Politics & Democracy debate motions

In a Presidential system, the President is directly elected by the people, and acts as both Head of State and Head of Government. The executive branch is completely separate from the legislature. In a Parliamentary system, the Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government, is not directly elected by the public but is the leader of the majority party or coalition in Parliament.

In many countries, corporations are allowed to donate money to political parties or election campaigns, either directly or indirectly.

A political outsider is a person who has not previously held a significant position within politics. They may have backgrounds in business, activism, entertainment, or other fields outside of politics.

Currently, almost every country uses a minimum age requirement (usually 18) to decide who is allowed to vote. A political literacy test is an exam that measures a person's basic understanding of how their country's government works.

For the purpose of this debate, party drugs are cocaine, ecstasy (MDMA), ketamine, LSD and GHB.

The sequencing-first model of democratization refers to an approach where liberal-democratic institutions are developed by elites who had significant influence during the colonial era before electoral competition is introduced in nascent political systems. In contrast, the elections-first model prioritizes the rapid introduction of multi-party elections even if the necessary institutions to support fair and effective governance are underdeveloped.

Approximately 65% of Victorians support entering into a treaty with Victoria's Indigenous People. The Victorian government is currently involved in negotiations with the Treaty Authority (a special Statutory Authority) which are expected to result in a treaty within the next 2-3 years.

Josh Frydenberg is a moderate Liberal politician. He supported the Voice to Parliament and belonged to the centre-right faction of the Liberal party.

"A habatsu is a formal faction within Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), acting as a ""party within a party."" They were unique as a highly institutionalized system that controlled LDP politics through patronage, fundraising, and power-brokering. Unlike informal cliques, habatsu had official names, leaders, and offices. Their primary function was to secure ministerial posts and party positions for their members in exchange for loyalty. In late 2023, it was revealed that key factions had systematically failed to report millions of yen from fundraising parties, channeling the money into illegal slush funds. In response to plummeting approval ratings caused by the revealed corruption, the scandal led to the dissolution of most major factions."

The strategy of the cordon sanitaire involves all major political parties agreeing to refuse cooperating with far right political parties.

The "27 Club" refers to famous cultural icons—like Jimi Hendrix and Amy Winehouse—who died at age 27, often after achieving massive fame. It symbolizes a short, intense life of creativity, influence, and self- destruction.

Blind voting refers to a system where voters cast their votes for various policies and a candidate is matched to them based on their preferences.

Proportional representation is an electoral system that elects multiple representatives in each district, in proportion to the number of people who vote for each party. Districts are typically larger to accommodate more Congressional seats per district. Comparatively, in First-past-the-post electoral systems, political parties compete for every district's seat individually, and the party with the highest percentage of votes in that district wins its respective seat. Districts are typically smaller, with only 1-2 representatives per district

In Estonia, permanent residents, regardless of their citizenship status, currently have the right to vote in local council elections (_municipal elections_). Estonia is currently planning to amend its constitution to revoke voting rights in local elections for residents who are citizens of "aggressor states", this impacts approximately 80,000 Russian citizens and 3,000 Belarusian citizens in Estonia. Stateless individuals (a category that includes many ethnic Russians), citizens of EU or NATO member states will not be affected. The government aims to implement this policy before the next local elections, scheduled for October 2025. The total population of ethnic Russians in Estonia is estimated to be around 296 000.

A Civic Competence Test is a government-administered assessment combining elements of civic knowledge (e.g., understanding political institutions, rights, and obligations) and critical thinking (e.g., identifying misinformation, distinguishing facts from opinions).

Party affiliation refers to the political party or group a candidate belongs to. On the other hand, individual candidate qualities refer to traits that the candidate possesses, including but not limited to experience, positions on key issues, and personal beliefs.

There is a pill that maximizes an individual's potential based on their aptitude. For example, if someone has the potential to become the world's greatest chef, the pill will immediately unlock that potential.

Currently, the Philippines allows 'split-ticket' voting where the President and Vice President are elected separately, rather than together (such as in the United States and Indonesia). Since the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, only two elections have resulted in the President and Vice Presidents being elected from the same political party: in 2004, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with running mate VP Noli De Castro, and in 2022, President Bongbong Marcos with running mate VP Sara Duterte. Traditionally, Vice Presidents in the Philippines are appointed as secretaries of departments (e.g. Department of Social Welfare and Development, Education, and Agriculture) under the executive.

