| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| A former governor from this state was censured for endorsing an independent candidate over a party nominee. Momentum was slowed for a gubernatorial bid in this state by Raul Labrador when Donald Trump received a tape of anti-Trump criticisms made by Labrador. An acting governor in this state issued an anti-mask order while the sitting governor was at a Republican Governors Association conference. For the point, name this state in which Janice McGeachin announced a primary bid against incumbent governor Brad Little. | Idaho |
| Despite joining the Court after this case, John Paul Stevens referenced this decision by noting that "money is property" in 2000. This longest per curiam Supreme Court decision narrowed the type of speech to which mandatory disclosure and reporting provisions applied. This decision was expanded on by First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti and 2010's Citizens United case. For the point, name this 1976 decision which struck down parts of FECA on First Amendment grounds, eliminating limits on campaign donations. | Buckley v. Valeo |
| This politician was fined by an ethics board in 2021 for asking Jerry Brown to grant clemency to her incarcerated brother. This local officeholder won a ranked-choice election despite an alliance between the second and third-place finishers, Mark Leno and Jane Kim. This California mayor called it a “real blow to the African American community” when Alex Padilla was selected to replace Kamala Harris in the Senate. For the point, name this San Francisco mayor who replaced Ed Lee in a 2018 special election. | London Breed |
| The Additional Articles were passed by this body to define the Free Area and address the territory and people under the government's jurisdiction. This body's sessions are timed to occur with the meetings of the National Committee of the People's Political Consultative Conference. Minor parties with representation in this body include the National Democratic Construction Association and the Association for Promoting Democracy. This is the largest parliamentary body in the world. For the point, name this national legislature dominated in seats by the Communist Party of China. | National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (or NPC; accept Quán guó Rén Dà huì yì) |
| This man extended Huntington's Political Order in Changing Societies in a book arguing that political stability results from a triumph over nepotism. This man analyzed the threats posed by biotechnology in Our Posthuman Future. This theorist posited that industrialization cannot exist alongside despotic governments in a work, in which he states that the universalizing of Western liberal democracy is the last stage of the title concept. For the point, name this author of The End of History and the Last Man. | Francis Fukuyama |
| The Supreme Court found that a namesake clause related to these actions was not violated in U.S. Steel v. Multistate Tax Commission. Steve Sisolak vetoed a bill to join one of these actions related to replacing the current system for presidential elections. The adoption of a National Popular Vote agreement is said by critics to violate provisions related to treaties and these actions. For the point, name this type of interstate agreement addressed in Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution. | Compact |
| Regina Lombardo became the Acting Director of this agency in 2019. Originally part of the IRS, this Department of Justice agency operates the Fire Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland. With the FBI, this was the primary federal agency involved in the Waco Siege against the Branch Davidians. For the point, name this federal agency, a law enforcement organization named for a set of controlled substances and weapons. | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (or BATF) |
| The 1988 Democratic primary in this state was won by Jesse Jackson, despite its biggest city’s mayor endorsing Michael Dukakis. In 2008, Democratic delegates from this state faced sanction from participating in the national convention because the primary was held in January. In another primary in this state, an underdog overcame a 20-point polling deficit to win in March of 2016. For the point, name this state where Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton thanks to wins in Kalamazoo and Washtenaw counties. | Michigan |
| The Harlow v. Fitzgerald decision strengthened this legal doctrine by replacing a "subjective good faith" test with an "objective" test. Ed Markey authored a bill called the "Ending [this practice] Act" and called this practice a "dangerous judicial doctrine." John Cornyn criticized legislation to end this doctrine because "we're already having trouble recruiting police." For the point, name this legal doctrine that protects police officers and other officials from civil lawsuits under Section 1983. | Qualified Immunity (prompt on partial answers) |
