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What are the true statistics on farm murders in South Africa For the most part the ones pushing the idea that white farmers are under assault by the black majority is the organization Afriforum.At first other organizations tried to debunk their stats and Afriforum responded with these rebuttals: http://www.politicsweb....	The national murder rate last year was 34.1 per 100,000 people, but the number of people living on farms is not fully known, which makes comparisons difficult. The number of killings of farmers, including farm workers, is at a 20-year low, 47 in the fiscal year 2017-18, according to research published in July by AgriSA...
Why is it frequently claimed that the US 'signed' a given treaty before it's been ratified by Congress? As an example, it was often claimed that the US 'signed' and then 'left' the Paris climate treaty, even though it was merely agreed to by the US President, rather than by Congress as required by the US Constitution. ...	A country having signed a treaty doesn't mean that it is a party to the treaty -- if the country needs to ratify the treaty, then the country isn't a party to the treaty until it ratifies it.
Why did cannabis get legalized first? The number of drug "addicts" are about 5% of users . So most users are not even addicts. This one says 10% of users become addicts. I am sure it means 10% of illegal drug users. First, medical science tells us that while the use of psychoactive substances always has the potent...	Perhaps because (at least in the US) marijuana has a much greater number of users than other drugs, and a still larger base of people who regard it as basically harmless even if they don't care to use it themselves.
Why is the Senate leader allowed to decide which bills to vote on? The House of Representatives passed a bill to partially fund the government. Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, then came out and said that the Senate would not consider that bill, that they wouldn't waste time on it, and that it wouldn't get pa...	Bills can be brought to the floor whenever a majority of the Senate chooses.
If conservatives don't like government, why don't they like the shutdown? As far as I know, I have repeatedly heard a conservative stance arguing in favor of reducing government spending. But, at the same time, it appears as though politicians from across all aisles want to avoid a government shutdown. If conservatives...	The shutdown doesn't really save the government much money.
Can collectivist economics co-exist with Individual rights? I have often heard that collectivism and individual rights can't co-exist because they are opposites. On the surface this appears to be accurate, but is there any historical examples of societies which have managed to preserve the full rights of the individual...	There is an example of a collective economy that values at least some level of individual rights: the Kibbutz ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kibbutz )
Has Trump's administration ever explained why they didn't "build the wall" before the midterms? Title pretty much says it all. The Republicans controlled both the House and the Senate before the midterms, so why didn't they push through funding for the wall then? The Republicans had two years to do this, and the Democr...	Republicans likely did not want to reopen the DACA issue in an election year, nor did they want to irk more Conservative members of their own party by spending even more on top of the massive deficit the budget created
How could a wealth tax (not income tax) be implemented to make evasion difficult? Recently liberals and conservatives alike have floated returning to the high marginal income tax rates of the mid 20th century, as a method to help reduce inequality in the United States, among other goals. Similarly, some have also floa...	If you want to collect money from the rich, the first answer is obviously taxing gifts and estates more aggressively.
Why is Fox News the most viewed news channel in the US? Are there any empirical reasons why Fox News receives overwhelmingly high viewership as compared to other news organizations? Sources: TVNewser TheWrap <Q> Because there is only one Fox News and there are multiple competitors. <S> Overall, CNN and MSNBC ...	With younger people moving away from TV, that means a larger proportion of the TV watching audience will be elderly and elderly people tend to be more socially, politically and economically conservative ( source ).
Is the appointing of a Government by the leader of the party that wins a General Election merely a convention? In the UK the executive (the Government) is appointed by the leader of the party that wins a General Election, with appointees chosen from MPs and Lords (I think). But is this merely a convention as opposed to...	Almost everything in British constitutional politics is a convention, rather than a written rule, and this is no exception.
Are there any restrictions to the claims politicians can make? So I saw this morning that Donald Trump (US president) claimed the US would be at war with North Korea by now if he hadn't been elected. This made me wonder if there are any restrictions on what a politician can make or whether this is all down to public o...	The US President can tell lies with impunity - except where to do so would be a criminal offence.
Why doesn't the Chinese Communist Party induct everyone into the party? As far as I'm aware Communism is supposed to be a "dictatorship of the proletariat" and something that is by and for the people. So why doesn't the Chinese Communist Party, and similar ruling parties in other countries, try to induct everyone into ...	If everybody was inducted into the Chinese Communist Party, then "ordinary" party membership would become meaningless.
Does the number of constituencies in First Past The Post system affect the strength of third parties? If the number of constituencies in an assembly elected by FPTP was increased from 200 to 500 will that make it easier for third parties to win seats or does it not have any effect? <Q> Consider the party for Newtown, w...	If fptp constituencies are geographic, increased seats ought to increase representation of geographically concentrated third parties, but not increase geographically dispersed third parties.
