Most Popular
1500 questions
24
votes
1 answer
Which countries have welcomed the Taliban takeover/victory in Kabul?
FT reported (paywalled) that Pakistan has, at least at the government level:
As the Taliban swept into Kabul on Sunday after a dramatic military offensive, the leaders of neighboring Pakistan did not hide their schadenfreude at the ignominious end…
the gods from engineering
- 158,594
- 27
- 390
- 806
24
votes
3 answers
Can a future UK government decide to rejoin the EU without a referendum?
Can a future UK government decide to rejoin the EU without a referendum or do they have to hold one?
Mocas
- 7,164
- 4
- 35
- 68
24
votes
6 answers
In countries without free press, why don't newspapers simply move overseas?
In regions without free press, or where press are under constant threat of arrest, why don't media organisations move their organisation outside the country on which they report?
For example, if Hong Kong's Apple Daily moved to any of a number of…
stevec
- 2,101
- 1
- 14
- 23
24
votes
4 answers
How is Switzerland able to maintain low tax levels?
Looking at the countries with the lowest tax rate we can see many countries that derive their riches from oil supplies and thus can afford to have a low income tax rate and a low VAT rate. But there is one exception - Switzerland. A very advanced…
JonathanReez
- 50,757
- 35
- 237
- 435
24
votes
10 answers
Why do people at the top of a bureaucracy/government have to get paid the most?
This comment says that
One of the de facto laws of compensation in a bureaucracy is that nobody can get paid more than the guys at the top
Why is that? Is it because of tradition, or is there some concrete reason for it?
Ekadh Singh - Reinstate Monica
- 3,088
- 2
- 17
- 46
24
votes
2 answers
Why did Trump rescind his executive order that barred former White House employees from lobbying the government?
Just before leaving office, President Trump rescinded his 2017 executive order which limited lobbying by former government officials:
In the final hours of his term, President Donald J. Trump rescinded
early Wednesday an executive order he had…
divibisan
- 25,926
- 6
- 110
- 135
24
votes
6 answers
Can an exiting US president curtail access to Air Force One from the new president?
So, suppose a US president whose term is scheduled to end, schedule a long flight on board US Air Force One on the same day that the new president is to be swore in - is he allowed to do that, and if not - who is supposed to prevent this?
The…
Guss
- 367
- 2
- 5
24
votes
6 answers
How does the UK manage to transition leadership so quickly compared to the USA?
I appreciate that the USA has a larger population and more layers to it system of governance, but I don't understand how the UK can transition between governments practically overnight and the USA takes two months. The UK might not be the flawless…
gingerbreadboy
- 719
- 5
- 12
24
votes
8 answers
A word that means rule by the vocal minority?
If plutocracy is rule by the wealthy, and meritocracy is rule by individual ability or achievement, then what's a word that means rule by the vocal minority? Extrovert-ocracy?
An example I'm thinking of is a lively city council or homeowners…
snips-n-snails
- 341
- 2
- 5
24
votes
3 answers
Has a recount ever changed the winner of any major election in US history?
Has a recount ever changed the winner of a state during a presidential election? mentions that no recount was ever successful in transferring electoral votes to a different candidate. To expand the scope of that question a bit, was there ever a…
JonathanReez
- 50,757
- 35
- 237
- 435
24
votes
6 answers
Are there proposals for preserving ballot secrecy when a candidate scores 100% in a very small polling station?
In the 2020 United States Presidential Election in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, Joe Biden received 5 votes and Donald Trump received 0 votes. Biden received 100% of votes cast.
In the 2016 United States Presidential Election in Kalawao, Hawaii,…
gerrit
- 48,247
- 16
- 142
- 298
24
votes
6 answers
Are there any specific reasons why President Trump has suggested that his supporters illegally vote twice in North Carolina?
Recently, the current United States President suggested that people in North Carolina vote twice in the upcoming election: once by postal vote and once in person. Apparently there are measures in place to prevent people from voting twice.
Is there…
Lio Elbammalf
- 2,966
- 1
- 17
- 31
24
votes
1 answer
Is the US President prohibited from receiving clothing as a gift? Why or why not?
This article from The Balance, while describing the personal benefits and responsibilities of the office of the presidency, says this about gifts of clothing:
Presidents and their spouses cannot receive free clothing. If they wear any piece as a…
Eliza Wilson
- 352
- 4
- 11
24
votes
3 answers
Can Trump force Congress to delay the Nov. 3, 2020 general US elections?
This is related to today's news that Trump mentioned the idea of delaying the election in one of his tweets.
I understand that the president cannot legally change the election date, but according to the Washington Post:
The U.S. Constitution gives…
fdkgfosfskjdlsjdlkfsf
- 2,429
- 12
- 27
24
votes
7 answers
Why does Germany have such a rather small defense budget?
This article deals with Germany’s Armed Forces status in the context of Trump's decision to reduce US troops stationed in Germany.
Besides the main topic, the article also mentions that Germany spends less than the targeted goal of 2% of GDP. This…
Alexei
- 52,716
- 43
- 186
- 345