| In his 1849 State of the Union, Zachary Taylor noted that a proposed instance of this process "will become extensive and mutually advantageous" with the "Republic of 'Chili.'" The Supreme Court ruled that this process must occur "on an equal footing." Congress rejected attempts at this process in the territories of Sequoyah and Deseret. Outlined in Article Four, Section 3, Clause 1, for the point, what process led to the establishment of West Virginia and Kentucky? | Admission to the Union (accept answers such as Admission of a state into the U.S.; accept New States Clause) |
| A group of these people called "The Young Reformers" was partially blamed for the rise of crime in David Satter's Darkness at Dawn. The policies set by the Rosimushchestvo [[roh-SEE-moosh-CHEST-voh]] Committee, fronted by Anatoly Chubais [[choo-BICE]], led to the rise of these people. One of these people named Boris Berezovsky mysteriously died following vocal criticism of Vladimir Putin. For the point, name these powerful businessmen who acquired massive wealth in the wake of rapid privatization after the fall of the USSR. | Russian Oligarchs (accept Kleptocrats; prompt on "Russian businessmen" before mentioned) |
| This thinker criticized austerity with the example of a man who believes in a confidence fairy. This thinker examined liquidity traps in books such as The Return of Depression Economics. This thinker copied a Paul Wellstone title in a book that proposes a "new" New Deal for America, The Conscience of a Liberal. In 2008, this thinker won a Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on New Trade Theory. For the point, name this economist, a New York Times columnist and professor at Princeton. | Paul Robin Krugman |
| The artist Dread Scott faced controversy surrounding whether or not a 1989 artwork constituted this action. The 1969 Supreme Court case Street v. New York held that punishments for performing this action were unconstitutional under the First Amendment. This action, the subject of U.S. v. Eichman, was considered "expressive" and "communicative," and did not incite a "breach of peace" in Texas v. Johnson. For the point, name this intentional action concerning an object possibly created by Betsy Ross. | Flag Desecration (accept any answer indicating the Destruction, Burning, or Defiling of the American flag) |
| This scholar wrote a 1996 paper arguing that legalized abortion and oral contraception resulted in more out-of-wedlock childbirths. This student of James Tobin and Joseph Stiglitz wrote a dissertation on disequilibrium in labor markets in 1971. This economist chaired the Council of Economic Advisors under Bill Clinton and was nominated by Barack Obama to replace Ben Bernanke. For the point, name this former chair of the Federal Reserve Bank who became Secretary of the Treasury under Joe Biden. | Janet Yellen |
| Along with the Green Ecological Party, this party formed the Alliance for Change. In its country’s presidential elections in 2018, this party won only the state of Guanajuato [gwan-ah-HWAH-toe]] to finish a distant second. In 2000, this party ended a period of 71 consecutive years of rule by the previous ruling party. A former president from this party was expelled in 2013 for endorsing Enrique Peña Nieto over Josefina Vázquez Mota. For the point, name this conservative Mexican political party that elected Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderón. | PAN (accept National Action Party; accept Partido Acción Nacional) |
| Robert McNamara instructed researchers at this organization to develop the theories of mutually assured destruction and nuclear deterrence. While working at this nonprofit, Herman Kahn wrote On Thermonuclear War, providing the inspiration for Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove. This Santa Monica non-profit was originally founded as a spinoff from Douglas Aircraft Company. For the point, name this non-profit whose name indicates that it provides research and development for the American armed forces. | RAND Corporation (prompt on "Research and Development" before mentioned) |
| In April 2021, legislators argued that this procedure could be invoked for two bills in one year provided that both bills were for different fiscal years. "Extraneous" details included in this procedure are subject to removal according to the Byrd Rule. This procedure was used to pass the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and an August $3.5 trillion infrastructure plan. For the point, name this Senate parliamentary procedure, which allows bills to be passed with a simple majority to overcome a filibuster. | Budget Reconciliation |
| An 1890 Supreme Court case in Edgerton, Wisconsin, concerned a debate surrounding versions of this practice. This practice was found to violate the Establishment Clause in the 1991 case Lee v. Weisman. In Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, the Supreme Court ruled that this practice at high school football games was unconstitutional. Families sued Herricks Union Free School District over this practice, despite its denominationally neutral form. For the point, name this practice that was found to violate the First Amendment in Engel v. Vitale. | School prayer (accept Prayer in Public Schools; prompt on partial answer) |