What exactly is "Human Capitalism" and does it conflict with the function of capitalism? Recently Andrew Yang has announced his run for the 2020 Presidential election. He calls himself a "human capitalist" Now, I like his ideas generally - but I do not understand what exactly "human capitalism" means. On his website ...	The central tenets of Human Capitalism are: Humans are more important than moneyThe unit of a Human Capitalism economy
Where can I find the number of U.S. illegal border crossings versus visa overstays? Immigrants are undocumented if they have crossed the border illegally or overstayed their visas. There are a lot of places where I can find the total number of undocumented immigrants, but where can I find a study that provides the numb...	A 2017 study from the Center for Migration Studies estimates the proprotion of visa overstays was 42% as of 2014 (the latest year they had data for at the time):
Does the US government have any planning in place to ensure there's no shortages of food, fuel, steel and other commodities? Every time we go shopping store shelves are full of food, gas stations are stocked up on gas, car dealerships have no shortage of cars, etc. But who is ensuring that all of the complex processes ...	As described in another answer [linked above], there are reserves set aside in case of major crisis to ensure a shortage doesn't spiral out of control, but they're for just that - crises.
Has Britain negotiated with any other countries outside the EU in preparation for the exit? Regarding Brexit, the prospect of a no deal has existed since the moment it has begun. I have been unable to find anything from my own research The question is straightforward enough, has any negotiation such as trade or negoti...	The United States and the United Kingdom have reached an agreement regarding the multi-trillion dollar derivatives market .
For what reasons does India not provide proof that it attacked terrorists on Pakistani soil? Today, India carried out an airstrike against an alleged terrorist camp based in Pakistan. After the strike, India claimed they killed about 350 terrorists. India has not provided any proof of this. Given that tensions bet...	The claim itself may not have any proof behind it at all if it is in fact false, and a good reason for not releasing something is that it doesn't exist.
Can a person refuse a presidential pardon? Michael Cohen, a former personal attorney of President Trump, in recent testimony before Congress, stated he would not accept a presidential pardon. Is this an option he has? If a pardon nullifies a committed crime, it seems like he should not be allowed to choose if he goes t...	There's at least one case of a convict successfully rejecting a presidential pardon.
Why do members of Congress in committee hearings ask witnesses the same question multiple times? I must've seen at least 3 Congressmen ask Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal attorney, who Individual 1 was, despite the fact that in the beginning he had already said it was Donald Trump, and despite the fact...	Asking a question multiple times is far preferable to skipping a question because you mistakenly thought that it had already been asked, or because you were removing other questions and it got mixed in. Nothing ever comes out of them besides hours of video footage, as Congressmen don't need these hearings to arrive to ...
What are the great modern achievements of political science? When I think of great achievements of modern sciences, I can point to things like nuclear energy for physicists, the internet for computer scientists, etc. however for political science I am unsure what their major modern achievements are. For modern democra...	Whenever there is a law or a political treaty which affects the lives of millions of people, you can assume that political scientists contributed to it.
Why can't we use freedom of speech and expression to incite people to rebel against government in India? In India we are not allowed to incite people to rebel against the government. Why are we not allowed to do so? <Q> Sedition, the technical legal term for what you're talking about, is prohibited by section 124A of t...	Because there is a law prohibiting it!
Under what conditions can the right to remain silent be revoked in the USA? To quote this article about Chelsea Manning's jailing: She said prosecutors have granted her immunity for her testimony, which eliminates her ability to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. I don't understand how g...	Yes, immunity from prosecution can be granted, at which point a person in the US can't refuse to testify on the basis of self incrimination, because whatever they won't say can't be used to prosecute them - per the grant of immunity.
Why is the US increasing its oil exports in recent years after protecting its oil reserves for a long time? The United States will lead oil-supply growth over the next six years, thanks to the incredible strength of its shale industry, triggering a rapid transformation of global oil markets. By 2024, the United States ...	If the US plays a major role in global energy production, the end result is a more stable energy supply and a more robust global economy, which is good for everyone, not just the US.
How do landlocked countries, like Ethiopia, deal with trade? Under international law, does Eritrea have a right to blockade or impose heavy tariffs on goods moving to Ethiopia? <Q> Many countries who are landlocked do this: Use navigable rivers to get to the sea if the nations through which the river goes through are...	A blockade must be declared in advance by notification of all neutral powers, and it must be applied impartially against ships of all states.
Why is the President allowed to veto a cancellation of emergency powers? This seems like a major bug in checks and balances, since it requires 2/3 majority in both chambers to override the veto. Doesn't this give the President power to do anything they wish, as long as they have support from only 1/6 of congress (1/...	The President has that power because the authority to veto legislation is an enumerated power from the Constitution.