In Kenya, youth protests have been a significant part of the political landscape in 2024, especially in the context of economic challenges, rising taxes, and the demand for systemic reforms. Youth across the country have mobilized to demand change on issues such as unemployment, education, and economic empowerment

Pathologization is to view or to characterize as medically or psychologically abnormal. In the past two decades, the rates at which mental disorders are being labelled as well as diagnosed have been rapidly increasing. New conditions such as Pre-menstrual Dysphoric Disorder, Hoarding Disorder, and Prolonged Grief Disorder are being added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM. The percentage of American children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) tripled to 11.4% over the past 10 years, and 50% of adults aged 18-24 report symptoms of anxiety and depression compared to 30% of adults overall.

Traditionally, each US state selects its own day to hold its presidential primary. The usual order for the beginning of the primaries is Iowa 1st, New Hampshire 2nd, Nevada 3rd and South Carolina 4th. Some states joined together to hold their primaries on the same day, the most prominent example being 'Super Tuesday'. In 2024, the Democratic party opted to have South Carolina, rather than Iowa, hold the first primary.

City Council Dismissals (CCDs) allow the central government to replace local- government executives (e.g. mayors, councillors, etc.) they deem to be engaging in criminal activity, with experienced non-elected civil servants from a different region for the remainder of the original term.

A referendum is a direct vote in which the entire electorate is invited to either accept or reject a particular proposal, law, or constitutional amendment. It is a form of direct democracy where citizens have the opportunity to express their opinion on a specific issue by casting their votes.

Arcadia is a state that is divided into semiautonomous zones, organized on the basis of political philosophy. In Arcadia for example, civilisation is composed of a libertarian community with a fully deregulated economy and low taxes, an anarcho-primitivist community where people live in a state of nature with no laws, and more. There is a neutral central entity whose only duties are to prevent communities of Arcadia from causing harm to each other, ensuring freedom to move from one community to another, and preventing unwanted ideological contamination. Information about each zone is disemminated and assumed to be accessible to all.

Decades of violence plague eastern DR Congo, fueled by a deadly mix of factors. Resource wealth, like gold and coltan, tempts armed groups like M23 to fight for control. Ethnic tensions simmer beneath the surface, further fracturing the region. DR Congo's government struggles to maintain control, and neighboring countries like Rwanda and Uganda are accused of backing rebel groups, worsening the conflict. This complex web of greed, historical grievances, and external interference leaves civilians caught in the crossfire, displaced and suffering.

Regional parliamentary sessions would allow the national parliament of Uganda to hold its sessions in various locations across the country, rotating from one region to another. this means that parliament would not have a permanent location (such as in the capital city) but would instead shift its sessions between different regions. The first regional session is currently in session in Gulu.

A "firebrand" politician is one that focuses their political persona and campaign narrative on inciting great changes, extremely passionate, and one that wields huge personality, often polarizing and intentionally creating conflict

In children's entertainment, a political message specifically addresses issues, policies, or power dynamics related to governance and public affairs. It aims to shape public opinion, influence political decisions, or promote specific political ideologies. Examples of children's media with political messages include "The Lorax," "Zootopia," and "Pocahontas" It should not be confused with apolitical moral messages, which focus on teaching universal values like honesty, kindness, and empathy, and are prevalent in most children's media (e.g. "SpongeBob SquarePants," "Dora the Explorer," and "The Powerpuff Girls."). The key distinction that makes a message political lies in whether the message primarily addresses specific political issues as compared to broader ethical principles.

Deficit financing is a deliberate voluntary strategy used by governments to finance their budget deficits or shortfalls in revenue by borrowing money rather than reducing expenditures or increasing taxes, in order to achieve specific economic and social objectives.

(1) Information democratization refers to the current trend of increased citizen creation, distribution, exhibition, and curation of information. (2) Financial information refers to data and insight related to an individual's or organization's financial situation, including income, expenses, assets, liabilities, investments, and economic trends. Financial advice, on the other hand, involves the interpretation and application of this information to provide guidance or recommendations.

Voting is the process by which citizens of a country, state, or municipality express their opinions or preferences on a particular issue or candidate. It is an important way for people to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives and communities. In most countries, the voting age is the minimum age at which a person is legally allowed to vote in an election. The voting age is typically set by law and can vary from country to country. In many countries, the voting age is 18.

Publicly run utilities/infrastructure are services provided by the government, for example public schools, public transportation and government-run hospitals.