| A two-time holder of this position, Carl Gustaf Ekman, led the Freeminded People's Party. A holder of this position from 1948 to 1969 made his country's air force the world's fourth largest despite remaining neutral in the Cold War. An outspoken critic of Apartheid who held this position may have been assassinated by South African police in 1986. The holder of this position since 2014 has been dubbed the "Harry Houdini of European politics" and leads the Social Democratic Party. For the point, name this position held by Tage Erlander, Olof Palme, and Stefan Löfven [[LURF-ven]], who governed from Stockholm. | Prime Minister of Sweden (or Swedish PM; accept Statsminister) |
| This author wrote that "A lion preys not on carcasses!" in a political pamphlet which attacks both hereditary privilege and Edmund Burke's support of the aristocracy. In one book, this author criticized Jean-Jacques Rousseau's [[roo-SOHS]] perception of rational education as laid out in Emile [[eh-MEEL]]. In that work, this author argued that its title subjects would be better citizens, wives, and daughters if they received more political rights. For the point, name this proto-feminist philosopher who wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. | Mary Wollstonecraft |
| This politician controversially radioed for support after his unit of Maglan soldiers came under mortar fire, leading to the Qana [[KAH-nuh]] Massacre. This politician served as CEO of anti-fraud software company Cyota. With Ayelet Shaked, he co-founded the right- wing Yisra'el Sheli movement. Since December 2018, this politician has led the New Right Party after heading The Jewish Home for six years prior. Yair Lapid will serve as Prime Minister after, for the point, what current prime minister of Israel who replaced Benjamin Netanyahu in 2021? | Naftali Bennett |
| The first known one of these events was carried out against AIDS researchers in 1989 by Joseph Popp. These events are offered "as a service" by groups such as REvil. Examples of these events were carried out with Reveton and WannaCry. The Russian group DarkSide has been identified as the group that carried out one of these events against the Colonial Pipeline. For the point, name these events in which malicious pieces of software encrypt a computer's files until a sum of money is paid to release them. | Ransomware attack (prompt on "malware" attack; prompt on "hacking") |
| Description acceptable. This action was taken by one country that borders Mozambique and South Africa on the fiftieth anniversary of its independence. The Prespa Agreement led another country to take this action, which settled a decades-long dispute with its Southern neighbor, Greece. Places like Upper Volta and Bessarabia have disappeared because of countries that have taken this action. For the point, identify this action which has led to unstable cartography in places like Myanmar and Czechia. | Renaming the Country (accept descriptive answers involving giving a new name to a country; accept synonyms for country such as nation or state) |
| In 2021, this politician was cleared of wrongdoing by James Hamilton in a scandal involving sexual harassment by her predecessor. This leader represents a constituency called "Southside" in one of her country’s largest cities. This leader of a regional left-wing party replaced Alex Salmond in 2014 and advocated for a second independence referendum after the failure of one in 2014. For the point, name this leader of the Scottish National Party who opposed Brexit. | Nicola Sturgeon |
| During a debate surrounding the Foot Resolution, this man stated that he did not want to see the sun shining on the "broken and dishonored fragments of a once glorious Union." This man negotiated a treaty with Alexander Baring which ended the Aroostook War. This politician declared, "Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable" in a debate with Robert Hayne. This man lost his Senate seat after defending the Fugitive Slave Act in his "Seventh of March" speech. For the point, name this early 19th-century Massachusetts Senator. | Daniel Webster |
| After an election was postponed from August 2020 due to COVID-19, one region of this country claimed the government as illegitimate and declared independence. This country's military launched Operation Alula in a failed attempt to retake the city of Mekelle from rebel forces. This country disputes the Al Fushqa [[FOOSH-kah]] District with Sudan. Since November 2020, this country has been engaged in a civil war in its Tigray Region. Since a 1998-2000 war, this country has experienced ongoing border skirmishes with Eritrea. For the point, name this East African country whose government is based in Addis Ababa. | Ethiopia (accept Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia) |
| Workers for this agency were given collective bargaining rights following a 1970 strike and "Reorganization Act." In 2009, John E. Potter testified before congress that this agency may be forced to halt Saturday operations. Prior to the 2020 election, this agency led by Louis DeJoy was heavily criticized for plans to remove sorting machines. Mr. Zip was a mascot created by this agency to promote the use of five digit sorting codes. For the point, name this federal agency that delivers packages and mail. | United States Postal Service (or USPS; accept Post Office) |
