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Legislation, Presidential & Congressional Politics/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| War chest | 2/1/2012 | Michael Troy |
| Q: Do elected officials keep the remainder of their war chest and were may I find this information. ... A: Different States have different laws regarding use of campaign funds. Generally speaking, ... | ||
| election war chests | 1/31/2012 | John C. Berg |
| Q: what happens to the money that is left over when a candidate ends there campaigning and retires/ A: If it's a federal campaign, the campaign fund continues to exist. The money can be spent on ... | ||
| election war chests | 1/27/2012 | Harry Hayfield |
| Q: what happens to the money that isn't used when the campaign is over and the candidate retires? A: That is a very good question, and I shall admit that I am afraid I have no idea. My advice would be ... | ||
| Declarations of war | 1/12/2012 | Michael Troy |
| Q: In a fictional scenario where a country had to be defeated with a pre-emptive invasion, would it be ... A: The Constitutionality of war powers is widely debated. The Supreme Court has said relatively little ... | ||
| Thomas Jefferson Hypocrisy | 1/9/2012 | Michael Troy |
| Q: I am participating in a national history competition and researching on Thomas Jefferson's hypocrisy ... A: I'm not sure what you mean by opposing the Constitution. Jefferson was never really an opponent of ... | ||
| 2012 republican elections | 11/23/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: i wanted to ask you one final follow up on the republican election discussion: how are states ... A: For more than 50 years, the conventions have been relatively pointless. If one candidate has more ... | ||
| Is the Sec of State prohibited from being on the Presidential ticket in an upcoming election? | 11/19/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: Would you please explain what Hillary Clinton meant when she said that "by law, I cannot" have a ... A: As an unelected government official, Sec. Clinton is covered by the Hatch Act. This prohibits ... | ||
| 2012 republican elections | 11/18/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: i wanted to ask you one final follow up on the republican election discussion: how are states ... A: Precincts are artificially created districts in most States. They can be as small or as large as ... | ||
| Republican 2012 primaries | 11/18/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: Im from the Uk, and I'm trying to get my head round how the political system in the States work. ... A: I've never actually been to a caucus, and the law does not specify. But my understanding is that ... | ||
| Republican 2012 primaries | 11/16/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: Im from the Uk, and I'm trying to get my head round how the political system in the States work. ... A: Delegates can be anyone who is a qualified voter in the State. Typically, campaigns pick people who ... | ||
| Republican 2012 primaries | 11/15/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: Im from the Uk, and I'm trying to get my head round how the political system in the States work. ... A: In the US, each State sets its own rules for how to select delegates to the various party ... | ||
| New Jersey's Legislatures | 11/7/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: 1. Who is New Jersey's congress member in Washington? 2. Who is New Jersey's state representitive ... A: 1. NJ has 13 members of Congress. You can find a list of them here: ... | ||
| political science, terminology etc | 10/19/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: I am a political science and also a philosophy major in college, and am a senior. I am currently ... A: Building up one's vocabulary in college is critical to growth. I hate to sound discouraging, but ... | ||
| Direct Popular Vote | 10/16/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: I'd like to ask a simple question of why the Direct voting system is more preferable than the ... A: Personally, I don't support moving away from the Electoral college and moving to a direct vote for ... | ||
| US Government | 10/8/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: What was the greater goal of the American founding: equality or liberty? A: The Revolution was not at all about economic equality. It was about liberty. The founding fathers ... | ||
| checks and balances | 9/21/2011 | John C. Berg |
| Q: I would like to know how Roe v. Wade could be overturned. Would it be by an act of congress? The ... A: No. The Constitution (along with treaties that have been signed and ratified) is the supreme law of ... | ||
| checks and balances | 9/21/2011 | John C. Berg |
| Q: I would like to know how Roe v. Wade could be overturned. Would it be by an act of congress? The ... A: This case was an interpretation of the Constitution, so. There are only 2 ways it could be ... | ||
| checks and balances | 9/21/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: I would like to know how Roe v. Wade could be overturned. Would it be by an act of congress? The ... A: Because the Court was interpreting the Constitution, it cannot be overturned except if the Court ... | ||
| law | 8/31/2011 | John C. Berg |
| Q: Two questions. First, is there some sort of law against peaceful assembly in front of the white ... A: I'm not an expert on law -- you may want to ask one. But I'll take a stab at it: 1. The police have ... | ||
| Election Primaries | 8/12/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: I have a series of questions, for my US government politics class. I was never good with politics, ... A: First, I'm assuming you are talking about Presidential primaries. If you are interested in more ... | ||
| REP. IN CONGRESS | 8/3/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: HOW LONG DOES A REP HAVE TO SERVE BEFORE HE CAN GET A PENSION AND HOW MUCH ? A: A Member of Congress is eligible for a pension after 5 years of service. However, to begin ... | ||
| Deficit | 8/2/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: Mr. Troy maybe you can explain this to me because I don't understand. Our government had no deficit ... A: You are correct that from 1998 - 2001 the federal government actually ran a small surplus. However, ... | ||