What do perpetrators of one off acts of politically motivated violence hope to achieve In the abstract I can understand the goals of political violence within the context of a campaign (for example the Northern Ireland Troubles, The Armed Struggle against Apartheid and The Palistian Intifada (This is not a comment on t...	The answer is that terrorism provides a goal that is ambitious and emotional enough to be a rallying point for a subculture and is sufficiently outside of the mainstream to be a credible boundary to define one (stuff that rational people would do on their own for impartially defensible reasons rarely make for good subc...
What is the difference between something being completely legal and being completely decriminalized? What are the specific differences between something being legal and decriminalized, especially if it is labeled as completely legal/decriminalized? What examples of this exist? <Q> Decriminalization means that some act...	Legalization means that there are no legal repercussions for some action (e.g., drug consumption) whatsoever.
Why is a "hard border" between Ireland and Northern Ireland such a problem for EU/UK negotiations around brexit? I have read a lot about this and the answer to my question seems to be that one is afraid that a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland will lead to a restart of "The Troubles" and violence between...	The opinion among residents (and UNESCO) is that the communities are still very far apart and that a hard border would lead to violence.
Why didn't Theresa May consult with Parliament before negotiating a deal with the EU? The House of Commons will today vote on a series of indicative votes, in order to find out "the will of the house", and thus break the current deadlock with Brexit. These votes come after the deal that Theresa May negotiated private...	After the referendum there was no requirement to consult Parliament on any deal, the government could have simply agreed it with the EU and presented it as the only option on the table - take it or leave with no deal.
What is the difference between Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement and its associated Political Declaration? In this Guardian article , it discusses that Theresa May has considered severing the Brexit withdrawal agreement from the forward-looking political declaration What is the "forward-looking political declarat...	The "forward-looking political declaration" or " political declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the UK and EU " is a document developed as part of the exit negotiations between the UK and the European council under Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty.
If/When UK leaves the EU, can a future goverment conduct a referendum to join the EU? I wonder if after the current debate, the UK ends up leaving the EU on any terms, how soon can a future government conduct a referendum to join the EU? <Q> However, it will take some time to do so, even if the UK gets fast-tracked. <S...	They can do it right away if they have the majority vote.
Running a General Election and the European Elections together There's talk in the news about the possibility of a General Election being called. If one is called, could the General Election and European Election be run together with a single ballot paper divided up into two sections, one to elect an MP and the other s...	I doubt that it would be a single ballot. It's not unheard of to hold local council elections, Scottish parliament elections and Welsh assembly elections at the same time, e.g. 2016 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_United_Kingdom_local_elections European elections sometimes get bundled in with those, like in 2014 h...
Is there a law that makes a higher than 50% result on referendum binding? As lots of reports/polls, one here talking about a shift in the general opinion on Brexit, where currently it is speculated that the public are Anti-Brexit, I find it bizarre that the UK decided to leave the EU on almost 50/50 split, considerin...	So no referendums can be truly legally binding in the UK (at national level)...
What is a "confirmatory" referendum in the context of Brexit? The topic of a second referendum on Brexit has been discussed since the time of the first referendum. However, recently, there is a lot of talk in UK politics about a "confirmatory" referendum. For example, the BBC news on 4 April 2019 : "Labour ordered ...	A "confirmatory" referendum is a vote on whether to accept or reject a detailed arrangement made by the government.
What do hard-Brexiteers want with respect to the Irish border? Hard-Brexiteers would like the UK to have a "clean break" with the EU, and in particular they don't want any part of the UK to stay even temporarily in the customs union (the so-called backstop). This "clean break" would normally require a hard border betw...	What the hard Brexiters want is for Ireland to leave the EU at the same time as the UK and negotiate a bilateral trade treaty on the UK's terms that keeps the border open.
Why won't UK Prime Ministers formally apologise for the Amritsar massacre? A BBC article today recalls the trapping and shooting to death of 379 - 1000 Indian protesters by British troops in 1919. While Winston Churchill called it "monstrous" in 1920, David Cameron paid his respects at the memorial in 2013, and Ther...	This article in The Economist puts it down to concern that other victims of over-zealous colonial administrations will also demand apologies.
Why did the US and UK choose different solutions to the problem of an undemocratic upper house? Both the US and the UK formerly had an upper legislative house which wielded considerable power despite being elected by government officials rather than the people (the Senate ) or completely unelected (the House of Lords...	In the United States, the Senate exists to give small states more influence and counteract the greater population of the larger states. The two contexts are very different.
