending? From what I understand, Trump is an isolationist / non-interventionist, at least more so than previous presidents. On the other hand, Trump wants to massively increase military spending: [Trump] wants "one of the greatest military build-ups" in American history....	The large portion for why Trump is pushing a budget increase is the decay of military readiness under sequester and continuing resolution.
Are there countries with upper age limits for voters or candidates? After the US Presidential elections there have been some calls to introduce an upper age limit for their position. Similar opinions exist about the age of Senators, Congressmen and Supreme Court judges. Others have also called for the establishment of ...	In Pennsylvania in the United States (US), there is an upper age limit for judges (75; used to be 70).
Are there any examples of contested elections held to elect a king? Are there any examples of contested elections that were held to elect a king? Target Fact Patterns By this, I mean two main fact patterns. A king is elected from multiple candidates in a country which previously did not have a monarchy, or had a d...	One example I immediately came up with: the Sejm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth elected the King of Poland (and the Grand Duke of Lithuania), where any European noble is a potential candidate.
Why are SCOTUS appointee Senate hearings not mandatory? Of the 29 failed Supreme Court appointees , there seem to have only been two that didn't have Senate hearings, one being Merrick Garland (Barack Obama's nominee), whose nomination expired on January 3rd this year , the other being William C. Micou in 1853. ...	Theoretically, the Senate can confirm a nominee without holding any confirmation hearing as the requirement of a hearing is not mentioned in the Appointments Clause.
Can a US president be "re-impeached" by a new Congress on the same charges? Or would double jeopardy apply? Double jeopardy is a pretty fundamental element to the US criminal justice system, but does it apply to a US President (or other impeachable official) and the trial-like impeachment proceedings in Congress? For ...	Double Jeopardy usually applies only in criminal matters and only then at the trial stage (Once the Jury is empaneled or seated) and only prevents the prosecution from initiating the appellant process.
Is there a theory discussing fines based on income? The question is quite straightforward, as in the title. I found myself discussing with a colleague the fact that according to some, fines should not be an absolute amount (e.g. 50 USD/EUR) but rather a percentage of the monthly income of the fined person (e.g. 1%). ...	In your case one could make a utilitarian argument that fines should be equal, not in terms of money, but in terms of utility, since utility is what really matters.
Why cancel the AHCA vote, rather than giving it a try? Paul Ryan just announced that the house will not be voting on the AHCA today after all, since there was too much opposition from other Republicans for it to be able to pass. Why would he cancel the vote, rather than let it proceed as scheduled? It's possible tha...	Refusing to vote would prevent the President from learning who opposed the legislation and protect them from his wrath.
Why does the libertarian party keep failing to gain much approval in US? In US, there has not been much support for the libertarian party. Even though two of the leading candidates in the past presidential election have been considered to have so many faults to be elected, the majority of people don't go with a 3rd par...	Most people don't agree with the Libertarian platform.
Why are there laws for victimless 'crimes' Shouldn't laws only stop one from harming other (socially, physically etc)? What is the purpose of other laws? For example, if an individual takes drugs without causing harm to others - what gives the government the right to stop him? <Q> There are three major arguments which...	In specific cases, there are also sometimes utilitarian arguments for or against certain policies against specific victimless crimes.
Does the president get the final say on a declaration of war like he does with normal bills? Would the USA congress need the presidents signature to enact a declaration of war? Or is it different from other bills in this respect, as someone told me congress can declare war even if the president disagrees with it, is th...	Although the power to declare war is exclusively held by the Congress, and does not require the president's agreement, it is also true that the president is the commander-in-chief of the military. Just like all the other powers listed in this section, it is a legislative act and requires the president's signature (or C...
Why did many voters support a border wall instead of other border control methods? According to then candidate Donald J Trump's proposal, the US should build a wall on its southern border with Mexico. Seems every time he mentioned the wall in his rallies, his crowd cheered and were motivated. Recently some Texas Republ...	An "impenetrable, physical, tall, beautiful Southern border wall" is a good image to many of them.