| Failure of democratic system | 7/31/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: Can you please give me some examples where democracy has failed, i.e, the cons of democracy? Also ... A: That is a pretty broad question. I guess a lot depends on how you define "democracy" and how you ... | ||
| US Congress, Senate and the Presidency | 7/29/2011 | John C. Berg |
| Q: Even after all these years I am still not sure about how US government works, sure I could read ... A: There are actually two answers to this question, people disagree: 1. At the Constitutional ... | ||
| US Congress, Senate and the Presidency | 7/28/2011 | John C. Berg |
| Q: Even after all these years I am still not sure about how US government works, sure I could read ... A: It's a long, complicated answer, but very briefly a bill can be introduced in either the House or ... | ||
| congressional campaign funds | 7/25/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: can a current member of congress, use campaign funds from congressional campaign to run for a state ... A: Unfer Federal law, candidates may transfer campaign funds from one campaign to another if the same ... | ||
| Ronald Reagan | 7/12/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: TriviaDid pre-president Ronald Reagan ever hit anyone in his life? You know, get drunk, get into a ... A: I know that in making one movie (Secret Service of the Air, 1939) Reagan accidentally punched a ... | ||
| College political science | 7/9/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: What is it like to major in political science? I was thinking of doing a double major or a ... A: While a Political Science major includes some study of contemporary political issues, a great deal ... | ||
| partisan nature of the court | 7/3/2011 | John C. Berg |
| Q: is the current court more partisan then it usually is? A: Well, you'd have to define "partisan," and I'm not sure that there is a "usually" - the Supreme ... | ||
| Legislation | 6/29/2011 | John C. Berg |
| Q: Hey.. I am thinking about running for state house for NC in 2012.. I have no experience in politics ... A: You've got plenty of time. There are several things you should do; I will list only three. 1. If ... | ||
| Abe Lincoln photo | 6/12/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: Troy, I found this photo on youtube under "young abe lincoln slideshow". Is it a photo of a young ... A: Some guy bought an old photo album with a bunch of photos of 19th century figures in it. This photo ... | ||
| Abe Lincoln photo | 6/11/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: Troy, I found this photo on youtube under "young abe lincoln slideshow". Is it a photo of a young ... A: Apparently, the current owner of that has alleged a belief that that is Abraham Lincoln. However, ... | ||
| Congressional retirement benefits | 6/10/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: Would Rep Wiener qualify for the very generous retirement benefits that Congress has voted for ... A: Assuming the Congressman has paid into the Federal Employees Retirement System pension plan since he ... | ||
| Presidental protocol | 5/24/2011 | John C. Berg |
| Q: Lets say that Hilary Clinton became President and Bill Clinton was her Vice President. Now lets say ... A: There's a flaw here -- you can't be elected Vice President unless you are eligible to be President, ... | ||
| The Oath Of Office | 5/18/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: I am looking for all the facts, procedures, who if anyone is responsible to see that the oath of ... A: The only method for this is impeachment. If a President has violated his duties and obligations, ... | ||
| US President | 5/14/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: Can a US president order a state governor to resign? Or a member of congress or senate? What is his ... A: No, Constitutionally, states are separate sovereign entities from the federal government. No ... | ||
| Government rumors | 5/5/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: Personally, I DO follow politics and keep up with current events, however, I do not know what the ... A: No, this is not true. There certainly is a disparity between what retired members of Congress get, ... | ||
| Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act | 5/5/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: Final rules for Section 922 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act were to ... A: Unfortunately, this is not unusual. Regulatory agencies often fail to comply with statutory ... | ||
| The Presidency | 5/4/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: When a President looses an Election does he have to formally resign on Inaugaration Day before the ... A: In the US, the transition is automatic. The outgoing President automatically ends at noon on Jan. ... | ||
| help | 5/1/2011 | Michael Troy |
| Q: sorry to bother but i'm not good with history and cannot find this question anywhere and if you help ... A: Essentially, the south was a series of diverse farming communities in their early years. The ... | ||
Legislation, Presidential & Congressional Politics
Answers by Expert:
Michael Troy
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer just about any question about U.S. Political history, Constitutional law, the legislative process, elections, etc. I specialize in Presidential and Congresitional historical trivia, but can answer more substantive questions too.
Experience
Former Staff member for a Congressman and Senator. I also worked on about 10 Congressional and Presidential campaigns (only one that won). For a short time, I worked in the legal department of the Federal Election Commission. I have a B.A. in Political Science.
Organizations
Former LBJ Fellow (paid fellowship for Congressional Staff).
Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honorary Society).
Publications
Washington Post
Washington Times
Education/Credentials
J.D. University of Michigan
B.A. George Washington University (Poli. Sci. major).
Awards and Honors
LBJ Fellow
Truman Scholar
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