Politics - Paper 2 - USA

To what exent does separation of powers exist in the USA?

2 For very sig.

2 for not very sig.

1. No person can simultaneously serve in both CONGRESS and the LEGISLATURE. Clinton resigned as senator for New York when made secretary of state

2. Prevents elective dictatorship. President’s policy must get through via Congress

1. US Supreme Court is one of the most politicised

2. Vice president (executive) is also the Senate president (Legislature)

President’s Checks on Congress (3)

• President vetoes acts or resolutions passed by Congress

  • Trump vetoed the removal of state of emergency status from US-Mexico border

• Presidents often threaten the veto to dissuade Congress from passing an unwelcome measure

  • Obama made four veto threats in 2015 State of the Union Address; stiffer Iran sanctions

• Presidents can issue executive orders to bypass needs for formal legislation

  • 2017 Trump introduced travel ban on visitors (‘Muslim Ban’)

CONGRESSES’ Checks on the COURTS (2)

• Congress can impeach federal justices

  • 2010 Louisiana Federal Judge was impeached for corruption by Congress

• Constitutional amendments can be done to overturn supreme court

  • 1896, court found national income tax to be unconstitutional but was reversed by 13th Amendment in 1913

PRESIDENT’S Checks on the COURTS(2)

• President nominates all federal justices

  • Obama appointed Sonia Sotomayor + Elena Kagan

• President can issue pardons and commutations

  • Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon

CONGRESSES’ Checks on PRESIDENT (3)

• Presidential veto can be overturned by a supermajority in BOTH houses

  • Congress overturned Obama’s veto of JASTA

• Senate can reject President’s decisions

  • Biden 2020 pick of Neera Tanden as Director of Budget didn’t secure enough votes

• Congress has the power of the purse

  • Congress REJECTED Trump’s attempt to get full funding for his Mexican border wall

COURT’S checks on the EXECUTIVE (2)

• Court can rule president’s actions as illegal

  • Hamdan v Rumsfeld 2006, Court ruled against George W Bush setting up special military trials for Al Qaeda

• Court can declare acts previous of Congress to be illegal

  • Defence of Marriage Act 2013 was ruled illegal

Is USA Constitution too hard to amend formally?

YES and NO. 3 Points each

TOO HARD:

1. supermajority needed makes change rare: Equal Rights Amendment ('70s equality for women in law) failed to pass the state approval requirments

2. Outdated measures remain (Elecotral College reamins)

3. Overrepresentation of small states exists: 13 small states can block amendments like electoral college (as small states would lose influence)

NOT TOo HARD:

1. formal amendments have passed when needed: 26th amendment lowered voting age

2. Can be amendend without fomal: Obergefell v Hodges was an interpretation not a formal amendment

3. Ensures stability: Bill of Rights has remained throughout the years

Informal Updates to Constitution (2)

1. Right of those to ‘remain silent’

   1. Miranda Rights

2. Right of privacy to mobile phone data

   1. Carpenter v US 2018

Current Balance of Power B/T Individual States and Fed Govt

• States can legislate in areas… (3 points)

1. Able to legislate on abortion

   1. North Dakota has tightly restricted abortion

2. Death penatly

   1. Texas has death penalty but Alaska does not

3. States manage laws regarding elections

   1. Alabama had literacy tests barring blacks

Protection of Civil Liberties and Rights in US (2 examples of amendments)

1. First Amendment rights to free speech

2. Fifth Amendment rights to not incrimate oneself

How Well does US CONSTITUION protect individual rights?

VERY WELL and LESS WELL 2 points each

1. Bill of rights protects many rights

2. Constitution doesn’t stop Acts of Congress protecting rights like Equal Pay

1. Rights of children aren’t protected by Congress

2. Laws passed by congress can be reversed

The Cabinet, Their Backgrounds Politically

- Name the 5 backgrounds and give an example

• Former Politicains

• Academics

• Epxertis in their field

• Lobbyists

• Millitary officers

Former politicians:

- Hillarly clinton served as Obama's secretary of state

Academics:

- Obama appointed Physicist Steven Chu as secretary of eneregy

Experts in their field:

- Steven Mnuchin, secretary of the treasury in 2017, was an invetment banker and hedge fund manager

Millitary Officerrs:

- Biden appointed retired general as secretary of defense

Lobbyists:

- Trump hired Andrew Wheeler, coal lobbyist as head of Evironmental Protection Agency

Executive Office of the President

- White House Office—who decides thet staff?