The Yakuza is a collective term for Japanese organized crime syndicates, similar to the Mafia in Italy or other organized crime groups around the world. Yakuza groups are involved in a wide range of illegal activities, including drug trafficking, illegal gambling, loan sharking, extortion, human trafficking, and various white-collar crimes. They are also known to have legitimate business interests, which they use to launder money and maintain influence in society. At its peak in the 1960s, the yakuza had more than 180,000 members. Of late, stricter laws such as those forbidding yakuza members from opening bank accounts, obtaining a credit card, taking out insurance policies or even signing a contract for a mobile phone have made a life of crime increasingly unappealing. There are thought to be about 25,000 active yakuza members in Japan today.

BRICS is a new economic bloc consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The bloc is founded on the principles of forming global economic power, absent of the US and runs counter to the Western led G7 countries. Recently they have developed their own alternatives to large financial institutions like their own version of the IMF, a unique reserve currency meant to combat the USD and an alternative banking system off the Wall Street controlled SWIFT system. Multiple countries are seeking to join BRICS like Argentina and Iran while some are already benefits of it's subsidiaries like the UAE and Egypt. BRICS are also seeking new allies in Asia like Indonesia.

Advanced Analytics is the autonomous or semi-autonomous examination of data or content. It involves using sophisticated techniques such as machine learning algorithms, deep learning, predictive modelling, or other tools to discover deeper insights, make predictions, or generate recommendations. Advanced Analytics can be used for political microtargeting, which involves identifying the detailed profile of individual voters and voter groups, testing the most persuasive messages, and tailoring campaign strategy to target different voter profiles.

B: Since roughly the 1960s, there has been a gradual shift in the average education level of voter demographics for different political parties in democracies across the world. In the mid-twentieth century, the richest and most educated voters typically voted conservative while poorer, less educated voters tended to vote for social democratic/labour parties. While it is still true that the richest voters vote conservative and poorer voters vote progressive, more highly educated voters now tend to be more left-wing. One explanation for this trend is that rates of education attainment have gone up, meaning that education is no longer closely associated with elite voters. This trend has seen relatively less-educated voters vote in increased numbers for right-wing populists like Donald Trump.

A: The Presidential Leadership Council is the executive body of Yemen's internationally-recognized government, formed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by a presidential decree on 7 April 2022, to seek a "comprehensive political solution" to the Yemeni civil war. It is headed by Rashad Muhammad Al-Alimi and has a membership of eight members after having Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi's resignation.

B: Japan has lifted a ban on the creation of animal-human hybrids by allowing scientists to conduct stem-cell experiments to grow human organs inside animals. China has also been experimenting with the transplant of human brain cells into animal subjects to achieve advanced cognition.

With budgetary aid, funds are given directly to a recipient country's government. This is independent from project aid (funds directed towards a particular relief project) and central bank aid.

In democracies head of states generally have 3 to 5 years terms. A term limit refers to a maximum number of term limits that a head of states can have e.g.: a US president can be elected a maximum of 2 terms

for the purposes of this debate, the number of votes someone can have in an election can exceed the normal one vote per person

western liberal democracies refer to countries from the global west along with Australia and New Zealand that generally have open and democratic countries.

For the context of this debate, blind voting refers to an electoral system where ballots do not include the names of politicians and partylists and instead are replaced by a number of policy and platform preferences that voters can get to choose from.

For the purposes of this debate, the test for politicians will determine their ability to make good decisions in governing a country. The test will include aspects of economics, international relations and governance. It will be scored by a panel of experts who are well versed in the respective fields.

Poland was hit with a record-high daily fine of €1 million for not complying with an EU court order to suspend the country's controversial 'disciplinary chamber' for judges, which has the power to expose judges to criminal proceedings. In the EU's view, the 'disciplinary chamber' undermines judicial independence. The fine was enacted by cutting €1m/day from Poland's EU funding.

University Council Representatives are voted into position by other university students. They oversee university policies that affect students in anyway. They also represent the students in University board meetings. They were elected to uphold the demands and voices of the student body as a whole.