How can a citizen change an existing law -- who can the bill be submitted to its known that in order to make or change a law, a bill is needed which is introduced to congress and the senate etc.... The question: If a citizen is directly affected by a current "unfair" law and wishes to change it, who exactly can the pe...	You can certainly try to influence your congressperson. There is no way for an individual to draft a bill and have it considered by Congress. You can also simply call the Representative's office and talk to staff about your problem.
Can a party unilaterally change candidates in preparation for a General election? Can a political party unilaterally change candidates in the run up to a general election campaign? For example if too many MPs support policy X and this is seen as an electoral risk, can the party simply change candidate to find someone ...	Parties can stand whatever candidate they like in each constituency.
Is there any limit on how long a parliamentary session can be in the UK? Traditionally, as I understand it the British parliament sits on annual sessions. Each one starting with a Queen's speech. After an election winning a vote on a Queen's speech is requirement for an incoming government. In 2017 a decision was tak...	As long as the goverment can avoid a no confidence vote or the parliament can agree not to call a general election they can sit indefinitely.
Why has the UK chosen to use Huawei infrastructure when Five Eyes allies haven't? Why has the UK chosen to use Huawei infrastructure when, as far as I know, other members of the Five Eyes and many other Western governments have chosen not to? Is it a case of a pre/post-Brexit Britain being weaker and therefore needing...	Since the UK does not have much of a commercial interest in 5G hardware beyond using it, the only incentive to actual ban Huawei hardware is to keep the US happy.
Where are the "shires" in the UK? Today's Guardian article, " Local elections: Tories tipped for heavy losses ," contains the following statement: ...the Conservatives could lose about 500 seats to the Lib Dems and 300 to Labour. The latter traditionally makes fewer gains in the shires , where many of the election...	In the context that The Guardian is using it, the shires are areas whose names end in -shire.
Did the Nazi regime resort to any nationalizations? I'm aware that the "national socialist" (Nazi) party was by most accounts only socialist in name , e.g.: Unfortunately for [Otto Strasser], he had taken seriously not only the word “socialist” but the word “workers” in the party’s official name of National Socialis...	The Nazis allowed private business although the worthwhile parts were mostly nationalized. The large retail establishments were nationalzied for anti-Semitism reasons.
Is Germany still exporting arms to countries involved in Yemen? I have recently been in Berlin and caught a glimpse of a more unusual protest: I cannot understand German, but based on the setup (Iron throne with rifles instead of swords) it was clearly related to some arms policy that involves Germany, UK, France and...	the answer is no -- there are no more arms sales to parties involved in the conflict:
Why did it take so long for Germany to allow electric scooters / e-rollers on the roads? According to Telegraph Germany has just issued a law that allows electrical scooters on the roads: Germany has become the latest country to approve the use of electric scooters on its roads as their popularity spreads througho...	Cyclists: There were also many voices among cyclists who considered that the existing infrastructure isn't sufficient, if it has to be shared with (slower) e-scooters.
Is the President of the United States bound by state laws? The state of New York is currently in the process of passing a law allowing Congress to access the state tax returns of elected officials and top appointed officials. This is seen as a potential "end-run" around the IRS's refusal to provide Congress with the p...	Since the Federal law mandates making tax filings private, state law cannot override this intent of the Federal law.
Does the US have a "Beauty Tax" on property? Investopedia says that making your house look pretty is likely to cause an increase in taxes. ..more attractive homes often receive a higher assessed value than comparable houses that are less physically appealing. Is the above claim true? If so, why? What logic...	But an implicit effect of having a nice home exterior is that the comparable houses will be more expensive.
Why does North Korea test their nuclear weapons underground? When the U.S. and the Soviet Union were testing their nuclear bombs during the Cold War, they did the testing above ground. Why does North Korea test their nuclear weapons below ground, and how is it even possible to test a nuclear weapon underground? <Q> Why...	Lighting off the explosion below ground reduces the scope of the explosion and the fallout.
Does the queen really have to listen to the Prime Minister when appointing a new one? According to this answer on Theresa May's successor: The party will now elect a new leader, and May will then resign as PM, and recommend to the Queen that her successor as Conservative leader is appointed as PM. source Is th...	The current constitutional settlement is that the Queen, in making an appointment, acts on the advice of her ministers, and her ministers advise her to appoint the person who leads a party or coalition that commands a majority of the House of Commons.
Is the EU 'punishing' the UK for Brexit? How so? This question states the EU has been making Brexit harder for the UK. One of the answers stated the reasons were to dissuade other members from deciding to leave as well. What I wonder is, is that true? If so, how exatly is the EU making brexit harder and how could the...	The EU is simply being fair to the UK and to all other countries, members or otherwise.