- National Security Council—what does it do?

White House Office

- Staff entirley decided by Presidenet

National Security Council

- Includes Vice President, Secretary of State + Other key secretaries of important deparmetnets. Manages US responses to domestic or international crises

An imperial or Imperriled Presidency

• 3 points for Nixon’s presidency being imperial and the counter from Ford

Nixon's presidency was imperial because:

- Authorised millitary intervention in Cambodia and Laos, without telling Congress

- Watergate, corrupt and illegal methods

- Continued the war in Vietnam without approval from Congress

However, Ford argued against this saying:

- The federal bureaucracy was impeding the government by stopping the agenda to reduce government intervention and spending

Emergenct Powers

- Emergency powers have been used to limit civil liberties in vairous ways

1. FDR ordered the internment of Jap-Americans during WW2

2. 9/11, GWB allowed terror suspects to be detained without trial

3. Obama laucned x10 drone strikes

4. Trump banned US citizens from travelling to EU countries

Does the USA have an imperial or an imperilled presidency?

IMPERIAL 3 POINTS:

IMPRERILLED 3 POINTS:

IMPERIAL 3 POINTS:

imperial presidency:

1. presidents can pass executive orders

2. president can use emeregency powers to get funding he wants

3. presidents have never been impeached

IMPRERILLED 3 POINTS:

imperilled presidency:

1. president usually asks congress before sending military

2. supreme corut may overturn exective orders like muslim ban

3. Congress can be controlled by opposition leading to gridlcok

Comparing abilit to pass Legislation In US AND UK

1 or us

3 for uk

US:

- us separation of powers means that president's powers are more limited

- President can suggest legislation to congress but may be rejected

UK:

- PM can pass leglislation easily

- PM can use powers of patronage to offer gov job to MPs as incentive to vote for legislation

- Whip system ensures strict party discipline

Comparing Financial Powers in US and UK

• uk structural theory leads to adjective describing passing budget

• us strucutral theory leads to what could potentially happen during budget each year

US:

- Difficult to reach agreement on President's budget each year, can EVEN lead to shutdowns

UK:

- Govt shutdowns do not happen, governemtn has majority so easy to pass budget

Comparing Military Powers in US and UK

• is there a legal need/convention in each nation?

US:

- Legal need for presidnet to declare war, but sometimes ignored

UK:

- No legal need but convention requires PM to ask parliament

Comparing Election of Leader & Term Limits in US and UK

US:

- President is direcrtly elected

- Presidnet cannot be elected for more than two terms

UK:

- PM is leader of elected party

- PM has no term limits

Who has greater power, the US PRESIDENT or the UK PM?

4 us and 3 for uk points each

President does:

1. President is the sole head of the executive, cabinet only informs him

2. President is the sole executive, commands millitary and is head of state

3. Presidents cannot be removed, unlike PMs, during a term of office

4. President has emergency powers—internment of Japs

PM does:

1. PM can use whip system and powers of patronage to DOMINATE MPs from their party

2. Pms do not have term limits

3. PMs with a large majority and party discipline have a 'elective dictatorship'

Comparing the Cabinet of The US and UK

3 points of US

3 points of UK

US Cabinet...

1. Cabinet nominees need senate confirmation

2. US cabinet officers are policy specialists in THEIR area

3. Cabinet officers are anyone the President wants (experts, lobbyits…)

UK Cabinet...

