In a perfect democracy, at least 50% of people would support every decision.

The U.S. falls short of this goal.

Activate to continue

Spoken For.
House vote: H.R. 5749 // June 12, 2008

Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008

Sponsor: JIM MCDERMOTT (D-WA)

Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 - (Sec. 2) Authorizes a state to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Labor under which the state agency will make emergency unemployment compensation payments to individuals who: (1) have exhausted all rights to regular compensation under state or federal law with respect to a benefit year ending on or after May 1, 2007; (2) have no rights to regular compensation or extended compensation with respect to a week under such law or any other state or federal unemployment compensation law; and (3) are not receiving compensation for such week under the unemployment compensation law of Canada. Authorizes a state's governor in an extended benefit period, if state law permits, to provide for the payment of emergency unemployment compensation before extended compensation to individuals who otherwise meet the requirements of this Act. Requires a state to require, as a condition of eligibility for such emergency unemployment compensation, that aliens who receive it be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Labor and Employment Topic assigned by the Congressional Research Service.

Who won, and how much of the country was behind them

Won the vote · Yea

217 votes, representing 111,441,773 people48.5%of U.S. adults

Lost the vote · Nay

185 votes, representing 101,208,739 people44.1%of U.S. adults

The dotted gap is 7.4% of U.S. adults whose member did not vote, voted “present,” or whose seat was vacant.

Share of U.S. adults represented, the House. The winning side fell 1.5 points short of a majority of the country.
SideOutcomeVotesShare of U.S. adults
YeaWon21748.5%
NayLost18544.1%
Not represented on this questionNo position taken07.4%