Why can't Uber 'out-lobby' city governments to make their services legal, rather than losing to existing taxi lobbies? Uber's main problem is that city governments are deeply connected with existing taxi structures - sometimes it's a matter of straight corruption, sometimes it's a matter of lobbying and existing relati...	Many of the licensing requirements for taxi companies is for the benefit of the local citizens (many require that they act certain ways in procuring business at airports, that they offer services to certain areas, that they offer services specifically for the disabled, etc).
What is the purpose of USA warning Russia about missile strikes in Syria? According to this article , the US warned the Russians ahead of Syria missile strikes. It does not specify when exactly this occurred (a few minutes means nothing, 1-2 hours means that some troops/planes can be moved from the target area). This...	The Russians were warned because the US government had no wish to create Russian casualties and thereby cause an even deeper political crisis than the one which would inevitably follow from attacking Russia's ally.
What is the point of the UN Security council if permanent members have veto power? It basically makes the UN a paper tiger since getting all of them to agree on something important is impossible. For example if you consider the Russian annexation of the Crimea wrong good luck with getting a resolution requiring all UN...	The point is that when no veto is used, a resulting conflict is very unlikely to grow from a minor conflict into a major conflict.
What are the current military objectives of Rojava(Syrian kurds)? The relations of various factions in syrian war seems to be very complicated, as can be seen in this image. Considering the Rojava, it seems like they are been supported by both Russian and US coalitions, and also by the Syrian Opposition, despite the f...	In summary the SDF is currently attempting to capture the ISIS capital of Raqqa while defending potential rebel attacks in the Aleppo Governorate and ISIS attacks in the Al-Hasakah Governorate. Making good on agreements - informal and probably formal - with Arab elements within the SDF for which the campaign to drive I...
Is the US democracy a multi-party system or a dual-party system? I am from India and whenever we hear about US politics and the US Senate, we always hear about two political parties, Democrats and Republicans. So are these the only two political parties in US? Is the US a dual-party system? And is there a Left-wing or ...	There are tons of parties in US politics.
Why does Russia back Serbia? On YouTube, I heard Can Kosovo survive as an independent state? , which states that Russia prevents Kosovo from joining the United Nations (UN) because Russia backs Serbia, and Serbia doesn't want Kosovo to be independent. So, what's in it for Russia? <Q> Chechnya and Russia's multi-ethn...	Any support for brother Slavs plays well with Russian populace; especially when Pindostan ( Russian's insulting term for USA ) is on the opposition's side.
Why did Labour support the snap election? Labour are doing badly as the moment with polls indicating that Conservatives have up to a 21% lead. Calling an early election at a time when they are in a position of strength favours the Conservative party. It seems most likely that Labour will do badly and Conservatives will...	Labour likely felt that they had to support the snap election or look like they were unprepared and didn't think they could win.
Do any countries allow leaders to be impeached by low approval ratings? It seems logical that a leader be removed if a high majority of people no longer want the leader in power. Are there any countries that allow leaders to be removed from power if their approval ratings are extremely low? <Q> The term you are looking...	If you mean "allow leaders to be removed from office by low approval ratings", then also no, I can't find any examples of countries that have codified that.
Why is "creating workplaces" such a prominent promise in US politics? Maybe because Russia had never that big unemployment rate, but if a politician in Russia would promise creating more workplaces, this would not help him a tiny bit. It would not be seen as his good accomplishment by the analysts either. Even more, t...	Jobs are associated with prosperity.
Why is China annoyed at the installation of THAAD in South Korea? China Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Geng Shuang stated on April 25th 2017: "China strongly urges the United States and South Korea to stop actions that worsen regional tensions and harm China's strategic security interests and cancel the deployment of t...	Basically, China's main argument is that "it will disrupt strategic balance in the region" .
Why are (proposals for) islamic garment bans focussed on the burqa, when the niqāb is far more common? From the BBC: German parliament moves to partially ban the burka . Proposals or measures in France, Netherlands, UK, and elsewhere, have also focussed on a ban of the burqa. Although I have certainly seen women in ...	By calling it a ban of a Burqa, it can be promoted with pictures of people in a burqa, which looks more oppressive than a niqab (in my opinion).