1. PMs can appoint whichever MP they want to cabinet

2. UK cabinet ministers tend to NOT be policy speicalists

3. memeber s of cabinet are elected MPs

Federalism (States’ Rights) vs Strong Central Governemtn Seen in Supreme COurt Rulings

• For State’s Rights Ruling 2 overturnings

• For uniform constitution 2 overtunings

For State’s Rights Ruling:

• Murphy v National Collegiate Athetlic Association 2018 was overtuned by Congress which meant that states could authorise sports gambling

• Roe v Wade was overturned which meant states could control Abortion laws

For uniform constitution:

• Obergefell v Hodges meant all states HAD to allow gay marriage

• DC v Heller meant that all states HAD to respect gun rights

Use Structural theory to compare the UK and US constitutions

• 3 points

UK has parliamentary sovreignty but the US congress was created to be checked by the Supreme Court

• US Supreme court can strike down laws as unconstitutional (Roe v Wade)

• UK courts cannot overturn legislation, only provide reccomendation

Federal v Unitary system

• The US states can have their own laws like controlling Abortion

• UK devolved nations’ legislation can be blocked by Westminster like; Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill 2023

Separation of Powers in US and NOT in UK

• US has clear separation so Congress can override a president’s veto (JASTA)

• UK doesn’t so whipping system ensures easy passing of legislation

Is the Supreme Court too Poliical?

• Yes, 3 points

• No, 3 points

YES:

1. Nomination of justices is HIGHLY politicised

2. Court effectivley acts as the third house to CREATE legislation

3. Court decided the outcome of 2000 Bush v Gore election

NO:

1. Justices are free from political influence as they have a life tenure

2. If Congress wanted, it could initiate amendment of constitution to overturn the court’s decision (Lilly Ledbetter)

3. Judicial activism is necessary to ensure equal rights (Brown v Topeka 1954)

Differences & Smiliarties in UK & US Judicial Branch

1. tenure of justices

2. judicial approach

3. characteristics of judges

Tenur of justicies:

• UK justtices must retire by 70

• US justices do not have a limit

Judicial Approach:

• Uk judges follow precdent

• Conservative US judges practic judicial restriant but some follow the ‘Living Constitution’ Approach and make decision to improve society

Characteristics of Judges:

• Women are underepresnted on both

• UK had a female president on the corut but US have never

Impact of UK & US Courts on

- Society Comparison

- Executive and legislature Comparison

- Federalism/Devolution

Impact on culture/society:

• Brown v Topeka led to END of racial segregation + Obergefell v Hodges led to GAY marriage legality in US

• UK has not made any judgments of the kind

Impact on the executive/legislature:

• US constitution is sovreign and so Supreme Court has ‘fundamental laws’ it can interpret to rule on laws passed by Congress (ALOT!(

• UK pariliament is sovereign so Supreme Court often defends parliament (R Miller v PM 2019) ruled that prorogation of parliament was illegal

Impact on federalism/dev:

• Both tend to support BIG GOVERNMENT vs devolved states. Supreme Court of UK blocked the UK Withdrawal from the EU (Scotland Bill) 2018 as Scotland couldn’t write it’s own EU laws

How does structural theory explain differences of US and UK supreme courts?

• similarties

• differences

SIMILARTIES:

• Security of tenure allows for INDEPENDENT judgements

• Separation of powers gives judicaries indepence from other branches of gov

DIFFERENCES:

• 'US courts can use ‘fundamental laws’ to become judicially activist and ‘legislate from the bench’

• UK court cannot do much because parliament is sovreign but in US consitituuion is sovreign

• US court has highly politicsed appointments but UK does not

How does rational theory explain supreme court’s of both nations?

• 1 difference

DIFFERENCE:

• US judges follow THEIR OWN biases when ruling on legislation. UK justices follow a RESTRAINED judicial approach

How does cultural theory explain similarities and differences of the two courts?

