Sanjana's AP Govt Blog

1. Why was it strange for the Democratic candidate to win in the Pennsylvania district? It was strange because Trump won in that district by 20 percentage points. 2. On the chart, what is "Democratic swing"? Democratic swing is the difference between the special election result and the district’s partisan lean. 3. Which special elections so far have had the largest Democratic swing? Alabama U.S. Senate, Kansas 4th, and Pennsylvania 18th have had the largest Democratic swing. 4. How is the generic ballot polling different from the results to far in these special elections? Republicans trail Democrats by  8 or 9 percentage points on the generic ballot, which suggests a close race for control of the House this year that only narrowly favors Democrats. By contrast, the 16- or 17-point average Democratic overperformance in special elections so far suggests that Democrats are gaining lots of support. 5. What is the difference in the Republican and Democratic level...

1. Where do the district court and appellate court fit into the organization of the federal courts? The district court is a trial court within the Ninth Circuit. The appellate court is a step higher overseeing all individual courts. 2. What makes the 9th Circuit stand out from the other circuit courts? It is considered liberal and is prone to left-wing rulings often overturned by the Supreme Court. It is also the largest amongst its peers. 3. What historical cause may make this Circuit Court more liberal than others? Carter's appointment of 15 judges of whom were some of the most liberal may be the cause. 4. Give two examples of very liberal decisions that have come from judges on this court. The Ninth Circuit ruled that the Second Amendment does not recognize an individual right to bear arms, and argued that bans on assisted suicide are unconstitutional. 5. What happens to most appellate court decisions when they reach the Supreme Court? Most decisions by appell...