The Met Gala is an annual event organised by Vogue to raise funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was started in 1948 and is widely considered to be one of the most luxurious, extravagant and exclusive events in the world. This year, the value of a ticket for the event was $35,000 and while some invited attendees don't have to pay for this ticket, many believe that the cost of attending this event reflects an unnecessary extravagance. While the event is often viewed as a reflection of fashionable high culture, many attendees decided to show up wearing clothes that defy existing ideas surrounding what is and isn't "fashionable". From Alexandria Ocasio Cortez to Cara Delevingne and Carolyn B. Maloney, several politicians and celebrities decided to wear clothes that explicitly seek to make a progressive socio-political statement. According to Judith Thurman, this year's Met Gala raises questions about the position of "protest fashion" in contemporary society. She argues that women throughout history have used fashion as a means of expressing their resistance to oppressive institutions and frameworks. However, several individuals have pointed out that the attempt to take progressive politics inside an event like the Met Gala has ultimately added to the event's legitimacy. Furthermore, while the event was going on, several Black Lives Matter protestors were being arrested for calling out the police for its unwillingness to protect marginalized communities. Given the nature of these events, several activists have questioned the validity of carrying progressive political statements into spaces that are potentially repeating the very cycle of oppression that the protestors outside the event are fighting against.

National legislation requires French broadcasters to give all 11 candidates in the presidential race exactly the same airtime. And it's not just about how much they talk – it's also about how much they are shown on camera or how much journalists talk about them. This means that political debates will include say, all 11 candidates contesting an election - regardless of their political trajectory or experience - having to speak within the 3 hours allocated to the debate.

In 1984, Kanshi Ram founded the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with the intention of politically representing Dalits and other minorities in the country. He maintained that his party's struggle for justice and equality will encompass the concerns of Dalits, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and several other religious and social minorities. The current president of the party, Mayawati will soon be contesting for the 2022 UP Legislative Assembly elections. In the past, Mayawati has found some electoral success by following what Paul R. Brass calls the "coalition of extremes" strategy, through which she advocated for a sense of unity between Dalits, Muslims and Brahmins. In the 2007 Assembly elections, BSP had come to power by winning 206/403 constituencies after persistently advocating for a Dalit-Muslim-Brahmin "brotherhood". Motivated by these events, the BSP is currently trying to repeat the strategy that brought them electoral success several years ago. On 18th July 2021, Mayawati announced a "Brahmin Sammelan" (Brahmin conference) through which she accused the ruling BJP government of exploiting the Brahmin community by falsely earning their trust and ignoring their requirements thereafter. Mayawati is actively making these claims in a context where the Brahmins and the Thakurs are at odds with one another given that the nominated CM belongs to the latter. Furthermore, out of the total of 7 BJP MPs that were inducted into the Council of ministers by the Prime Minister, only one was a Brahmin. These moves have motivated the BSP and other opposition parties in UP like the Samajwadi Party to start lobbying for votes from the Brahmin voter base. Many however, believe that the BSP's proposed strategy is destined to fail because of the polarised nature of Indian politics today. According to Hisam Siddiqui, the party's strategy is currently at risk of alienating several Muslims within the state who might instead jump ship to support the Samajwadi Party who had also found electoral success in 2012. Furthermore, this strategy is also alienating several Dalit scholars and activists who believe that the political ambitions of the party currently are directly contradicting the intention with which it was started. Despite all these criticisms, the party leaders are confident and feel like their inability to incorporate the Brahmin voter base has allowed the BJP to construct an atmosphere of fear and hatred within UP. They feel that it is incumbent upon them to reach out to the Brahmin voter base so that they may realise that their interests need not be in alignment with a casteist framework of society.

Stoicism was a school of philosophy that was founded by Zeno of Cyprus in Athens during the Hellenistic period. The stoics believed that the expression of emotions like fear, anger and grief emerged from an error of judgement, and they often advocated for a sense of rational "stoic calm" that would allow the individual to carefully respond to their situations. Stoics never actively vouched for a sense of passivity, rather they believed that an ideal political leader could influence significant change by exercising stoic self-restraint and censoring their "emotional excesses". The stoics however primarily focused on advising the individual about navigating their lives in the world as it exists. Its opposition to emotional expression has been a key aspect that has worried several scholars about how it disproportionately privileges certain types of leaders over others.

A debt ceiling refers to an upper limit - usually fixed in % to the GDP - of debt that a government is legally permitted to incur. Debt ceilings may be reviewed and amended every few years or so.

Blind voting refers to a system where voters cast their votes for various policies, and a candidate is matched to them based on their preferences.

A collateralized loan obligation (CLO) is a single security backed by a pool of debt. Collateralized loan obligations (CLO) are often backed by corporate loans with low credit ratings or loans taken out by private equity firms to conduct leveraged buyouts.With a CLO, the investor receives scheduled debt payments from the underlying loans, assuming most of the risk in the event that borrowers default. In exchange for taking on the default risk, the investor is offered the potential for higher-than-average returns

The Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) is currently the biggest and one of the first private political consultancies in India. They have conducted multiple campaigns for political parties and led them to electoral victory.IPAC is led by one of India's most popular political strategists, Prashant Kishor. Post the emergence of IPAC, multiple smaller political consultancies have come up in India, creating a market for the same, for example, Rashtra, Political Edge, Leadtech, etc. Recently, IPAC has been known for running election campaigns to defeat BJP in assembly elections, namely in Delhi for Arvind Kejriwal, and in West Bengal for Mamta Banerjee.