• 2 similarties

• 1 difference

SIMILARTIES:

• Both cultures prize the rule of law with a judiciary that holds the government to account

• Both cultures have had a populist trend of hating on the court. Trump warned that ‘any terrorist attacks’ should be blamed on the Supreme Court for banning his Musline Ban. Boris Johnson’s government — accused court of judicial ‘meddling’

DIFFERENCES:

• UK supreme court has a less high-profile court whilst the US supreme court makes high-profile judgments on abortion and GAY rights

Access Points of pressure groups in the US

• comparing 3x access points

us access points:

1. USA has house seats contested every 2 years, parilament only every 5 years

2. Each stae has one directly elected governor that can be LOBBIED who can pass important legislation like Governor Kasich who expanded medicaid to + low income ohioans

3. USA has 19,000 directly elected mayors. uk has 24

pressure group involvement in us and uk politics

• compare with two cointratinfg points

• can spend unlimited amounts via PACS and SUPER PACs. in uk pressure groups can spend a maximum of 319,800GBP

• 2020 US PGs spent 14B$ but 2017 UK PGs spent 41.5M£

Pressure Group lobbying compared in us and uk

• lobbying is stronger in uk 2x

• 1 similartiy

IN UK:

• UK lobbying industry worth £2Billion and US, being much larger, is worth only a bit more at 3.47$Billion

• UK former ministers cannot lobby the govt for 2 years after leaving office. US former officials cannot lobby for 5 years

SIMILARTIES:

• Both have revolving door with UK having several ‘cash for access’ scandals

Comparing use of electoral campaiging as effective method used by pressure groups

• Used more widely in US x2

• Equal usage x1

Used more widely in US

• senators have strong incentive to keep financial backers happy as a seat costs $19 million but in the UK pressure group electoral spending is heavily restricted

• US pressure groups spend more heavily on tv advertising but pressure groups cannot do this in UK

Both

• Both use social media adversiting during elections

Comparing links to political parties of pressure groups US V UK

• Differences x3

• similarities x1

Differences x2

• Gun rights and pro-life supports GOP and vice versa for Dems

• UK are often charities so cannot endorse political candidates

• Trade unions, used to, have strong links to Labour Party but Democratic party does not have same links with AFL-CIO.

Similar:

• Both Dem party and Labour recieve large amounts of funding from big business pressure groups

• TU inlfuence is diminishing in both nations as both nations have 50% less union members now compared to 1970

Structural Differences that affect pressure group activity, usa v uk

• 3 structural differences and impact on pressure group actiivity

Sturctural difference

1. More powerful US SUPREME COURT

   1. Legal challenges are much more commonly used by us pgs than in uk

2. weaker trade unions in the us

   1. workers rights are better protected in uk

3. unlimted us election spending

   1. vastly more money is spent by us pressure groups in elections

Clutural Differences that affect pressure group activity, usa v uk

• 2 Clutural similatiesty and impact on pressure group actiivity

• 1 similartiy

• in Usa pressure groups are protecgted by the frist amendment

  • can spend unlimited amounts in elecitons

• both share tradition of political protest using marches

How effective is the us electoral system

-3 strenghts and3 eakensses

Strehgtns 3

1. clear results at each eleciion

2. lots of chancs for political participation —- us has many elections

3. primaries allow normal citizens to secltet party candidates

weakness 3

1. us system is two party only

2. there are many elections in the UK so voters suffer from voter fatiuge

3. two parties often control one branch of legislature each so girdlock is common—2018-19 border wlall funding during trump admin

American elections are…

3 chracterisitcs points

Frequent

Niched down onto the voters they want to attract (blacks, white evangelics)

Heavily spent on — 14Billion USD for 2020 election

What are the main 3x advantages and dsavantage sof the primary/caucaus system?

adv:

• They road-test candidates personality and knowedlge of policy isses

• ordinary people can discuss their views on caincidtates#

• boost poltical engamgnet as people an choose their party’s candidates

DSAV

• Turnout is low in prmaries and a March 2016 poll said that just 35% of voters think primariers are a good way of slecting the best nominees

• Outsiders rarely win like Bernie instead George H W Bush won

• caucaus meetings lack voter secrecy

Should the Electoral COllege be abolished?