Why don't Western countries penalize Chinese companies in the same way that China restricts Western companies working on its territory? Some examples: China bans foreign entities from owning land , currency restrictions make it hard for companies to move funds abroad , Chinese companies are known for violating patent...	These restrictions are often tied to the idea that allowing a foreigner (who might someday be an enemy of the country's sovereign) to own land creates the risk of foreigners establishing a base in the country.
Why don't Russia and Ukraine enter an official state of war? Since 2014, it's clear that Russian troops have invaded Ukrainian territory. Crimea was fully annexed and the Donbass is in a state of perpetual conflict. However, officially speaking, Russia and Ukraine didn't declare war on each other and do maintain diplom...	Russia's priorities are keeping Ukraine away from the West (or better, pro-Russia), and keeping Crimea, as it is strategically important for Russia.
If United States annexed part of another country, would someone born in that place be eligible to run for president? For example, if President Trump invaded and claimed Sudbury, Ontario over a dairy dispute, could Alex Trebek run for President in the next election? <Q> Maybe. <S> It depends on the wording of the annexa...	Alex Trebek, or any other Canadian-born person, would not be able to run for President if Canada were annexed, because they weren't born as U.S. Citizens.
What methods are available to resolve elections with an equal number of votes On the BBC Wales news feed today for the local elections it was reported that in three separate councils had candidates with an equal number of votes after a recount - so they drew lots (pulled pieces of paper at from a box) to decide who ...	Recently an Illinois village settled a tied election with a coin flip An Illinois village is poised to choose its new leader with the flip of a coin after the election for village president ended with both candidates tied at 11 votes.
Why was the voter turnout so low in the second round of French elections? According to French election: Turnout sharply down in Le Pen-Macron battle , voter turnout in the second round of French presidential election was the lowest since 1981: The participation rate reported by the interior ministry for this electi...	Voters are less likely to be motivated to vote when they're voting against someone, rather than for someone.
What is the purpose behind having public holidays in modern times? As far as I understand, public holidays were originally a way of letting workers rest during the year, as well as celebrating major religious events. Nowadays workers are usually entitled to a few weeks of vacation (not to mention the 8 hour work days a...	So - to finally answer your question : keeping some holidays is a relatively uncomplicated and obviously beneficial way to keep the community spirit while not going into too much detail as to what specifically is endorsed or commemorated officially . When the Australian government tried to make Christmas Day not be a p...
What process needs to be followed by the President to fire the FBI Director? So I'm seeing all the news flashes regarding F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired by Trump ; I'm sure everyone is hearing about this now. I recall President Trump's campaign aids being under a counter-intelligence investigation by the F.B.I....	The FBI Director is a position within the executive branch of the US Government, thus the President is able to dismiss him like any other executive branch official.
Why doesn't the Indian government hold a referendum in Kashmir? On 21 April 1948, a resolution on Kashmir was adopted by the UNSC. According to that resolution, India should hold a referendum in Kashmir. Given the current chaotic situation in Kashmir, why doesn't India hold a referendum? <Q> Because of the fear of l...	India (as a state) has no chance of getting a favorable outcome from a referendum.
Why are there still developed countries with low cigarette prices? The negative effects of smoking are long proven and nearly every country in the world has committed to fight the practice. It is also well known what causes people to quit smoking - high prices, restrictions on public smoking, disgusting and plain packa...	What a government can do is to educate people and try to limit collateral damage (aka passive smoke, in this case) What a government cannot do is to just step up and say "ok, from now on we'll tax tobacco so that no one will be able to buy it", because it would be exactly like banning it.
Are NATO countries obliged to meet their 2% defence spending targets? Why do most NATO members fail to spend the agreed target of 2% of GDP on defense? Could the member states that do meet the target do anything about this? <Q> They aren't legally obliged to : <S> Nowhere in the NATO Treaty does it mention that they...	NATO treaty doesn't implement any kind of sanction if the spending targets are not met.