In the US, can a former president run again? In the US, can a former president run for president again , at a later time? Does it matter, whether his first presidency was one or two terms? Note: This is inspired from the TV Series "Designated Survivor", talking about the Character "Moss". He is a former president, r...	If you've served two terms, you can never again be President; if you haven't served two terms, you're perfectly able to run again.
Are intrusions within a foreign embassy considered an act of war? Are intrusions within a foreign embassy considered an act of war? Let's say that the U.S. breaks into the Chinese embassy in New York and decides to arrest a criminal whom the Chinese government had given permission to hole up inside the embassy, would t...	There is no internationally agreed or followed list of specific actions that constitute "acts of war".
Does the UK have a written constitution? Does the UK have a written constitution? I didn’t think it did, but then I found the following: United Kingdom's Constitution of 1215 with Amendments through 2013 [PDF] <Q> Yes, the UK has a written constitution. <S> All the parts of it are written down somewhere. <S> What i...	The UK does not have a written constitution in the same sense as most other countries do.
Can the UK Prime Minister immediately withdraw the country from the EU without backing from parliament? Can the UK Prime Minister immediately withdraw the country from the EU without backing from parliament? I am not asking if this is legal, or if it is possible to do without committing political suicide. Let us assum...	As the other answer has already indicated, as both UK and EU law currently stand, the Prime Minister can declare the UK's withdrawal on 31 October at 23:00 GMT.
Does a newly elected UK Tories leader enjoy a period of immunity from a leadership challenge? When Theresa May faced an internal vote of no confidence and won in December 2018, she was safe from facing another one for a year. Does a new leader of the Conservative party enjoy a simlilar period of immunity from a lead...	The 1922 Committee doesn't publish the full rules with regards to no confidence votes or leadership challenges, so it's difficult to independently confirm this.
Why won't the U.S. move more rapidly towards modernizing its army? Why won't the U.S. move more rapidly towards modernizing its army? By that, I mean why, for instance, the U.S. won't replace conventional fighter jets with attack drones and replace big and inefficient aircraft carriers with carriers specifically made t...	As defence budgets have shrunk since the end of the Cold War funds have been allocated to maintaining current military-industrial infrastructure.
Why does the US seem to have a rather low economic interest in Africa? This question shows us the increasing economic interest of China in the African continent. Indeed this document confirms that China's trade in goods with African countries is half of the EU's: However, the same graph shows that US trade with Af...	The US lack of economic interest in Africa is probably a consequence of its lack of military interest, combined with lingering effects of the Monroe doctrine.
Why does the U.S. tolerate foreign influence from Saudi Arabia and Israel on its domestic policies while not tolerating that from China or Russia? Why does the U.S. tolerate foreign influence from Saudi Arabia and Israel on its domestic policies while not tolerating that from China or Russia? Is there a reason for this...	The tolerance for influence on domestic policy between the U.S. and Israel can be explained largely by our cultural and especially our ideological affinity.
What do third party candidates for the US presidency expect to functionally accomplish in terms of voting? Background In the history of the United States presidential election, it is exceedingly rare that a third party candidate does anything other than split votes from one (sometimes two) main parties, thus essential...	Here are some reasons for third-party candidacies: Demonstrate that there is a politically viable ideology that neither of the top two parties is close to.
Did any of the founding fathers anticipate Lysander Spooner's criticism of the constitution? In his 1870 work "No Treason" - Lysander Spooner writes: “But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerl...	Benjamin Franklin seems to have anticipated Spooner's argument.
Which states have a head of state or government from another country? The head of state of Andorra is the president of France and the bishop of Urgell. Are there any other examples where the head of the state or government is from some other country? <Q> Commonwealth has been mentioned. <S> current prime minister of L...	Apart from that: Vatican, where the head of state is customarily from another country current prime minister of Czech Republic is from Slovakia (moved there after the breakup of Czechoslovakia) current president of Georgia is from France (though born to Georgian immigrants) Hungary had an Austrian Head of State from th...
What would the EU do if an EU member declared war on another EU member? What would the EU do if an EU member declared war on another EU member? I am wondering what would happen if a country like France attacked a country like Cyprus, what would the EU do in that situation? Is there a sort of mechanism in place that wou...	I would expect the EU to work very hard to try to mediate and resolve any dispute between members long before it got to the point where one member was to declare war on another.
What is the difference between a "nation" and a "country"? I often see certain territories/ semi-sovereignties alternatively referred to as a "nation" or a "country". For example, Quebec (the province in Canada) likes to be referred to as a "nation". Native American tribes in the USA and Canada also like to be called ...	The nation is a cultural and a political term, whereas country is more of the geographical and the political term.
