A Vote of No Confidence: How to Obliterate Your Current Government

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged

Society & Culture, History

4.2 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 1 August 2019

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Americans and Europeans are confused by much about each other, especially their respective governmental systems. Europeans are baffled by American elections, the powers of the president, and most of all, the electoral college (how again is the popular vote winner not the president?). Americans are even more baffled by parliamentary politics, especially how the prime minister and even the entire ruling party can be removed before election time by this mystical tool of government called a “vote of no confidence.”

What on earth does that mean? Scott's first encounter with this term was, sadly, in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, in which Natalie Portman's Queen Amidala removes the current chancellor for power for his failure to stop the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo by such a vote. Getting beyond bad filmmaking and Jar Jar Binks, what does a vote of no confidence actually mean? Where does it come from? And how has it been used in the past?

This episode goes over much more, especially the main differences with the British House of Commons vs. the American House of Representatives. Moreover, it looks at the differences between politicians being loyal to the nation vs. being loyal to their political party.

Transcript

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0:00.0	They were some of the most powerful men who've ever lived.
0:02.8	They waged war, forged peace, and altered the fates of billions of people,
0:06.9	and yet they were just as human, just as flawed as you and me.
0:10.6	They were the presidents of the United States, and they are the subjects of the history podcast
0:15.0	this American president. In each episode of this American president, we explore how flawed men
0:20.5	have managed this awesome responsibility. To listen now, go to pathanonpodcast.com or search
0:26.8	this American president on your favorite podcast platform.
0:30.0	The history of the Popes of Rome and Christianity reaches into nearly every aspect of history.
0:36.4	In the history of the papacy podcast, we step over the rope. We dive into discover more about the
0:42.6	people events and background that define the influence of the Popes of Rome and church not only
0:48.0	on the west, but the world. To start listening now, go to pathanonpodcast.com or search for
0:55.8	history of the papacy on your favorite podcast platform.
1:02.8	Welcome to the history unplugged podcast. The unscripted show that celebrates unsung heroes,
1:09.4	Mythbust's historical lies, and rediscoveres the forgotten stories that changed our world.
1:16.0	I'm your host, Scott Rank.
1:18.4	Hi everyone. Welcome to today's episode where we're going to get all into politics and talk about
1:27.3	differences in specifically how the United States government is set up and how other parliamentary
1:32.8	governments are set up across the world, notably Great Britain, due to historical circumstances.
1:39.7	The topic of today's episode comes from listener Joyce Normett and she asks,
1:44.2	can you illustrate differences with the House of Commons versus the House of Representatives
1:48.7	and the House of Congress comparing both the US and the UK and MPs versus Senators in congressman.
1:54.9	And can you illustrate the differences where members will put state ahead of their party?
	...

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