3 argumetns for and gainst

Against the electoral colege:

• winner of popular vote can also not be the winner of the president like Gore in 2000 and Clinton in 2016

• Smaller states are overrpresented like Wyoming has almost 7x electoral votes per person than California

• Drawn up in a vastly different ‘founding farther’ era

agrgumnents for the elecotral college:

• Normally delivers the democratic result the opposite only occurs when the voting system has an error

• Nationwide vote would lead to candidates just focusing on large urban areas

• faithless electorshave never affected the final eleciton outcome

Factors that affect US elecgitons otucomes

• 3 factors and example

Incumbency

• this helps winning a new eleciton MASSIVLEY

  • 2018 incumbents who shought re-election won 90% of the time

• this is because they can show previous acheivements of having secured funding or created jobs

• Collin Peterson was re-elected despite being a DEmocract and his distrcit backing Trump, this was because he was a 30 year incumbent

Media

• attack ads are very effective for dissauding voters to not vote for another candiaes

  • Daisy ad of 1964 implied that a vbote for Goldwater could lead the USA into nucelar war

Money

• Lower spending candidates can still win

  • Trump was heavily OUTSPENT vy hillary clinton

Direct democracy in the usa

ballot initiatives:

• proposed by voters, if gets enough signatures then placed on the ballot at eleciton time

recall electons:

• voters can force an elected state official to face re-election before their full term is over

  • only ever happened to 2 governors, gray davis replaced by Schawrnnegger

referendums

• when state legislature passes law but is reuqired to pose it to the people for approval

  • albama 78% of voters supported putting the 10 commandments in court houses

Should campaign finance be regulated?

yes 3x

no 3x

yes:

1. electione expenditure boomed in 2020 almost 2xing 2016

2. need for fundraising (14m for senate seat) distracts senators from law making to fundrasiing

3. matching funding has died out since McCain accepted in 2008

no:

1. 2016 saw less spend than 2008 and 2012 so increasing expensditure is not continual

2. PACs and Super PACs must disclose donors so transparency exists

3. political donations are partt of the free market

how ell does dircet demo work in the us

well 2x

bad 1x

workess well

• popular in the us, 120 measures on ballots in 2020

• increases oppuritnity fr political particiipation by providing pressure groups an additional way to involve themselves in decision making

  • 2014 NRA in alabama backed a measure to strengthen second amendment rights

works badly

• tunrout is often low

• used b

Why are there high abstnetion rates at preseidetial elections in the USA

• 3 rerasons

1. voters are requireed to register to vote

2. some ex-felons are barred from voting

3. some states make voting postal hard

Comparing Civil Rights

• 2 key legislations in each nation

US has Civil Rights Act 1964

UK has equality Act 2010

Post Terror Attacks Legislation

two pieces of leg. one each

USA Partiot Act 2001 —- gov can carry out searches of homes, businesses and phone records WITHOUT a court order

Terrorism Act 2005 (repealed in 2011) — potential terrorists can be tagged, have internet restricted and be put on curfew without EVIDENCE

Comparing Women’s Rights

• sexual harassment

• abortion differences

Both nations saw ‘metoo’ and ‘timesup’ campaigns

debate on abotion has been most-different:

• None of the main uk parties want to ban abortion and has been legal since 1967

• US has now been overturned — 56% of americans consider themselves religious

Rights of LBGT people in UK and USA

Both Conservatives and Reps are against increasing their rights 1x exmaple for each nation

Both Conservatives and Reps are against increasing their rights:

• Trump was opposed to the supreme court judgements to BAN employers from firing their employees for being transgender

• BoJo cancelled govt plans to mkae legal gender change easier

Comapring effectiveness of civil rights campaigns

Methods used

2x differncees

1x similarties

Differences:

• US Pressure groups use the courts more frequently, as supreme court is more powerful in strilking down legislation

• US pressure groups SPEND far more money, as there are no limits on election spend

Similarities:

