Politics & Superpowers
SOCIETY
LARGEST
ILLEGAL RELEASE
OF CLASSIFIED
DOCUMENTS
In Apr 2016, a
collection of
documents from the
internal database of
Panamanian law firm
Mossack Fonseca
was released,
revealing the secret
offshore holdings of
140 politicians, public
officials and athletes.
The leak, which had
more than 11 million
records dating back
40 years, is roughly
1,500 times as big as
the data dumped in
2010 by WikiLeaks.Franklin D Roosevelt is the only US president to have served four terms (1933–45).
The United States Constitution now limits all US presidents to two terms only.First political hacktivism
“Hacktivism” describes protests that use
computer networks to try to achieve
a political goal. The first recorded
instance of this occurred in Oct 1989,
when computers owned by NASA and
the US Department of Energy were
penetrated by the “Worms Against
Nuclear Killers” cyber worm.Most sentences commuted
by a US president
By the time he left office on 20 Jan 2017, Barack
Obama had granted clemency to 1,715 prisoners.
He commuted 330 federal inmates on his final
full day in office, 19 Jan 2017. Obama tweeted:
“America is a nation of second chances, and
1,715 people deserved that shot.”Most expensive presidential inauguration
President Donald Trump’s Inaugural Committee
raised ȯ90 m (ȳ73.19 m) to cover the costs of
his inauguration on 20 Jan 2017 – more than
double that raised by President Obama in 2013.
Donations included ȯ1 m (ȳ813,445) from
Boeing, Dow Chemical and the Bank of America.Longest-serving non-royal
head of state (ever)
On 25 Nov 2016, Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, aka
Fidel Castro (CUB, b. 13 Aug 1926), died. He held
the top political position in Cuba, first as prime
minister (1959–76) and then as president
(1976–2008), for 49 years 3 days.
In 2006, Fabián Escalante, a bodyguard
assigned to protect Fidel Castro, announced
that there had been 638 attempts on Castro’s
life – the most failed assassinations.Longest time in power
for a political party
Founded in 1929, and elected that year,
Mexico’s Institutional Revolutionary Party
(PRI) remained in power until 2000 – a period of
71 years. It was originally called the National
Revolutionary Party before changing to the
Party of the Mexican Revolution in 1938,
and again in 1946 to its current name.Shortest presidency
Pedro Lascuráin ruled Mexico for
1 hr on 19 Feb 1913. Lascurin was
the legal successor to President Madero,
who was deposed and later murdered.
The vice president of Mexico
was under arrest at the time,
so Lascuráin was sworn
in, appointed General
Victoriano Huerta as his
successor, then resigned.Richest prime minister
According to Forbes, Silvio Berlusconi of Italy
had an estimated fortune of ȯ11 bn (ȳ6 bn)
in 2005. It is rumoured that Vladimir Putin, the
former prime minister and current president
of Russia, has an estimated net worth of
ȯ70 bn (ȳ56.9 bn), but Forbes has been unable
to substantiate this.Largest parliament (legislative body)
China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) has
2,987 members, who meet annually in the
Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Members are
elected for five-year terms by municipal, regional
and provincial “people’s congresses”, as well as
by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).Tallest world leader
Filip Vujanovi became president of Montenegro
in May 2003. At 6 ft 5 in (196 cm), he was the
tallest president as of 2016. Formerly prime
minister of Montenegro, he was elected president
when the country gained its independence.
He was re-elected in 2 008 and 2013.
The shortest world leader was Benito
Jurez, who served as president of Mexico from
1858 to 1872 and stood 4 ft 6 in (137 cm) tall.YOUNGEST...
“Baby of the House”
The term ”Baby of the House” is the unofficial
title given to the youngest member of a
parliamentary body. In 2010, Anton Abele
(SWE, b. 10 Jan 1992) was elected to stand for
Stockholm county aged 18 years 277 days.Head of state (current)
Kim Jong-un became leader of North Korea
on 17 Dec 2011, following the death of his father
Kim Jong-il. Jong-un’s exact age has never
been confirmed, but he is thought to have
been 27 years old at the time of his succession.Reigning monarch
Rukirabasaija Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru
Rukidi IV, aka King Oyo (b. 16 Apr 1992), was
three years old when he came to power in
the Ugandan kingdom of Toro in 1995. He now
rules over 3Ʌ of Uganda’s 33-million-strong
population. His influence is largely symbolic, as
the country is governed by an elected president.LONGEST-REIGNING LIVING MONARCH
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne of
Great Britain on 6 Feb 1952 and had reigned uninterrupted
for 65 years 57 days as of 4 Apr 2017. The Queen’s role is
nominal and ceremonial, exercising no political powers.
Alongside the UK, more than 139 million people in
15 Commonwealth states, including Australia and Canada,
recognize the Queen as their monarch – the most countries
governed by the same head of state simultaneously.Q: What important
political events do
psephologists study?
A: ElectionsThe Queen
has a second
“official” birthday in
June. She follows in a
tradition started in 1748
by George^ II, who felt that
his November birthday
would be too cold for
a parade and so set
up a second in
summer.Women appointed or elected
as head of a government:Women appointed or
elected as head of state
in a presidential system:Germany:
Angela MerkelBangladesh:
Sheikh HasinaNorway:
Erna SolbergNamibia:
Saara KuugongelwaPoland:
Beata SzydÂoMyanmar:
Aung San Suu KyiUK:
Theresa MayLiberia:
Ellen Johnson SirleafSwitzerland:
Doris LeuthardLithuania:
Dalia GrybauskaitChile:
Michelle BacheletMalta:
Marie-Louise
Coleiro PrecaCroatia:
Kolinda
Grabar-KitaroviMauritius:
Ameenah GuribNepal:
Bidhya Devi BhandariMarshall Islands:
Hilda HeineChinese Taipei:
Tsai Ing-wenEstonia:
Kersti KaljulaidFEMALE HEADS
OF GOVERNMENTFEMALE HEADS
OF S TAT EAll details correct
as of 23 Mar 2017