U.S. Politics Viewed from Britain Quiz

Answer: George W. Bush

George H.W. Bush is the father of George W Bush and was President himself between 1989 and 1993. Al Gore was the Democratic candidate who lost the Presidential election in 2000 despite receiving more votes nationally than his Republican rival. The electoral College system of electing the President favoured Mr Bush.

Please note that in compiling this quiz I am indebted to the book "U.S. Politics Today" by Edward Ashbee (Manchester University Press) which I have used to revise this subject and have drawn material from to support my interesting information throughout the quiz.

Answer: Two

Under the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution the president can only be re-elected once. There was unease in America when Franklin Roosevelt maintained what was felt by many to be too long a period of office and this Amendment to the Constitution was added in 1951. To amend the Constitution is extremely difficult and requires widespread support. A two thirds majority is required from both houses of Congress (or a special constitutional convention of states) and ratification by three quarters of the states.

In theory, a president could serve almost two and a half terms of office. If a vice president were to take office on the death or incapacitation of the previous president with less than half of the four year term left, s/he could serve two more full terms. Hence the use of the phrase "full terms of office" in the question!

Answer: True

This is one of the titles that the President has under the Constitution. Although there are checks and balances within the Constitution to control the President's use of this position, the reality is that in terms of foriegn policy and military action the President appears to have even more power than he does in the area of domestic policy.

Answer: The President

The President acts with the advice and consent of the Senate. Some appointments have in the past been refused and there is debate whether others have been slowed down by the time taken in making the "consent" decision. There is obviously a political element in such appointments and Supreme Court Judges do interpret the Constitution often in the light of present day society and not just the original intent of the Constitution's authors.

In 2001 President Bush stopped the practice of giving a special right to the Bar Association to advise him on these appointments.

Answer: Yes

These lobbying documents are called "amicus curiae" ("friend of the court"). This is a growing trend and much used by lobby groups. In Britain such action would probably be seen as contempt of Court and Judges refuse any such outside interference as unethical.

Some may think that this is a way the U.S. Supreme Court keeps in touch with public opinion and even reality in its interpreting a 200 year old Constitution.

Answer: the right of the individual to carry a firearm

The first, fifth and eighth Amendments speak of the other issues. There is much public pressure in the U.S. to change or modify this amendment. However, the difficulty of amending the constitution and powerful pressure groups such as the National Rifle Association make the task extremely difficult to consider.

Answer: Before being questioned in custody about a crime you must be read your rights

Please see Miranda v Arizona (1966) which establishes this right, which is bound up with the 5th Amendment to the Constitution, which protects you from self-incrimination.

Answer: House of Representatives/ Senate

Congress consists of two parts. The House of Representatives is elected every two years and is widely held to tend towards parochial state concerns. Once elected, members are unlikely to be beaten at the next election, if they decide to stand again. They build up support by helping their local electorate and are not heavily influenced by national political trends and demands. Senators in the other chamber are elected for a six year term and a third stand down every two years.

There are two senators for each state and they act in a deliberative manner similar to the House of Lords in Britain.

Answer: King George III of England

Please see page 35 of "U.S. Politics Today" by Edward Ashbee (Manchester University Press). Also quoted in Henretta, Brownlee, Brody and Ware 1933, p. 168. It comes from the American Declaration of Independence principally drawn up by Thomas Jefferson. Apparently British rule was not as good as the British government of the time imagined!

Answer: Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton was President between 1993 and 2001. Jimmy Carter (1977-81) was also a Democrat. Only two political parties basically hold sway in the U.S. and the differences between them have started to grow again in recent years. The Republicans have a number of policies matching the ideology of the British Conservative Party and the Democrats, although in no way being socialists, mirror some of the thinking of New Labour in Britain.

The Republicans moved to the right of the political sprectrum quite substantially under Ronald Reagan in the 1980s and it is no surprise that he developed a special relationship with Mrs Thatcher.

The special relationship between George W. Bush and Tony Blair is far more difficult to explain.

Answer: Nicaragua

In 1986 this scandal broke. Weaponry had been sold to Iran and the money used in part to fund right wing guerrillas in a campaign against the left wing/communist supported regime in Nicaragua. The dealings were illegal and afterwards the Tower inquiry decided that President Reagan had not sufficiently scrutinised what staff were doing below him.

Answer: approximately 58,000

This figure is taken from Page 107 of "U.S. Politics Today" by Edward Ashbee (Manchester University Press). The War was lost in 1975 and the whole of Vietnam came under Communist rule.

Answer: Ronald Reagan

In 1989 the Berlin Wall was opened up. Ronald Reagan had started his presidency with a hardline anti-Soviet policy, but by the end of his presidency the Soviets came to a compromise.

Answer: 1963

He said "I have a dream. My four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character". Racism, which was particularly prevalent in the South, was shortly after to start to be removed from the United States culture. (1963 was also the year that President Kennedy was assassinated).

Answer: Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln was in fact saying that as the only "aye" vote he had won. This reflects the informal nature of the U.S. cabinet. It is unelected and advises the President as he wishes, but the President is not controlled by it. Mr Blair may well have a much harder time in Britain?