What does an absolute monarchy or dictatorship do when the king goes mad? I know this had to be one of many big issues in the whole dictator or monarchy government model where there's one supreme commander/ruler who is in and of itself the entire government and who can appoint people to take on roles for him. If the K...	It very much depends on how the the absolute ruler goes mad, and how evil, with respect to country or population, this madness turnes out to be. In an absolute monarchy the succesion is usually taken care of, provided there is an heir, who is uncontested.
What is a Hung Parliament? How is the Labour Party, with 57 fewer seats, able to still be in power in government? Did the Labour Party hang Parliament? <Q> Firstly, the Labour Party didn't hang the Parliament. <S> It's called a hung parliament because no party won a majority of seats in the House of Commons. <S> As t...	A hung parliament is a result of no majority.
Can members of nobility get elected to the House of Commons in theory and practice? Are there any restrictions, legal or social, on nobility being members of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom? The section on qualifications mentions that sitting members of the House of Lords can't be elected or vote in ele...	Prior to the 1999 act, Lords could renounce their nobility in order to stand for election to the Commons.
Can Catalonia enter the EU after its independence from Spain? Catalonia is a region of Spain where a big part of the population wants to be independent from Spain and form its own nation. If that happens, at the beginning, Catalonia as a nation will be out of the EU. Could Catalonia quickly join the EU after that? ...	It is worth noting that for Catalonia to be allowed to become a member state they must have unanimous consent from all EU member states.
Republicans and the Dodd-Frank Act Why do Republican lawmakers oppose the Dodd-Frank Act? <Q> Many Republicans fear that Dodd-Frank is a classic example of regulatory capture. <S> Regulatory capture is the idea that instead of serving the public, regulations will serve the interests of the firms they regulate. <S> Th...	It deems very large, interconnected banks as too big to fail, meaning the government will back them up if they go down. It is a massive increase of regulation: The 600 page act was called the "Patriot Act" of finance.
Why except Puerto Rico, is no US state or territory dominated by local parties? Why (except Puerto Rico), is no US state or territory is dominated by local parties, different from Democratic and Republican parties? <Q> Basically, it's only unique to Puerto Rico due to its statehood status. <S> Both the Democratic and t...	Parties in Puerto Rico tend to align around the status of the territory and questions of statehood and independence and Puerto Ricans vote for the party which best represent their views, which is why only Puerto Rico is dominated by local parties. Since their votes have little effect on the decisions of US Congress, th...
What U.S. constitutional rights do federal/state prisoners have? Are your constitutional rights limited once you are convicted of a crime and sentenced to prison? Is there any clause in the US constitution that deals with this or is it simply based on crime one has committed? <Q> Most notable among these is the right o...	Yes, many constitutional rights are limited upon conviction and imprisonment.
Why is immigration control considered to be the first Brexit priority? When the Brexit campaign launched, some of the key points were: Control of the borders and net migration Getting rid of the EU red tape Save money spent on EU membership and fund NHS instead Help the local industry ( fishing , farming , e...	Nothing firm to back this up, but part of the answer might simply be that controlling (which I suppose means "reducing") immigration is an achievable goal. Apart from the argument that we have a moral duty to help those who wish to come to this country (which you may or may not accept), there is an economic case in fav...
Is Donald Trump under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller? I've seen conflicting reports about whether Donald Trump is personally (i.e. not his campaign) under investigation. The Washington Post says : " The move by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to investigate Trump’s conduct marks a major turning...	We don't know The only person who could really tell us what Robert Mueller is investigating is Mueller himself, and he hasn't made any official pronouncements.
Why didn't Britain, France & Russia object India on the successful test of Pokhran-II? After the successful Pokhran-II nuclear test series, India was sanctioned and heavily criticised by all powerful countries except Britain, France and Russia. From the Wikipedia page , ...However, the United Kingdom, France, and...	It's all down to business, none of these 3 countries wanted to antagonise bilateral relations with India.
Does gerrymandering not affect elections for US Senators? Gerrymandering is a problem; a Representative could have their voter base diluted across neighboring districts at the whim of the controlling party. But Senate elections are statewide, and states don't tend to change shape a lot. Given that Senators are electe...	Currently gerrymandering has no effect on US Senators.
