2.5 Congress Gives Me ConStress

1. What was the makeup of the Congress that began in 2009 with Obama's first term? The Democrats held a 16-seat Senate majority and a 79-seat House edge. 

2. What is the current makeup of the Congress (Before the new one takes office in January)? Now the Republicans are the majorities in both chambers.

3. Why is a 60 vote majority so critical in the Senate? It means they can enjoy a filibuster-proof majority. 

4. When did the Republicans take control of each house of Congress? The Senate fell into Republican hands in 2014, and the House in 2010.

5. Why was Republican John Boehner forced out of his role as Speaker of the House? His fall began with a 2012 fiscal cliff agreement; republicans wanted billions in spending cuts in exchange for tax increases, and Boehner tried to pass a Republican spending bill known as Plan B. Conservatives wanted him to stand up to Obama and threatened to recall him as speaker. Boehner then resigned after helping seal the current budget deal.

6. What has been the main issue that Obama & the Congress have been fighting over? Tax cuts and other fiscal disagreements, additionally, they have been fighting over Obamacare. 

7. How are the Tea Party Caucus and the Freedom Caucus different from other Republicans? Both are way more conservative than normal Republicans, and advocate for quickly passing conservative bills. 

8. What is happening to moderate Democrats and moderate Republicans?  Which types of elections are they losing to lose their seats? Now, there are less moderates, and more polarization within the parties. Because of gerrymandering, mid term elections call for reapportionment. 

9. Why does the article predict that there will be little conflict between the president and Congress over his last year in office? The Speaker and Majority Leader are not interested in passing any big major bills in Obama's last year, attributed to the lame-duck period. Congress will continue to pass bills to keep the government funded, but they will not touch on anything major just yet. 

2.4 THE ELECTION :,(

1. How does a candidate win in the Electoral College system? In this system, a candidate must receive at least 270 votes to win, and states have a varied number of electoral votes based on their representation in Congress Candidates often target large states or swing states to increase their electoral college votes, and thus winning the election. (i.e. Florida and Ohio in this election, etc.)

2. When people cast their vote for president, what are they actually voting for? People are actually voting for a each party's cluster of electors who will determine the winner of the election. 

3. When will the actual Electoral College vote count take place? Electors will cast their vote on December 19.

4. What 3 problems with the Electoral College does the article identify? Even though a candidate can win the popular vote, they won't be the president unless they win the electoral too. Swing states are so influential, the votes in other states seem to be wasted. Additionally, each state is guaranteed three electors minimum, so if a state is small it can still have a tiny advantage. 

5. What are the penalties for an elector that does not vote as their state voted? Only thirty states have implemented penalties for these electors if they don't vote as their state voted, but oftentimes, they are fined, or worse: they can lose their position. 

6. Why haven't there been many faithless electors before? Parties vet their electors thoroughly, ensuring that they remain faithful to the party.

7. Why did the Framers choose to use the Electoral College? The Framers did not want the president to be put in the hands of all citizens, so they chose to have one select group of people to make that choice to separate the people from the government. 

8. How did political parties change this process? The Constitution did not say anything about how the electors would be chosen, so parties decided that they would nominate their own electors, and the party wanted to make sure the electors were loyal (passing laws to require them to vote for the party's nominee).

9. What does the article say are the 3 reasons the Electoral College is a good system? It ensures that a candidate cannot win from only one region of the country/makes sure all states can contribute. The electoral vote will be less likely to result in a tie, and it prevents large urban voters from overshadowing rural people.

10. How do the American people feel about the Electoral College? People would love to transition to the popular vote system. 

11. Explain how the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact would work. If a state signs this compact, it would mean that the state has to contribute its electors to the national winner, rather than the state winner. In this case, whoever wins the popular vote will win the electoral vote also, but only if 270 or more votes agree to do the same.

12. Which states would be opposed to this plan? Republicans and swing states are in opposition.

2.3 Do Interest Groups Make You Sad?

1. Which health based interest groups are identified as receiving funding from Coke? The American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are all receiving funding from Coca-Cola Co. according to two Boston University researchers.

2. What did these health based groups do in return for Coca Cola? The researchers identified 29 proposed public health bills that one or both of the two companies lobbied against all aimed to reduce soda consumption to improve public health. The American Heart Association released a statement saying that partnering with these beverage companies strengthen their fight for a solution, and under no circumstances does funding affect their positions. 

3. What does the article claim the sugar industry did 50 years ago to the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine study? A study showed how the sugar industry funded Harvard scientist research that claimed cholesterol and saturated fats were culprits of heart disease, and downplayed studies that suggested sugar was also a crucial ingredient of heart disease. 

4. What kinds of policies is Coca Cola trying to lobby against now? Now, Coca-Cola is providing support for research that downplays the role of that diet and sugary drinks have in the obesity epidemic. Also Save the Children pulled its support for soda taxes after receiving a $5 million grant from Coca-Cola. 

5. What legislation was being considered in California that would have impacted ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft? The california Public Utilities Commission is considering a new rule which limits the ability for people who drive Ubers to use a rented vehicle. 

6. How much money did those companies spend lobbying California lawmakers? Uber and Lyft spent nearly $900,000 lobbying. 

7. Which political parties are giving support to Uber and Lyft? Democrats are supporting Uber and Lyft because most are young or represent regions with large tech employers. 

8. Who seems to be the loser when policies regulating Uber and Lyft are not adopted? The head of the California Public Utilities Commission loses in the end, as he has a lot on his plate, and as the policies are not adopted even with his hard work.