UPSC Prelims 2007 Q21: Current Affairs – International Relations & Treaties
Consider the following statements:
1. Republicans won majority in the US House of Representatives election held in the year 2006.
2. Republican Bobby Jindal won a seat in the US House of Representatives for the second time.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (b) 2 only
Explanation
US 2006 midterm elections and Bobby Jindal
| Statement | Fact check |
|---|---|
| 1. Republicans won majority in US House (2006) | False — Democrats won the majority, ending 12 years of Republican control |
| 2. Bobby Jindal won a House seat for the second time (2006) | True — first elected 2004, re-elected 2006 |
Only statement 2 is correct.
Answer: (b) 2 only.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Statement 1 is false — Republicans lost the House majority in 2006.
- (b) CORRECT. Only statement 2 is correct — Bobby Jindal won his second House term in 2006.
- (c) Incorrect. Statement 1 is false, so both cannot be correct.
- (d) Incorrect. Statement 2 is actually true, so it isn't "neither".
Key point
2006 US midterms: Democrats (not Republicans) won the House majority; Bobby Jindal won his second House term.
Remember
2006 US House: Democrats won majority; Bobby Jindal won re-election.
Common mistakes
- Assuming Republicans retained control of the US House through 2006 (they lost it).
- Not knowing Bobby Jindal's specific House election history before he became Louisiana Governor.
- Confusing the 2006 midterms with the 2004 presidential election cycle.
Exam tip
2006 US midterms were a Democratic wave — Republicans lost the House. Jindal's House re-election (2006) was separate and real.
Sources
- Federal Election Commission — Federal Elections 2006: Election Results for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Bobby Jindal