What is the EU stance on letting the UK stay in the single market after they leave the EU? The UK is planned to leave the EU (Brexit) after 2 years of negotiations. Where a 'soft Brexit' would mean the UK leaving the EU but staying part of the EU's single market (as this could be more favourable economically). What is...	The EU has said since before the negotiations started that the terms of the "divorce" must be settled before arrangements regarding trade can be discussed.
Why do some muslim countries ban polygamy? Islam allows men to have up to 4 wives (simultaneously). Why would an overwhelmingly Muslim country, such as Turkey or Tunisia, ban polygamy? Not banning it would of course not prevent most people to live as regular monogamous couple. In order to be clear (seeing the comment...	Turkey and Tunisia banning polygamy are merely part of policies to "modernize" the society from old feudalism/tribalism value, which is bad for nation
How is Iran able to project its power? Syria , Yemen , Lebanon, Iraq, Argentina , and so on ... Iran is everwhere. How is Iran able to project its influence so far away from home, even though they are under US sanctions? <Q> Iran is the center of Shia Islam, as opposed to Sunni Islam. <S> Shia and Sunni correspond r...	First, most of the international sanctions, not just US, have been lifted in the wake of the JCPOA , usually called the Iran Nuclear Deal. Iran is active in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq, as those countries have large Shia populations, or in the case of Yemen and Syria, Shia aligned (Houthi and Alawite).
Can states nullify the president's pardoning power by making federal offenses state offenses? Can a state make federal offenses state offenses as well, so that even if the president pardons a criminal for a federal offense, they'll still be on the hook for the equivalent state offense? Edit: It appears they can't d...	All the states would all have to pass a state-level law for every federal law in place where there is not a matching state law in order to prevent any particular presidential pardon, since they don't know what crimes, who would be committing them, whether the president would pardon, for any particular president.
Does Iran need to violate the JCPOA agreement to obtain a nuclear warhead? House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce on Saturday slammed the Iran nuclear deal saying it allows the (Islamic) regime (of Tehran), "even without cheating, keep a path to a nuclear weapon." Is Iran seeking a nuclear warhead? Does...	If you want to define "keep a path" as something completely nebulous, like not lobotomizing all PhD physicists who may have theoretical knowledge, then maybe, but from a practical point of view, no, they can't.
After Brexit, can the UK deal with individual countries of the EU? After Brexit, would the UK be able to do trade deals with individual countries such as Germany, France, etc. without these deals having to be sanctioned by the European Union? <Q> No, it won't be able to. <S> Concluding international agreements on behal...	The EU is the exclusive point of contact for trade deals with the EU and its members - or more precisely, for members of the European Union Customs Union .
How would an anarchist society deal with insurgents? Selecting Anarchism as an example, it defends a state of affairs without coercion or oppression, and it also defends, at least from what I read, the abolishment of prisons. What would one do with the supposed insurgents or people who want to govern the others? They w...	Anarchists don't believe in the establishment nor perpetuation of hierarchies and therefore they'd simply roll over one-by-one when confronted by an external threat.
How do I get a bank account for political party? We created a political party in UK. And now we need a bank account in its name. What are the banks that have political party type account? Or will a business account do the job? <Q> I've done banking in the UK for charities and sports clubs. <S> Any high street bank will...	You basically need to show up at your bank and open an account like you would for any other business, the difference being that you're a non-profit rather than a for-profit organization.
In Muslim-minority countries, is it unusual for Muslim MPs or lawmakers to vote in favour of gay marriage or related legislation? In Did all of Germany's Muslim MPs voted in favor of same-sex marriage? on Skeptics.SE, someone was surprised by a claim that Germany's Muslim MPs voted in favour of gay marriage. I wasn'...	France had MPs from Muslim or mixed families (one or both parents being Muslim) in 2013, when the vote on gay marriage took place.
Are there any major countries without agricultural subsidies? The EU and the US are known for having an amazingly complex set of subsidies for their agricultural products, designed to make sure a stable chain of food supply exists within their region. Are there any major stable countries (population over 5 million) wh...	There are no government subsidies to agriculture in New Zealand.
