The Basics of Government

Originally Posted by The Dopefish

unlike the President which is elected by electors (people selected by a constituency to vote according to how their constituency voted)...

Yeah there's this weird deal called the electoral college. It's crazy. While you're looking at the US Gov't, it's good to compare and contrast the concentrations/separations of power with the UK's gov't.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I have to strongly disagree with the above post. If you do that, you might as well watch the Daily Show and take it seriously. It's dififcult to find good sources on current info. Don't buy into the spin of any news station or publication. They all have their own adgendas. The best you can do is read everything, take a general consensus, and then make your own judegments based on your own philosophy.

A better place to start if you want info on political theory and how gov't works is to go to the source. Read the Magna Carta, Articles of Confederation, US Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Federalist Papers. As well as writings by people like, John Locke, Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Voltaire, and Immanel Kant. It's a heavy undertaking as far as the reading goes, but if you really want a well informed opinion, it's the best route.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

What's this "you guys" bit? I'm American in case you missed the flag. All I meant was that Blue should compare and contrast US gov't to other gov't to reveal how unique it is. It's comparing apples and oranges on purpose to show the drastic differences. A lot of people who are completely new to poly sci have no idea how different other gov't are. Based on that, Blue can then form an educated opinion on what systems are the most beneficial means to governening.

What's with the hostility all the sudden?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Good luck just waltzing into the West Wing of the Whitehouse and sitting down in the oval office.

"Guys, seriously! This place is mine!"

The people who wait in line at the Capitol are usually waiting for the guided tour. They'd prefer not to have every Tom, Dick, and Harry just barging in on everything and interrupting their work day. They made that underground walkway for a reason. It's difficult to do the job you were elected to do if you've got a bunch of tourists interrupting all the time, or mobbing you like a celebrity. If you wanna talk to your representative, go see them in their office. They're accessible there.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Brady, where did you get this info? For they must die the death of 1,000 screams!

(off to anoint my head with stem cells)

How ya doing, buddy?