Society
Exploring "Why" questions about Society
481 articles
Why is it that in the USA you will most likely always have a criminal record if you have been accused of a crime, even if you were never convicted or were later found to be wrongfully convicted?
Having something on your record isn't the same as being guilty. The record would simply say you were charged but found not guilty, in the same way an officer would still make a note that he gave you a
Why does the United States have more prisoners per capita than any other country?
While this is an extremely complicated question,the most significant contributing factors are "the war on drugs", mandatory minimum sentences, and three strikes laws. These function to incarcerate peo
Why do countries still loan us money if we already owe trillions upon trillions dollars?
Because the US government is a very good credit risk. The Dollar is a stable currency, and the US repays its debts. The US borrows money by auctioning off bonds.
Why is there an age requirement (35) to be President of the United States?
Explain it like you're five? So somebody like an American version of Justin Bieber isn't swept into office because of his fan base.
Why can’t we tax everyone the same percent?
There is literally no government policy anywhere that *nobody* would complain about. In this particular case, it makes little sense to tax people who are already on government assistance (even aside f
Why is every vehicle with 4 or more wheels made with seat belts for all possible passengers except for school busses?
It's not just school buses, but buses in general (at least here anyway). It tends to be that a bus is a big enough vehicle that no matter what it hits you most likely won't be thrown forward hard enou
Why do Muslims call their God ‘Allah’ even though they believe in the same God as do Christians and Jews?
Allah is simply the Arabic word for God. Christians Arabs also used the word Allah to refer to the same God.
Why are higher values of money made with paper rather than coins, if coin money lasts longer?
Paper is cheaper to make and people don't like carrying coins around. In the US the Sacajawea dollar was tried for awhile a few years ago but never caught on because most people still preferred paper
why have some famous people of Jewish ancestry anglicized their last names ( john Stewart, bob Dylan, Natalie portman, etc.)?
Many performers are concerned that if they seem too ethnic, they run the risk of being discriminated against and not getting some parts. Particularly when you're trying to break into showbusiness, it'
Why the U.S(or other governments) can pass laws affecting people that are not their citizens.
They aren't passing laws to which foreign people are subject. They are merely spying on them. All spying is an extra-legal practice.