Is the Affordable Care Act safe after the Republicans failed to repeal it? Can the Republican Party write another bill later to try to repeal the Affordable Care Act again? Or is it here to stay? <Q> In practice, the longer it's around, the more political capital will be required to repeal it, and thus the less likely ...	Theoretically, the Republicans can try to repeal it again, as many times and for as long as they want - or at least until they get thrown out of office by mad voters.
Can a U.S. Senator block the Vice President from voting by not attending a vote and having the results be 49-50? The U.S. Constitution states The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided. I understand that if a Senator's vote is "Pr...	If a Senator missed a vote (deliberately or not), and all other Senators are present and voting, it would deny the VP the opportunity to break a tie.
Why aren't EU Parliament elections synced with national election dates? The turnout for EU elections is getting lower with each electoral cycle, to the point where only 8 EU countries have a turnout of over 50% and only 13% of the voters participated in the last Slovakian election. One big issue with EU elections is ...	One issue is that the electoral process derives from the EU treaties, including when they should occur, so changing that would require renegotiating the latter.
How does North Korea prevent their ambassadors/diplomats living abroad from defecting? There's an implicit assumption here which is that the more exposure you have to the truth about North Korea the more likely you are to defect. With that assumption out in the open, my question is about the North Korean diplomats who...	It's impossible to know for sure, but it likely has to do with family. There is a very complex system of hidden informers of the security police.
How did so many Australian politicans recently win Parliamentary seats while unaware of or denying their second nationality? Half a dozen Australian members of Parliament have resigned or are threatened with the need to do so after "discovering" that they are dual citizens, forbidden from serving (how surprising this...	A lot of people simply don't know (and largely don't care) about being technically a dual citizen.
Why is Islamic State (IS) referred to as "so-called"? Often in news articles, I see that IS are referred to as "so-called" Islamic State. For example, in a BBC News article : On Bastille Day last year, along the coast in Nice, more than 80 people were killed when a lorry was driven into celebrating crowds on the sea...	Because they (Daesh) claim that their government is "Islamic State", but they consider most of Muslims as polytheist or infidel, and on the other hand, the majority of Muslims all over the world consider them to be fake Muslims.
Why are Americans more scared of terrorism than other more common death causes? This is a link to a study which suggests that Americans are very scared of terrorist attacks (second place, after corrupt politicians). However, only a few hundred people have died due to terrorism for more than a decade in the USA. In com...	People are frightened of terrorism, because it has terrific alarmist value.
Why are European politicians usually reluctant to use expropriation to speed up public works? Every European state has a provision in its laws to use expropriation from private persons when it is necessary for the public good. However despite the presence of such laws European politicians seem to be reluctant to use ...	Even thou the state can legally expropriate land, they want to make sure that their citizen don't feel like their rights are being taken away from them.
Why hasn't the US tried to stop the North Korean missiles? The US has several anti-ballistic missile systems in South Korea and I think some more in Japan, so why haven't they tried to shoot down the North Korean missiles, like the one that North Korea just shot over Japan? It seems to me that if a missile is flying t...	If a missile launched by North Korea was deemed not to be a threat to Japan or the US or South Korea, the best choice available to the US and allies would be to simply observe the launch and collect data.
Why is North Korean behaviour often described as "provocative"? The media often uses the word "provocative" to describe North Korean behaviour but if so, what exactly is it that they're trying to provoke? My thinking is that it's the opposite: North Korea don't want to provoke anything, they want status quo and inten...	Even if the North Korean leadership is rational enough not to want nuclear war, they still want to provoke some kind of response (short of an attack) from United States in order to demonstrate to the North Korean people that they are standing up against the foreign bullies.
Does "President" automatically imply that this person is also the guarantor of observance of the Constitution in the country? Is there any state in the world, in which its Constitution doesn't call its President as the guarantor of the Constitution? Does "President" automatically imply that this person is also the guar...	There is at least one State, the United Kingdom, that has no formal Constitution - and no President, for that matter.