On 9th September 2021, Cricket Australia declared it would cancel the proposed men's Test match between Australia and Afghanistan in November. If held, it would be the first ever Test between the two nations. The announcement came in light of the Taliban in Afghanistan refusing support for women's cricket in the country.

All Zoo animals are sentient and can talk to each other, without humans realising. Your name is Icarus, an Owl who is the leader of an underground resistance movement in the New York sewer system with your fellow escaped zoo animals. Your squad is comprised of a Chimpanzee named Nim Chimpsky, a Tiger named Tony, a Beaver named Woody, an Octopus named Dr. Peuss, a Zebra named Zoinky, and four penguins named Private, Kowalski, Skipper, and Rico. The group is discussing what to do next. There is a fully formed plan to head to Madagascar, where you can all peacefully live the rest of your life in the wild. The alternative proposal is to begin a mass resistance movement, liberating zoos across the country, freeing animals and recruiting them into your underground network. As you are very wise, you have the final say.

Party hopping (also known as party switching) is any change in political party affiliation of a partisan public figure, usually one currently holding elected office. It occurs quite commonly in Brazil, Italy, Romania, Ukraine, India, Malaysia, and the Philippines. This form of political house trading is often done with the intention to grab power. By leaving the existing party to form new parties or make alliances with smaller ones, it could trigger several rounds of frequent political defections by the serial-turncoat politicians within a span of few weeks which results in the dissolution of the ruling party.

This house is a Democratic house candidate who has narrowly lost their election. There is massive gerry-mandering and extensively-reported voter suppression in your state.

Unlike amendments which amend specific clauses in a constitution on an ad-hoc basis, a constituional convention is the gathering of delegates for the purpose of writing, rewriting, or maintaining the entire constution of a nation

Section 230 is a piece of Internet legislation in the United States that provides immunity for website platforms from third-party content. It protects websites from lawsuits if a user posts something illegal, although there are exceptions for copyright violations, sex work-related material, and violations of federal criminal law.

The Goldwater rule is Section 7 in the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Principles of Medical Ethics, which states that psychiatrists have a responsibility to participate in activities contributing to the improvement of the community and the betterment of public health, but they should not give a professional opinion about public figures whom they have not examined in person, and from whom they have not obtained consent to discuss their mental health in public statements.

Political advertising is a form of advertising used for the purpose of appealing, directly or indirectly, for votes or for financial or other support in any election campaign

Benjamin Netanyahu, has been ousted from office by a coalition of rivals, ending his 12-year run in power. Israel's new prime minister, Naftali Bennett was sworn in on Sunday after a vote of confidence with the narrowest of margins; 60 votes to 59. Bennett, the far right leader of Yamina party, will be prime minister until September 2023 as part of a power-sharing deal. He will then hand power over to Yair Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid party, for a further two years. Bennett leads a self-described "government of change" that is a mix of ideologically opposed politicians from the left (Labor), the centre (Lapid), hardline Jewish religious nationalists and a small Arab Islamist party. Bennett has long opposed the two-state solution - and the cessation of military action against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He is in support of the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem

Paul is a person of color who is running for an elected position. He is a progressive, who advocates for policies that would greatly improve welfare for minority communities and ensure economic development. You are a young journalist who strongly believes in progressive ideas. You have come across evidence that several years ago, Paul illegally assisted in covering up for a colleage who had accepted bribes. You are reasonably confident that no one else will find this evidence if you say nothing."

Newsmax and One America News Network (OANN) are far-right cable channels. They are notorious for their racist contens, including commentaries, and conspiracies revolving American politics. OAN and Newsmax pulled in their highest ratings ever in 2020. In December 2020,Newsmax TV scored a ratings win over Fox News for the first time ever, indicating Fox News' losening grip on American conservative audiences

The global minimum tax reform is a proposal that calls for corporations around the world to pay at least a 15% tax on earnings to governments. The proposal sets a minimum tax requirement fo all states however governments could still set whatever local corporate tax rate they want, but if companies pay lower rates in a particular country, their home governments could "top-up" their taxes to the minimum rate.

