...and robust. Citizens took part and voted for the Singapore General Election on 11 September 2015. Election results were surprising. The incumbent, People’s Action Party (PAP) returned to power, won its best results since 2001, and regained its electoral dominance from the previous election in 2011. It was an unexpected blown away for the opposition parties as it was expected for the opposition’s presence in parliament to improve. Worker’s Party, the most successful opposition party in Singapore suffered too as many voters feared that it might outperform itself to the detriment of the incumbent party. This essay aims to study the factors that results in the ruling party’s landslide victory and regain its electoral dominance in GE2015, where electoral dominance refers to two thirds of the seats won by a party. Keywords Singapore, General Election 2015, PAP, WP, Lee Kwan Yew, Opposition parties, Introduction A political party is a group of people who has or wants political power by appealing to the masses with to support their campaigns, differentiating themselves from other parties by having disparate views, stands and focus. The Parliament of Singapore is unicameral which includes three types of Members of Parliament: elected Members of Parliament (MPs), Non-constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs), and Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs). Of these, MPs are chosen by universal suffrage or popular election under a "first-past-the-post" system, while NCMPs are chosen from...
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...Ben Stevens Professor Baker-Brodersen ENG 105 23 April 2024 Why We Need Term Limits in Congress? Recently the debate regarding further term limits for elected officials has exploded, there are many arguments on whether term limits are necessary and what they would look like. This debate is still ongoing today and is hotly contested. Many states have enacted term limits on statewide positions and have seen remarkable results from these laws. Term limits are essential for us to put confidence back into our political system, term limits would help increase the number of citizens that can get involved in politics as incumbents would be vastly reduced. Another way term limits can help fix the problems in our government is by ending the possibility of lifetime tenure our elected officials have today, which in turn would help curb the corruption our...
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...corporate interests trump the public interest and politicians do the will of the highest bidder. Corporations in the early twentieth century not only faced scattered and weak enforcement of the Tillman Act's contribution ban and thus no great deterrent to violating the ban, but also exploited glaring legal loopholes that allowed them to bankroll their favored campaigns with relative ease. Even after the enactment of independent corporate expenditure restrictions, corporations faced minimal barriers to political spending on television or in other national media. Until the FEC's creation in 1974, the ban on independent corporate spending on elections was not rigorously enforced. The relevant time frame for evaluating the decision's practical consequences is, at the very longest, the period after Congress substantially amended FECA in 1974. Campaign contributions as emphasized here discusses the ways in which contributions are made to influence new or incumbent candidates to support a particular agenda based on factors that impact the candidate personally, such as the raising of significant funds to help a candidate be re-elected, or environmental issues to even social issues are of concern. Since the last decade, millions upon millions of dollars have been spent in state judicial elections, primarily by contributors with an interest in the outcome of litigation. Spending large sums of money on judicial elections is not a new phenomenon, but following the Supreme Court's Citizens...
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...ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study Structured election process is one of the indicators of stability in Nigeria’s democracy. Elections in Nigeria continue to elicit more than casual interest by Nigerian scholars due to the fact that despite the appreciation that only credible election can consolidate and sustain the country’s nascent democracy, over the years, Nigeria continues to witness with growing disappointments and apprehension inability to conduct peaceful, free and fair, open elections whose results are widely accepted and respected across the country (Ekweremadu, 2011). All the elections that have ever been conducted in Nigeria since independence have generated increasingly bitter controversies and grievances on a national scale because of the twin problems of mass violence and fraud that have become central elements of the history of elections and of the electoral process in the country (Gberie, 2011). Despite the marked improvement in the conduct of the 2011 elections, the process was not free from malpractices and violence (National Democratic Institute, 2012). Thus over the years, electoral processes in the history of Nigeria’s democratic governance have continued to be marred by extraordinary display of rigging, dodgy, “do or die” affair, ballot snatching at gun points, violence and acrimony, thuggery, boycotts, threats and criminal manipulations of voters' list, brazen falsification of election results, the use of security agencies against political...
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...The Effect of Campaign Finnacne on Democracy Daniel Sykes Student ID 250719824 Every election cycle, huge sums of money are spent in the promotion for campaigns to elect or re-elect candidates for public office. These contributions play a vital role in the success of election campaigns. Sources of campaign donations range from big businesses and trade unions to PACs (political action committees) such as the NRA. These groups donate to candidates in the assumption and hopes that the candidate will pursue a discourse and perhaps implement legislation that benefits the donating group. When we refer to “campaign finance”, we are of course referring to funds that are used to promote and advertise, hire advisers, pay for travel expenses, administration fees and other costs associated with running a campaign. The Presidential Election of 2008 generated one billion US dollars in campaign contributions and finance1, with this figure on the rise, many have spoken out against the propensity of election victories to be seemingly “bought” by the party who generated the most funds2. In this essay I will be discussing whether or not big money in campaign finance is a threat to democracy. It is important to consider the history of campaign finance reform and how it evolved over time, for this gives us a better perspective when reviewing our modern situation to see if democracy has lost its way. Before the 19th century, the majority...