• Both use marches, rallies, lobbying

Theoretical Approaches

Structural

3 points of strucutral difference of civil rights

Entreched v Flexible Constitutuions

• Entrechment of civil liberties in the US consitution means that libertiers are more protected than in the UK

Sovreignty of US consitution

• Parliament is sovreign so elected parlaiment decides. USA consituiton is soverign so supeme court decides

Campaign Finance Rules

• Different rules on political donations have resulted in USA pressure groups spending a lot more on political campaigning than in the UK

Theoretical Approaches

Rational

2 points of rational similartiy of civil rights

Similatiy:

• infirngment of an individual’s rights have sparked campaigns in both countries

  • Brown v Topeka

  • Gurka v Secretary of State

• Politicans also decide to expand civil rights

  • Lydon b Johnson passed Civil Rights Acts 1964

  • PMBs passed Abortion Act 1967

Theoretical Approaches

Cultural approach on similaties and idferences between US and UK civil rights

2x points for both natiins

2x points for differecence

Both nations:

• value pluralism and individual liberty

• have had debates on transgender

  • The us and uk right both protested bathroom spaces

Differnce:

• US despises government control more

  • Anti covid protests up to 20,000 on certain occassions

• Relgious groups of more prominent in the US

  • Relgious implication rights like Abortion have been under intense discussion

Democrat Party Principlies

What are the 4 key democrat party principlies?

1. Government welfare

   1. Big government can empower individuals by ensuring their basic needs are met

2. Economic Fairness

   1. Democrats want to continue reversing Trump tax-cuts

3. Healthcare Access

   1. Democrats want to lower prescription drug costs

4. Civil Rights and Euqality

   1. Democrats support the Equality act which would ban discrimination against GAYs

GOParty Principlies

What are the 4 key rep party principlies?

1. Border SECURITY 🔒

2. Tax Cuts ✂

3. Increase Oil Usage 🛢

4. Restricting Abortion 👶

Associated Groups

0 Share similar characterisiticxs with big parties but are their own serpatate structure

0 democrat example

ex:

• Democratic Socialists of America

• Despite their own mebership they work to secure victory of MOST progressive democrats in elections

Big changes in us parties over the last 50 years

WHAT ARE THE 3 FACTORS

Geography

South — demoract → republican

• 1976 was the last time a Democrat won all the south

Ideaology

Both parties have become more liberal or more conservative

• Republicans adopted.. to win the south

  • Strong law and order side — combat ‘68 riots

  • Opposition to forced diversity

  • Traditional values

Party discipline

Bipartisanship → Uniformity

• Civil Rights Act 1964 (69% of democrats) → 0 Republicans voted to impeach trump

How united are US Parties today?

3 points for each side

Very united:

• 2018 — 90% of party members stuck with thier party

• Since 1994 parties often have manifestos (2018 Better Deal program)

• Both parties are cohesive on abortion and guns

Very divided:

• INFRASTRUCTURE BILL 2021, BACKED BY BIDEN. 19 REPUBLICAN SENATORS AND 13 HOUSE REPBLICANS VOTED WITH DEMOCRTAS TO PASS INFASTRCTURE BILL

• House passed bipartisan CARES act (covid)

• Ben Staffe (prominentn Rep senator) and MORE opposed Trump’s policies like; Steel tariffs on EU imports 2018

The Main Factions in Each Party

democrats, the factions, two brief points on each

Blue Dog Coalition 🔵 🐶

• Neutral line on woke stuff

• Fiscal responsibility

New Democrat Coailition 🟡

• Largest faction

• Centrist wing

Congressional Progessive Caucaus 🌈

• Most gay and liberal

• Environmental protection and energy indepence

The Main Factions in Each Party

republicans, the factions, two brief points on each

Tuesday Group 🔵

• Moderate responsibility

Republican Study Committee ❤

• Largest faction

• Small government

• Traditional values

Freedom Caucaus ⚫ 🟨

• Social conservatism

• Libertarianism

Are US Parties in decline or in renweal?