Have there been any attempts by the rest of the world to sanction the US in the last years? In the past few years the US has implemented or rejected certain international policies which other countries have been critical of. The first that come to mind are: The Paris climate accord - the US is the only country that...	Also China has sanctioned some US firms based upon defense spending/business in Taiwan in July of 2019. Sanctions are very serious escalation moves between states and very few, perhaps no developed country, would risk an escalating sanction regime with the US and certainly not over global warming or the US pulling out ...
Who has jurisdiction for a crime committed in an embassy? Who would have prosecutorial/criminal jurisdiction if a crime was comitted in an embassy in a foreign nation. For example if someone was murdered in the US Embassy in Moscow, or if someone was murdered in the Indian embassy in the USA? Also, who would have juri...	Legally the host country can prosecute the crime, but the guest country can refuse to let them enter the embassy, and then there is diplomatic immunity. The host country always has jurisdiction.
What is the effect and/or good reasons of changing a paper bill to a coin? Recently, there's this news circulating that our country's government is planning to change our 20 pesos paper bill into a coin. I believe there are issues solved here but I can not tell what. So, I'd like to ask you guys - What are the pros and...	Certain security features are easier on bills than on coins (serial numbers, holograph decals, semi-transparent areas).
What reasoning is being used to differentiate firearms in the Jan 2019 proposed law? The Jan 9, 2019 proposed law ( https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/a/4/a46156b5-9337-4193-95db-d381bc3c6fe3/E12DA96F0D3C33D8F714C5E186B1CD38.awb.pdf ) is signed by many Democratic presidential nominees and appears to w...	It prohibits semi-automatic rifles, handguns, and shotguns that can accept a detachable magazine and have one military characteristic.
Why is the US constitution so set in stone and immobile, leading to inevitable anachronisms with the modern world? As far as I know, the US is the only country in the world that has surrounded their constitution with a "don't touch, just reinterpret" veil of protection. I live in a country where changing the constitut...	The reason it is difficult to change the Constitution is by design.
The actual purview of Her Majesty The Queen's prerogative? In keeping up to date on Brexit, Dominic Cummings, Special Advisor to Boris Johnson - UK Prime Minister - has stated that, in the event that a motion of no confidence has passed the House of Commons, Johnson could ignore a motion of no confidence, even if an al...	Her Majesty is obliged to appoint as Prime Minister the person who she feels is most likely to command the confidence of the House of Commons.
What is the effect of election campaign donations? Candidates for the presidential election of the US collect donations in relation to their campaigns. Candidates are sometimes compared based on the total amount of donations they received. But what do the numbers actually mean to a candidate? I see aspects of the ca...	The line for incumbent spending is fairly flat: there is little marginal benefit to spending if you are an incumbent.
Are there any major differences between the powers of an acting president and the actual president? Background Sections 3 and 4 of the 25th amendment talks about the role of Acting President. Section 3. Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Rep...	Legally, the Acting President has the same powers and authorities as The President under the constitution but only for a period of time where the President knows he will be unable to perform the duties. Yes, it is law, in both the Constitution and statute.
Can the president or the Congress pass a law to dismantle the super-delegate system used by the DNC? Can the president or the Congress pass a law to dismantle the super-delegate system used by the DNC? Or is it somehow outside their power to do so and each party can set up their own rules as long as it doesn't conflict...	So any question, can the president pass a law to do anything, can be answered no.
Are there any elected officials in the U.S. who are not legislators, judges, or constitutional officers? This question is as put in the title. It is general knowledge that legislators, high executive offices, and some judges are elected. But are any other elected government offices? An example could be a position in ...	In Massachusetts, the following state officers are elected: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the Commonwealth (often called Secretary of State), State Auditor, and Treasurer.
How does a government agency know if it is compromised? The U.S. spies on other nations and in turn gets spied on. I don't think I need a citation to prove this. Every now and then, there are people who gain access to highly classified information and transfer it. You don't have to go far to find a long instance o...	Generally, agencies with counterintelligence roles like the CIA, FBI, NSA, DHS will keep track of espionage in other, non-intelligence agencies (which is the majority of them) and if they detect anything, let them know.
What checks exist against overuse of presidential pardons in the USA? In some countries, the head of state can pardon anyone for alleged crimes. For example, in Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler pardoned murderers of communists and Soviet prisoners of war, in those cases in which those crimes were actually prosecuted and r...	If a state feels that a pardon has been abused in an unjust manner they have the right to convict the pardoned individual on the state level, assuming they have an appropriate state law that was violated.
