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Kaye’s Political Debates: Third Parties – Irrelevant in US Politics?
The great political historian Richard Hofstadter once remarked: “third parties are like bees: once they have stung, they die,” espousing the idea third parties sit on the margins and have only temporary influence. In order to effectively scrutinise the idea that third parties are “irrelevant”, it is important to look at factors such as their role in the media, electoral results, and big tent politics. The following essay will analyse and evaluate the role of third parties in American politics and if they are truly “irrelevant.” FOR The lack of US third party relevance is reflected by the difficulty of such outsider groups to state ballots. Ballot access in the…
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Kaye’s Political Debates: UK Referendums – A Constructive Bastion of Democracy?
A referendum is a form of direct democracy in which the electorate vote on a political matter deferred to them, given a binary ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ (or similar) option. In order to forensically analyse if UK referendums are a positive force in British politics, important factors to scrutinise include providing a judgement on government actions, stoking up debate, and their frequency. The following will question the validity of the claim that referendums act as a “constructive bastion” of democracy. FOR One way in which referendums can be seen as constructive is in their ability to provoke debate. Politically, referendums project the media spotlight onto important policies and matters, giving them…
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The Trump Factor: The Likelihood of The Ex-President To Be Re-Elected
Although the possibility of an indictment case against former US President Donald Trump’s was widely-known and perhaps inevitable, the news was still world-shattering with the 45th president becoming the first president to face criminal charges. Trump faces this over alleged hush money paid to adult star Stormy Daniels to prevent the news of a sexual affair ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Whilst many would assume that the criminality surrounding Trump would surely end any presidential plans in his future, few can truly predict at this early stage how the eventual results will affect such a character with such a partisan support base. The following piece will look at what…
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10 Rejected WrestleMania Opponents For The Undertaker
The book 30 Years of Wrestlemania notes that after being Jimmy Snuka at 1991’s WrestleMania VII, The Undertaker started his voyage on “the most impressive run in sports entertainment, extending almost a quarter of a century.” It is hard to argue that ‘Taker has not left a remarkable legacy, especially when it comes to WrestleMania. With classic showdowns against Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and Edge being amongst the most notable strings in his bow, The Undertaker will forever be synonymous with WrestleMania more than any other single character could ever wish to be. However, these – good or bad – are the matches originally pencilled in for “The Show of…
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A History of The Presidential Veto
This week, President Biden announced via Twitter that he was vetoing his first bill as president. The 80-year-old revealed he was vetoing a bill passed largely by Republicans that would ban the government from considering factors such as climate change and potential lawsuits in making investments towards retirement plans. However, what is the presidential veto and what is its history? This is a quick journey through the history of the president’s most assertive legislative power. What Is A Veto? A veto allows a president to overrule any bills that come to his desk. Having 10 days to decide on the fate of the bill, a veto would mean that the…