In decline:

• Most party names and symbols are absent from president’s ads and posters 📛

• Most rallies and ads created and paid for by candidates not the party 💵

• National Party Convetions are insignifcant — due to power of primaries, it is just a telivised convetion to demonstrate party unity but presidential candidate nominee is practically already confirmed 📺

In renewal:

• Personal message of candidates aligns with party policy 🎉

• Split ticket voting has decreased in recent decades, 2016 saw 100% alignment between senate and presidential vote 📏

• Voter turnout is higher that it was in 1996 👈

Significance of third parties of independants

-arguments for singifncance x3 and against

Arguments for singifcance of third parties:

• 3rd parties bring attention to issues — Green party pressures Dems on environemntal policy

• Can alter outcomes of election! Ralph Nader won 100K votes in florida helping Bush beat Gore

• Some indpenedts win local elections — Bernie sanders has won vermont senator

Aguments against signfiicance of third parties:

• Electoral system makes them weak — Ross Peort won 19% of electorate but 0 ECVs

• Lack of media coverage — Libertarian candidate was exluced from all presidential debates

• See third parties as wasted vote (many lefts didn’t vote Green)

How do US pressure groups achieve thier aims?

• 3 methods

1. Voter scorecards

   1. US Chamber of Commerce releases a ‘how they votrd’ scorecard for each member of congress. NRA grades each candidate from A to F on voting record for gun rights

2. Lobbying

   1. Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan had ove 350 meteings with federal agencies from 2010-’12

   2. Ballard Partners helped Trump lobby Flordia gov so then when T became president, Ballard Partners gained 100 clients in 2 years

3. Using the Coruts

   1. NAACP — Brown v Topeka

   2. Amicus Cuaraei briefs, 148 submitted to Obergefell v Hodges 2015

Disadvantages of Lobbying

Spening always equate to victory

• NRA spent 30 million for Trump in 2016 but was ‘dissapointed’ as the administration then banned bump stocks, which make semi-automatic rifles fire much faster

• Hilarty Clinton got way more money in 2016 for President but lost to Trump

Iron Triangle/Revolving door

• 3 evidence for its existence

• members of congress have personal investments in defence companies, 51 memebers of congress owned a combined 5.8$ million worth of shares in defence companies

• Some members sit on defence committees receive substantial donations — joe courtney who oversaw naval and marine corps contracts had defence contractors as his biggest contibtuor in 2019

• Big Pharma, lobby congressional committees key members like Anna Eschoo who received hundreds of thousands of $$$ from big pharma in 2020

Which are more powerful, pressure gorups of political parties?

• 2 for ang agaisnt

Pressure Groups:

1. pressure groups can participate in and affect the outcome of landmark supreme court jdugments

2. well-organised pressure groups can be more focused that large big-tent parties — NRA has held back will of 60% of US to increase gun control

Political Parties:

• political parties have strong legislatigve control when aprty controls both houses--Obama passed obamaacare and regan passed major budget cuts

• Only political party candidates can stand for office

do pacs and super pacs have too much influence in US elections?

• yes / no 2x

ye:

1. super pacs are funded by a tiny minority of citizens — less than 1% of americans provided 2/3 of funding for federal candidates in 2016

2. increased infuence of super pacs has made democratic will of the people less strong than pressure groups

no:

1. pressure gorups are procteded by the constituion and so should be able t opariticpicate fully in election campaigns

2. one of the largest increases in total election spend was from 2004 — 2008 which was before super pacs were created

Are pressure groups in the USA too powerful?

• yes no 3x

yes — too powerful:

1. they are eltisit, well-funded groups have more influence than smaller groups

2. iron triangles lead to exec taking decisions that don’t benefit the people — vietnam war

3. amicus curaie briefs favour wealthy pressure groups that can afford to fund them

no — not too powerful:

1. pressure groups are essential to pluralism and protected by 1st amendment

2. social movements are an alternative (cheap!) to pressure groups — civil rights movement for african-american in 60s

3. legislators are accounable every 2 - 6 years so americans can vote to remove them