Why haven't the British protested Brexit as ardently as the Hong Kong protesters? Subreddits like r/unitedkingdom, r/ukpolitics have many Remainers who loathe Brexit, and there're unquestionably more who aren't on Reddit! English cities have had protests, but why haven't there been protests in the UK against Brexit as ...	Brexit is a purely internal affair (which affects international relations); the Hong Kong issues can be viewed as an imposition from China (which is technically not "another country" but can be viewed as one due to the singularity of Hong Kong).
Why didn't Thatcher give Hong Kong to Taiwan? So, back in the 80s, the Prime Minister of the UK, Margaret Thatcher, negotiated the "one country, two systems" agreement with the PRC regarding the return on Hong Kong to Chinese rule, as the treaty that allowed the UK to rule Hong Kong was expiring within a couple of deca...	Thatcher surrendered all of Hong Kong -- not just the portions that were leased from China -- because the mainland Chinese had made it clear that Hong Kong was completely indefensible against an attack from the mainland.
What if any are the impacts of negative interest rates on the life of an average citizen in a first world country? https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/04/alan-greenspan-says-its-only-a-matter-of-time-before-negative-rates-spread-to-the-us.html This is of course both a political and a financial question. But I am really stru...	Lower or negative interest means you have to save a higher percentage of the income. It could permanently increase housing costs, with negative effects on both tenants and buyers.
Why are UK MPs allowed to abstain (but it counts as a no)? When reading the results of the recent call for a general election the numbers were 298 for, 56 against. The motion failed to pass due to not reaching the 2/3 majority. It took a little digging to realise that although 298 is much greater than 2/3 of 354 (298+5...	Because the Fixed Term Parliaments Act law says so: if the motion is passed on a division, the number of members who vote in favour of the motion is a number equal to or greater than two thirds of the number of seats in the House (including vacant seats) .
What officially disallows US presidents from driving? Why can’t the US president drive, officially? Or is it not official? What steps could be taken to allow this action. <Q> In practice, U.S. presidents try to avoid doing things (like driving) that make it harder for the Secret Service to protect the president. <S> Bu...	Legally, nothing prevents the U.S. president from performing ordinary activities.
Can Brexit be undone in an emergency? In case Brexit has already happened, can it be reversed after a short time? Legally, the answer is no, I think. But I can imagine a situation where, during the first few days after Brexit, all participants unanimously agree it should not have happened. It is at least possible th...	If there is a law against it, the EU can just change the law. Yes, you can run referendums if necessary extraordinarily quick if you really badly want to.
As an electoral candidate, isn't Yang precluded from conducting his "UBI experiment"? In the US Democratic Party’s presidential primary debate a few days ago, candidate Andrew Yang announced his campaign will conduct a 1-year experiment with Universal Basic Income - by paying USD 1000 to 10 families for a year. He enco...	The idea is so next level that I don't think it has ever been contemplated, and therefore is unlikely to be prohibited by law.
What happens if nobody can form a government in Israel? It looks like nobody won a plurality in the latest round Benny Gantz's Kahol Lavan is ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, according to official election results released on Wednesday after 91 percent of the vote was counted. The results sh...	The short answer is yes, if no government is formed, we could see new elections as early as mid-January, or as late as end of March, depending on the path Netanyahu and president Rivlin take.
If the EU does not offer an extension to UK's Article 50 invocation, is the Benn Bill irrelevant? My understanding of the Benn Bill is that it only compels the PM to request an extension and what must be done if an extension is granted. If an extension isn't granted, is it true that neither the government nor parlia...	Pass a motion of no confidence in the government, form an alternative caretaker government, revoke Article 50 and then call a General Election.
What power does the UK parliament hold over a Prime Minister whom they refuse to remove from power? I've seen several questions deal with the issues surrounding this issue, but none have tried to tackle this head on. Boris Johnson had a defection within his party over a key Brexit vote. He then removed the defecting ...	MPs found in contempt can be suspended or expelled, and I can't find anything suggesting the PM would be immune to this (though it is entirely unclear to me what the consequences would be, and it seems very unlikely it would happen).
Is comparing healthcare to food for private versus market based policy logical? When I try to formulate a sound moral foundation for having universal healthcare that all citizens pay taxes towards, I always get tripped up that we don't argue the same for food, water, and housing - all of which are required for a produc...	A major difference between food, water, housing and medical services is that the need for medical services is quite rare when compared to the first ones.
What is the purpose of polls published by the organization that they are asking about which have leading/confusing questions? My understanding of polling is that it is done to gauge public perception and opinion of political actors and policies in order to further shape a candidates actions. In order to do that, one wo...	Lobbying/influence : Polls designed to produce answers that can be used for PR and lobbying in pursuit of your interests.
