Politics
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3 Leadership Contests Won By The WRONG Person (And Who Should Have Won)
The role of a party leader is vital. After all, in the words of Charles Kennedy – arguably the greatest leader of the Liberal Democrats – “Good political leadership for me involves getting the big decisions right – however difficult, however controversial, however potentially divisive and then being able to take people with you. And that requires something else as well – being wise enough to know when it’s time to listen.” These are three examples of party leaders who arguably did not fit that bill, for reasons of being too out of touch, radical, or uninspiring (or all three!), which were some of the worst choices political parties could…
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The Election Of 1856: Buchanan vs. Fremont vs. Fillmore
Hello, and welcome back to another edition of Lace ‘Em Up’s Presidential Election series. Today we will be discussing the election of 1856, America’s push into the Civil War is getting closer and closer as we have yet another three-way race for the White House including the first Presidential election to involve a brand new political party. Pierce’s Troubled Presidency Upon entering the White House following his victory in 1852, the incumbent President Franklin Pierce was dealing with a multitude of issues not the least of which was having to lead a nation that was ripping itself apart over the issue of slavery. By the 1850’s, slavery was the biggest issue in…
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The Election Of 1852: Pierce vs. Scott vs. Hale
Hello, and welcome back to another edition of Lace ‘Em Up’s Presidential Election series today we will be discussing the election of 1852. Sort of a repeat of the 1848 and 1844 elections as a dark candidate from the Democrats takes on a Military General from the Whigs and the Free Soil Party has returned in another three-way bout for the Presidency. Presidential Shake-Up & The Compromise of 1850 Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the United States won the office in 1848 thanks to his vague views on political issues and his war hero status; Upon ascending to the Oval Office, many Southern politicians believed that they could be able to…
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The Election of 1848: Taylor vs. Cass vs. Van Buren
Hello, and welcome back to another edition of Lace ‘Em Up’s Presidential Election series today we will be going over the Election of 1848; it’s also a three-way battle for Presidency as Military General Zachary Taylor takes on Michigan Senator Lewis Cass and former Democratic President, Martin Van Buren. President Polk and the Mexican-American War After winning the highest office in the land back in the 1844 election, President James K. Polk established an Independent Treasury in order to manage government funds while also reducing the prices of tariffs while also increasing the amount of revenue and trade within the United States. Polk was also responsible for creating what would be ‘The Smithsonian Institute’ and…
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The US Supreme Court: A Political Institution?
Founding Father and future president John Adams wrote in Thought on Government in 1776: “Judicial power ought to be distinct from both the legislative and executive and independent upon both,” with many seeing the modern-day Supreme Court as having become intrinsically politicised. In order to evaluate if the highest court of the land in the US has become overtly political, it is important to look at factors such as the appointment system, the role of pressure groups, and the upholding of precedent. The following piece will analyse the concept that the US Supreme Court has encroached upon the two other branches of government to become a political institution. FOR One…
