American Politics: Quick Facts
Politics is a huge focus of American media and Americans are passionate about what goes on in Washington and in their own State capitals. They love to talk about politics and love the thrill of the Presidential election. We dug up some strange facts about presidents and American politics in the USA!
Strange US Political Facts
- 6 out of the previous 12 US presidents have been left handed.
- It is said that in a Presidential election year, the winner is decided on the 31st of October and not the first Tuesday of November. For the 31st of October is Halloween and the story goes that whoever of the 2 candidates sells the most masks on this holiday is the candidate who will be voted President.
- In the 70s the USA came very close to being an autocratic rather than a democratic state as the Nixon scandal was about massive abuse of power and not being honest with the American people. Only when Nixon resigned did the country return to the values enshrined in a proper democracy.
- America is a highly divided nation politically. While this comes with a democracy the tone and discourse of political debate has deteriorated in the past few decades. But American, optimists that they are, are continually making sure that there are checks and balances to prevent their democracy from failing.