Why did eastern B.C. and Canadian Prairies largely vote Conservative in Oct. 2019? I screenshot CBC on Oct. 22 2019. I know these electoral districts (ridings) didn't vote Conservative — BC — South Okanagan-West Kootenay AB — Edmonton-Strathcona (too teeny to be seen in screen shot) MB — 6 electoral districts ...	Various issues such as where pipelines are permitted, who has to pay how much for using them, what resources belong to who, and how much tax will be paid, among many other issues, have embittered relations between Ottawa and the Prairies for a very long time.
What does "2 fingers to Scotland" mean in Peter Grant's statement about Johnson not listening to the SNP's Westminster leader speeches? SNP MP Peter Grant accuses Boris Johnson of walking out of the chamber while his party's Westminster leader Ian Blackford was still speaking. In a tweet, he claims it is the "third or...	If asked, most people would gloss the meaning as ‘Fuck you’ or something similar, and it was certainly a very potent offensive gesture until recent years when it seems to be losing its ability to offend.
What is Trump's position on the whistle blower allegations? What does he mean by "witch hunt"? Last night, on a major US TV network there was a Trump ad about the "Witch Hunt" and ongoing impeachment proceedings. It was unclear from the ad, if Trump's position is that he didn't take the actions reported by the whistle...	Denying that he did what has been claimed (one might infer that he recognizes that the claimed act was wrongful, so he denies having done it). Trump uses the term "witch hunt" as a rhetorical device to refer to any investigations of him or the people around him.
What is the proper title for a former U.S. President? What is the proper title for a former U.S. President? According to Wikipedia , we use "Mr. President" as the title for all presidents--either current or previous. E.g., President Obama. This is a little weird, since Obama is not president anymore. In past ye...	The answer you found is correct, that the proper way to address a former President is "Mr. President" or "President Barack Obama".
Do parliamentary republics have constitutions? I was looking at the CIA World Factbook and I came across the government type of a parliamentary republic. This is obviously not the same thing as a constitutional republic. I was wondering about the differences between the two forms of government. Specifically, I was wond...	Germany is a parliamentary republic (people elect the parliament which then elects the chancellor as head of government) and it has a constitution .
Has the supreme court ever been asked to hear a case directly involving the president who appointed at least one of the Justices? At least one of the lawsuits against Trump appear to be headed to a supreme court which includes his appointees. Has anything like this historically occurred, perhaps in a lower court? If so...	In United States v. Nixon however "Justice William Rehnquist recused himself as he had previously served in the Nixon administration as an Assistant Attorney General".
Do any other countries aside from the US have a pledge of allegiance? As far as I understand it, the pledge of allegiance is an oath or expression of allegiance to the United States, and is made by students in many (most?) schools throughout the USA, as well as at the start of Congressional sessions. Do any other coun...	In the United Kingdom , persons who become naturalised citizens swear allegiance to the monarch and their lawful heirs and successors. Answering for Kenya, we do have a loyalty pledge , though it is extremely rare to hear it being recited even in national holidays like independence day.
Is the dossier released by Labour proof that the NHS is for sale? Today, Labour released a 451 page dossier at a press event, which they say was leaked from the Department for International Trade, and is a record of preliminary discussions that have taken place between UK and US officials over a possible future trade d...	No it does not contain proof that the NHS will be negatively impacted.
Do any countries have a procedure that allows a constituent part of that country to become independent unilaterally? In the last few years, there have been a few attempts made by such territories to achieve independence. Particularly in Europe, we had the cases of Scotland and Catalonia . In the case of Scotland, ...	Quebec had a few referendums about separation from Canada and eventually there was a Supreme Court of Canada ruling on it.
What would be the benefits of requiring representatives to publish all official letters and correspondence? Would a population benefit from a requirement that all elected representatives publish their administrative correspondence, i.e. all emails from one civil servant to another? What would be the costs or benefits o...	Requiring disclosures of official communication could also backfire by leading politicians to resort to unofficial communication, which in turn would harm historical record-keeping and transparency.
Do extra-territorial laws violate some basic principle of democracy? The US Congress has recently passed a law penalizing foreign companies and individuals in Europe for working on a gas-pipeline from Russia to Germany. This law affects non-US citizens in Europe and the general population in Germany, who would be using...	So, to answer my own question, I would now say that extraterritorial laws don't violate any basic principles of democracy.
Do any countries automatically register eligible voters? In India, the Constitution provides for universal adult suffrage. Citizens aged 18 years or above subject to certain other eligibility conditions can get their names included in the electoral list. However, there is no system of automatic inclusion of citizens...	According to the Brennan Center , 16 states (plus the District of Columbia) currently or will soon automatically register citizens to vote (on an opt-out basis) when they interact with government agencies, generally the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) where people register their cars and get and renew driver’s licen...

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