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...American countries has is different from the Parliament that most European nations have because in Europe, a person who wants to run for office must persuade his party to nominate him, while in America, politicians can run for themselves. i. In Europe, people vote for parties; in America, they vote for individuals. ii. In primaries, people vote especially for a “person” (and his qualities, traits, etc…), and in general elections, this is sometimes true also. iii. In parliament, legislators can support their leaders or not, and if they don’t then new leaders (prime minister and various cabinet members) must be elected. a. This ensures that more action can occur, since the parties of the executive and legislative branches are practically always the same. iv. Congress is free from the turmoil of possible collapsing executive branches and is more powerful to make decisions; Congressmen don’t have to worry about easily losing their positions come another election. a. In Congress, there is less cohesion in bill passing, and less stuff can get done. v. Parliaments members usually engage in debate, are poorly paid, have little independent power, and receive little power as well. vi. Meanwhile, Congressmen are much better paid, have more power, do many things in committees, and have staff members of their own, thus “proving how important they are.” The...
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...that constituents, for the purpose of reelection, appeal to groups. Bartels' book, Unequal Democracy, attempts to answer a question by Robert Dahl of, “...who actually governs?” (Bartels 1). Bartels' book argues, with a statistical emphasis, that our classed based society is becoming more polarized and unequal by politicians and cyclically exacerbated by voter apathy and actions. These examples that Bartels has accrued in his research can be used as sufficient evidence for support to Bishin's relativity new theory; this is done by explaining the machinery of the subconstituency theory for a certain situation and applying it to the empirical findings of Bartels. For an example, active interest groups can have a great impact on the political process overall; which is why Bishin's...
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...Introduction This investigating will focus upon the topic ‘Language and Power’, throughout it will explore how power plays a massive part in politics and how politicians use it to make them seem electable. This aspect within the investigation has been chosen because this is an area of interest and a topic I particularly enjoyed whilst studying the AS course. Not only this, but the power section, in my opinion, has the most interesting theory within it but the investigation will tie into another area which equally fascinates me, this being UK politics. This has always been something that I have followed with passion, with this in mind; it has led me to question the very topic. I would like to investigate how politicians use their language, to make them seem more electable and make them seem more favourable to the electorate. From this the Investigation will discover to what extent an election speech impacts on voting. Thus, this investigation aims to explore: • How politicians use a range of persuasive techniques to reinforce their influential power. I expect that the politician who uses persuasion most effectively will seem more favourable to the electorate. Politicians that aren’t confident may hinder their chances with the electorate, even though they use persuasive techniques. This would show them as a weaker leader, even though their speech when read may be the strongest. • To what extent might political rhetoric directly influence the decisions of potential...
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...Co-Advisor Co-Chair of Committee John C. Liechty Associate Professor of Marketing Dissertation Co-Advisor Co-Chair of Committee Peter Ebbes Assistant Professor of Marketing David J. Huff Clinical Assistant Professor of Supply Chain and Information Systems Johannes Baumgartner Professor of Marketing Head of the Department of Marketing *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School iii ABSTRACT Political marketing sits at the nexus of two disciplines, political science and marketing, but is not entirely accepted by either. The present research looks at the origin, development, and evolution of political marketing and examines how the adoption of a political marketing orientation is impacting the practice of political campaigns. The role of political marketing in actually changing voters’ preferences is also examined, showing that grassroots marketing efforts seem to have the greatest effect, especially with undecided voters. Finally, voter segments are derived for the last five presidential elections in the United States (1988-2004) using latent class analysis (LCA). The interpretation and implications of these segments are discussed and several avenues for future research are suggested. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................... vi...
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...cannot do. Section 1-5 also put the requirements to run for The Senate and for the House of Representatives. The rules are in Sections 5-6. Congress's powers are explained in Sections 7-8. Article 9 talks about the powers denied to the Congress, They cannot deny the writ of habeas corpus, cannot spend money for a law to be passed, no biased opinions towards an states. Article 10 explains the power denied to states. Who’s in Charge of What? For the following titles you’re going to find out who has that position....
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...people. But in order to rule effectively, the people need political knowledge. If they know little or nothing about government, it becomes difficult to hold political leaders accountable for their performance. Unfortunately, public knowledge about politics is disturbingly low. In addition, the public also often does a poor job of evaluating the political information they do know. This state of affairs has persisted despite rising education levels, increased availability of information thanks to modern technology, and even rising IQ scores. It is mostly the result of rational behavior, not stupidity. Such widespread and persistent political ignorance and irrationality strengthens the case for limiting and decentralizing the power of government. The Extent of Ignorance Political ignorance in America is deep and widespread. The current government shutdown fight provides some good examples. Although Obamacare is at the center of that fight and much other recent political controversy, 44% percent of the public do not even realize it is still the law. Some 80 percent, according to a recent Kaiser survey, say they have heard “nothing at all” or “only a little” about the controversial insurance exchanges that are a major part of the law. The shutdown controversy is also just the latest manifestation of a longstanding political struggle over federal spending. But most of the public has very little idea of how federal spending is actually distributed. They greatly underestimate the percentage...