"Compromise politics" or politics of compromise, refers to the political culture whereby bipartisanship or "crossing of aisles" is seen as a main goal. In achieving that goal, politicians will tend to be willing to compromise on stances, policies and/or principles, for the benefit of cooperation.

A consorting law makes it a criminal offence for a person to continue to associate or communicate with at least two people who have previously been convicted of an indictable offence, after receiving and official police warning

Political beings are individuals who are conscious of politics and actively participate in them. This includes being the target of political messaging, participating in protests, and actively consuming political content

In response to the actions of the far-right, there is a rise of polarising online content creators that provide editorial opinions and educational lectures from socialist, communist, anarchist, and other left-wing perspectives. Some of these examples include Hbomberguy, Contrapoints, Vaush, etc

In the US, conservatorship is a rule granted by a court for individuals who are unable to make their own decisions, like those with dementia or other mental illnesses. Just this year, pop star Britney Spears became the subject of a massive controversy after media outlets showcased her ongoing legal battle against her conservator and father, Jamie Spears

1Sambayan is a broad coalition of opposition figures that aims to challenge the Duterte Administration. Currently, it is led by retired Supreme Court (SC) associate justice Antonio Carpio together with former ombudsman Conchita Morales and former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario.

Prior to winning the Vice Presidential seat in 2016, Leni Robredo has served as a representative in the 3rd District of Camarines Sur for the 16th Congress of the Philippine House of Representatives In the upcoming 2022 elections, several groups have called for VP Leni Robredo to run as president against Sara Duterte, Isko Moreno, Manny Pacquiao, and Bong Bong Marcos. However, there is also an on-going grassroots campaign to encourage Robredo to run as Governor instead of Camarines Sur (a province that for many years has been under the political dynasty - Villafuertes).

Former US Vice President Mike Pence signed a multimillion-dollar contract with major publishing company Simon & Schuster to publish his memoir. Employees of the company then called for a petition to reject the deal on the basis of Mike Pence's problematic views. However, Simon & Schuster's CEO, Jonathan Karp, refused to cancel the contract.

Micro transactions allow video game users to purchase virtual items for relatively smaller amounts of real money. These often appear in free-to-play games where in there is no cost to download the game itself. Examples of micro transactions include but not limited to avatar skins, downloadable content, and expansion packs which improve gameplay of the performance of a player.

Blockchain is a kind of record-keeping technology which stores data in blocks that it chains together chronologically each time new data is added, creating an ever-expanding link of information that is continuously verified by a vast network of server farms and individual "miners." This peer-to-peer verification keeps the information very secure, but also results in an extremely high electricity consumption to maintain the networks (currently estimated at over 130 Terrawatt hours in a year, or 0.6% of global electricity consumption). A basic purpose of Blockchain is to be able to assign a unique identity to a tradeable piece of digital information, preventing attempts to alter or replicate it (because the peer-to-peer verification system mentioned above would detect such violations). A core use of Blockchain is cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Etherium, which are able to function as a decentralized currency without a central bank or government's control. The blockchain is used to store a ledger of transactions on each coin, and the verification system keeps in place an artificial scarcity that prevents more from being "printed out." Some other examples include the NFT (Non-Fungible Token) - a way of trading "ownership" of digital art by storing unique links to art pieces in blockchain form - as well as digital collectibles.

In the year 2025 the mystical energy released from a volcanic eruption makes ghosts capable of being perceived by humans. These ghosts appear as translucent versions of their former selves, cannot interact with the physical world, but are able to communicate just as if they were alive.

In the final Hunger Games film, following Prim's death and President Snow's capture, the war between Panem and the rebels has ended. Coin (the rebel leader) assembles all of the living victors of the Hunger Games, and proposes hosting a final symbolic Games featuring the children of Capitol leaders. Coin claims that one last game would be a perfect way to satisfy the districts' bloodlust, with a more limited loss of life.

Danone (along with Nestlé and Unilever) is one of the three largest food-production companies in Europe. Under the leadership of CEO Emmanuel Faber, Danone was known for placing a higher emphasis on environmental and social standards than its competitors (e.g. investing in vegan products, maintaining better working conditions, and working to reduce its overall environmental footprint). In March 2021, Danone's shareholders forced Faber to resign as CEO. The push to remove Faber was led by Bluebell Capital, an activist investor which had recently acquired Danone shares at low cost, after the shares had fallen in value as Danone's operations suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bluebell pushed Danone to deemphasize its social and environmental goals and focus more heavily on current profitability.