Why is having border controls in Ireland so problematic for Irish nationalists? One of the biggest challenges of Brexit is resolving the issue of the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. On one hand it is impossible for the UK to leave the Single Market while maintaining an open border with an EU member. On the...	For the economic development of "Ulster" they want the border as open as possible.
Why has Israel not acknowledged or denied its nuclear weapons? Looking at the map in the upper-right of this Wikipedia article , I see that Israel is the only country in the category "states presumed to have nuclear weapons": Israel is also widely known to have nuclear weapons, though it maintains a policy of delib...	Put another way, considering the deterrent effect is already in place, there's no good reason to let the world know they have (or don't have) nukes.
Can a country adopt and issue currency not theirs Can a country decide that they now starting to use USD for example, then enter USDs into their circulation? Is there any international law that stops that and to what extent (can use the currency, just its name etc) <Q> Yes, they can. <S> There are many countries that d...	Some countries adopt the currencies of other countries without trying to issue them.
Outside of Iceland's PM, did the Panama Papers have any meaningful effect on high level politicians? At the time of Panama Papers release, there were suggestions made by the press that it's a Big Deal and will lead to Great Changes in politics. The prime example they used was a nearly-instant fall of Iceland's PM Gun...	It led to investigation against the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr Nawaz Sharif, which led to him being removed from office.
Why do people care about the Nobel peace prize? It is obvious that the Nobel peace prize is a major aspect of international politics. It can be used to set the political discourse, to drive an agenda, to bring awareness, to influence or enforce certain policies or political positions. My question is why? Why do peo...	Prestige by association with the scientific Nobel prizes , which generally do recognise towering human achievement.
What did Kim Jong-un mean by “denied the existence of … my country”? According to this statement from Kim Jong-un , Now that Trump has denied the existence of and insulted me and my country in front of the eyes of the world and made the most ferocious declaration of a war in history that he would destroy the D.P.R...	This probably means "Now that Trump has threatened the existence of North Korea", a reference to the language the Trump used in a recent speech at the UN when he said "The US has great strength and patience.
What is a run on the pound? From the news today, it mentions that Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party is preparing to deal with a run on the pound. What is a run on the pound? Why is it making news headlines? Why does Jeremy Corbyn plan for this eventuality happening? The article says that it's where investors sell ...	There is a concern that the level of government borrowing implied by the Labour party's policies would cause financial traders to sell pounds in large enough amounts to cause a run, and this would be damaging to the UK economy.
To what degree do Americans think of Europe as a singular political and cultural entity? Often when I read questions here, people often used the word "Europe", and ask what politics are like "in Europe", and how voters are like "in Europe", and how cultural differences influence politics "in Europe". An example is thi...	Sophisticated Americans understand Europe as a collection of nations and can place a few of the western ones on a map, but then tend to conflate EU with Europe.
A King and a President? What kind of government would I have if there was a Republic with an elected president as-well as a hereditary monarch? <Q> The monarch has a role in politics as the one who swears in ministers and signs bills and international treaties, altough it is almost unheard of for them to to deny execut...	In the Netherlands we have both a Prime Minister (Minister-President Mark Rutte) as well as a hereditary monarchy (Koning Willem-Alexander van Oranje Nassau), a so-called "Constitutional Monarchy" .
Why is there always a tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran? Why is there always a tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran? What is the root cause? What are the other causes? Is this tension only between the regimes or also between general citizens? How was this relation during the Shah's time? <Q> The root cause is r...	Wahhabi government of Saudis (More or less like ISIL) consider Iranian Shia people as polytheist ( see here ).
What is meant by "politicizing" an event and how to avoid it? Whenever events such as those in Las Vegas occur, people often accuse others of "politicizing" the event. What is meant by this, and how do we avoid doing it? I am looking for example of some specific guidelines like, how many days do I need to wait before...	When someone says it is being politicized, it means they are using it to push a political party agenda.
Are there secessionist movements in regions which lack a distinct language or dialect? Looking at the list of separatist movements it seems that all of them are focused around a region which has its own language/dialect and an associated culture. But are there any active secessionist movements where the region in que...	There's the English independence movement , which I think meets the criterion: although there are many dialects and even at least one language which are distinctive to subregions of England, the prestige dialect of the UK is one of them.