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...Final Exam Review POLI 2051 Dr. Kenny Ch 11: Congress • Approval of Congress relative to the president. o Congress tends to be less popular than the president. • Basic info. on Congress o Why is it bicameral (why are there two chambers?) 1. Practical Reasons ▪ Came from the Great Compromise 2. Philosophical Reasons ▪ To keep power spread out and dispersed • House of Representatives o Representation based on population o 435 Total o 2 year terms o Seats are reapportioned every ten years because we get the census back every ten years. o Entire membership elected in November of even number years. • Senate o 2 Per state o 100 total o 6 year terms that are staggered ▪ Staggered means that only 1/3 of the seats are up for election in each two year election cycle. This is so that it does not change radically in one election. o This means one third elected in November of even numbered years. • Congressional organization: o Leadership – the political parties work through the leadership structure of congress because the leaders of the majority political party are, at the same time, the leaders of the House and the Senate. ▪ Leaders (know the top posts) • Leadership in the House o...
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...!"#$%&'#(")*)"(+$"+$,"-..*$/-(+-0$$ Political Risk Analysis !!! May 2012 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!! !!!!! !!!!"#$%&'($!")*+,'&$! !!!!-.($/!0*!-.1! !!!!-.#23#&!4*''#)5! !!!!6&2(2!7185&! !!!!9)&5.&'!:(55&2! TABLE OF CONTENTS I. II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (Dommert)......….……………………………………....4 INTRODUCTION...…………………………………………………………………7 A. PROJECT BACKGROUND (Brockman)…………………………..…………………..7 B. SIERRA LEONE (Chu)…………………….………………….…………………......8 C. IHS POLITICAL RISK RATINGS AND RANKING INDEX (Mittal) ……….......……....10 !" III. IV. Choice of IHS Model …………………..………………………...……......12 !!" Model Improvements …………………………………………...………....13 RISK MAP (Mittal, Gupta)………………………….……………………………...14 RISK ASSESSMENT, EVALUATION, & MANAGEMENT.………..…………17 A. POLITICAL RISK (Brockman) ……………………………………………...……..17 i. Introduction ……………………………………………………...….……17 ii. War and External Threats …………………………………...……………..20 !!!" Civil and Labor Unrest ……………………………………………...…......23 !#" Internal Violence ………………………………………………..……...…27 #" Regime Instability ………………………………………………..…...…..29 B. SOCIO-ECONOMIC RISKS ………………….………………………………...…...33 i. Economic Instability (Gupta) ………………………………………….…..33 ii. Energy Vulnerability (Gupta) …………………………………………..….37 iii. Environmental Activism (Mittal)………………………………………...…42 iv. Ethno-Linguistic Factionalism (Mittal)…………………………….……….45 C. COMMERCIAL PETROLEUM RISKS …………...…………………………...………53 i. Constraints on Foreign Oil Company Investment (Chu)……...…………...…53 ii. External Transfer...
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...* Controversy- etymology (word origin) From Latin: “against” (contra) and “versus” (verse) Contra = against or in comparison with Implies difference of opinion or contrast Verse = line of writing Implies opinions expressed in some type of public arena Controversy- definition A prolonged public dispute or debate. Disputation concerning a matter of opinion. “Prolonged” - matters are unsettled over time, lasting “Public” – not private, concerning people as a whole “Dispute / debate” – challenge, taking exception to “Opinion” – personal belief or judgment Synonyms of controversy- disagreement, difference ALSO- contention, strife, argument, dissonance, lack of harmony, heated conflict Controversy- Denotation v. connotation Denotation = meaning The most direct, exact, specific meaning of a work or expression Literal meaning- meaning without interpretation, embellishment, or exaggeration A dictionary definition. Subjective and “cold” Connotation = suggestion Emotional coloration Suggested or implied meaning in addition to what is explicit, objected, denoted Impression that goes beyond a defined meaning Emotional association with a word, phrase, idea Subjective and emotively “loaded” September 17 Democracy- people, common people. People’s rule. Types of democracy Direct- when all members of a community (polity, group) gather together and individuals cast a vote or make decisions=each person is given a chance to influence the policymaking process Representative-...
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...is unique or “new” about the present situation? How much have we seen before? Make sure to discuss both economic and geo-political/security dimensions, and make reference to at least two historical periods, whether identified by particular doctrines, presidencies, or regimes of international relations. Current state of Latin Ameican international relations with the US— * Emerging independence from US—US is no longer the immediate partner of choice. Regional resentment of US perceived self-serving exercises of power * Economics: * Increased intra-regional economic integration—ALBA, UNOSUR * Expanding economic partners outside the hemisphere—China * Security: * States worry about subordination to the “gringos.” Address problems themselves or with immediate neighbors, rely less on US— * LatinAmerican presidents joined together to defuse tension between Colombia and Ecuador/Venezuela after Colombia’s March 2008 raid inside Ecuador * South American Defense Council (2008)—aimed at institutionalizing and coordinating “defense and security policies in the region while preventing and mediating conflicts within South America * United States: * Economic dependence on the region on the rise— * 50% of US energy imports (largest share accounted for by any region) * 32% of all US FDI * Environment, illegal drug trade, and immigration have intensified interdependence * Economic stronghold at...
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