| One former speaker of the house from this state was known as "the Velvet Hammer" and the so-called "real governor" of this state. In addition to Mike Madigan, this state is home to Jim Oberweis, who narrowly failed in a campaign to unseat one of this state's representatives, Lauren Underwood in 2020. Politicians from this state include representative Adam Kinzinger and senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durban. For the point, name this state governed since 2019 by J.B. Pritzker. | Illinois |
| One of the largest of these groups of elected officials is dedicated to hunting and fishing and commonly has had between 200 and 300 members. Another of these organizations was founded by Tom Reed and Josh Gottheimer to promote bipartisan solutions. An attempt to simultaneously join two of these organizations, the CBC and CHC, led to a controversy involving Adriano Espaillat [[es-"PIE"-yaht]] in 2017. For the point, name this type of organization in Congress with names such as Freedom and Problem Solvers. | Caucus (accept Sportsmen's Caucus; accept Problem Solvers Caucus; accept Congressional Black Caucus; accept Congressional Hispanic Caucus) |
| One holder of this position ordered a mob to destroy Frank Costello’s slot machines with a sledgehammer. A holder of this position lost reelection partially due to fallout from the racially motivated Crown Heights riot. A holder of this position, Vincent R. Impellitteri, received regular advice from Robert Moses, who created many new pools, including in Astoria Park. The first African American holder of this position was David Dinkins. For the point, name this position held by politicians such as Fiorello La Guardia and Rudy Giuliani. | Mayor of New York City (accept NYC for "New York City") |
| Various men in this occupation from Persia and the White Huns are depicted in a painting by future Emperor Yuan of the Liang Dynasty known as Portraits of Periodical Offering. Three of these men working for the Mongolian empire had their heads shaved by the shah of the Khwarezmian Empire. Emperor Wu of Han sent one of these people, Zhang Qian [[JAHNG CHEE-ahn]], in a failed attempt to make contact with "Daqin," [[DAH-CHIN]] or the Roman Empire. Chinese eunuchs often served in, for the point, what position where an official makes contact with a foreign nation? | Diplomat (accept Emissary, Envoy, or Dignitary) |
| In a 1964 case originating in this state, Justice Hugo Black held that Article One required that "as nearly as practicable one man's vote in a congressional election is to be worth as much as another's." In another case from this state, Archibald Cox described a hypothetical road trip between Washington, D.C. and Miami. This state, the subject of Wesberry v. Sanders, was where Moreton Rolleston's motel refused to take Black customers, leading to a 1964 Supreme Court case. For the point, name this state, the setting of the Heart of Atlanta case. | Georgia |
| In August 2021, this politician asked his country's senate to investigate judges who were investigating him, warning of "institutional rupture." This politician is currently under investigation by Alexandre de Moraes for posting confidential documents on social media to promote his baseless claims of voter fraud. Although elected as a member of the Social Liberal Party in 2018, this politician is now an independent. For the point, name this president of Brazil. | Jair Bolsonaro |
| During a strike of people in this profession, Governor Jim Justice confusingly stated, "I’m telling you when we should do more is when we know we can do more." People with this profession are prohibited from serving in state legislatures in Michigan and Missouri unless they resign from their jobs. The number of people in this profession in the Oklahoma Legislature tripled in 2018 after a massive walkout earlier in the year. For the point, name this profession represented by unions such as the AFT and NEA. | Teachers (accept Educators) |
| This state has the only legislature in which members of both chambers serve in staggered four-year terms. In this state, a party faction called the Republican Organizing Committee became influential in the 1940s, led by figures such as Senator Milton Young. It’s not Minnesota, but this state’s Democratic party goes by another official name, the Democratic-NPL Party. For the point, name this Plains state whose capitol features a 21- story Art Deco tower in Bismarck. | North Dakota (prompt on partial answers; do not prompt or accept "South Dakota") |
| This political figure was exiled after being decisively defeated at the Battle of Amphipolis. In a historiographical work by this man, the deaths of strategoi Cleon and Brasidas result in the peace of Nicias [[nih-KEE-us]]. This scholar, who branded his contemporary Herodotus as a story-weaver, later stated that "war is a violent teacher" in a work whose second book concerns the funeral oration of Pericles. For the point, name this Ancient Greek historian who wrote The History of the Peloponnesian War. | Thucydides |