What could Spain do legally if Cataluña proclaims independence? It seems there will be a unilateral proclamation. I don’t think Spain will accept this. Can Spain avoid this politically? Stating the referendum was illegal seems to have been ineffective. Is it within the reach of the government to do this? <Q> At the m...	In case of proclaming the independence, the Catalan government is breaking the law and then the Spanish govern and justice can act against that.
What is the difference between war and terrorism? As the title states, what is the difference between war and terrorism? Terrorism, as I understand it, has one primary purpose : to destabilize the enemy. Hence, the killing of innocent civilians, while I am sure terrorists get off on that, is not actually the underlyi...	Terror is a conflict between groups
Could a democratic removal of the British monarchy ever be practically implemented? There seems to be increasingly anti-monarchist sentiment in the UK, and although I don't see this happening any time soon I think it's worthwhile asking how this would ever work. How would this ever work? Could parliament present a bil...	It's possible that parliament might choose to end the monarchy by passing a law enabling a "binding" referendum that would allow people to vote on the issue.
Are there any heads of state who are dual citizens? In this question it was established that the US President can be a dual citizen as nothing in the Constitution forbids it. This makes me wonder if there are currently any heads of state who are also citizens of a second country? Obviously excluding honorary citizens...	Salome Zurabishvili , recently elected President of Georgia , is a dual French-Georgian citizen. The Wikipedia article on Alberto Fujimori (President of Peru in the 90s) states that he has both Japanese and Peruvian Nationality, and this had been obtained by his parents, who were both Japanese citizens.
What is the motivation behind Saudi and the UAE's spending on arms? In terms of money spent, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the world's 2nd and 3rd top buyers of weapons, respectively . The top buyer India's spending seems justified given India's size and rivalry with its neighbors. Why do Saudi-Arabia and the UAE spe...	Close relationship with the United States , as explained by @user2501323 Oil money .
Why are ambassadors considered to be important politicians? Every time a new ambassador is nominated from the United States it somehow becomes news and political experts at home and abroad begin speculations over the personality of the nominee. But why are ambassadors considered to be important people in the first plac...	In general, ambassadors are not important politicians.
Why do proportional representation voting systems not evolve to first past the post systems? The first past the post voting system tends to favour a two-party system. Suppose an election is held using a proportional representation voting system. Then suppose that the two largest parties, between them, command a majori...	They don't do it because it's a lot of effort and the two biggest parties might not win afterwards
Can the POTUS take away licenses from news networks? Donald Trump has recently indicated a willingness to challenge the licenses of "NBC and the Networks". Does he actually have any power to do so himself? If not, can he reasonably influence others who do have that power? <Q> The traditional networks were (and still...	No NBC and other the major networks do not each have a single license that could be revoked.
Does Israel discriminate with voting rights of its non-Jewish citizens? Given the charge of racial discrimination towards its non-Jewish citizens (for example this letter in the HP ), does the state of Israel officially or unofficially discriminate in voting rights? And if so, what forms does this discrimination take?...	All Israeli citizens, Jews, Arabs and others, have a right to vote and can freely exercise it.
In what way(s) does Brussels "act as a bully"? On last night's news I heard Nigel Farage say the Britain should "not give in to Brussels because Brussels was a bully, and you shouldn't give in to bullies". By "Brussels" he clearly means the EU administration. In what way can it be regarded as having acted like a bull...	Farage thinks they are bullying us because they expect the UK to honour its financial agreements that it already committed to, and because the EU will not alter its founding principals to allow the UK to trade freely without freedom of movement and adherence to EU regulations.
Have any politicians been elected to the government of two different countries during their career? After the recent elections in Czech Republic it became apparent that Andrej Babiš is going to become the next Prime Minister of the country. The curious thing about him is that he holds dual Czech-Slovak citizenship ...	Daniel Cohn-Bendit was elected as a member of the European Parliament (MEP) in both Germany and France.

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