Q: I watched a program that stated that President Barack Obama doesn't get to keep any gifts he receives from state dinners in foreign countries. When the NBA championship team is invited to the White House for a congratulatory dinner, the team always gives the president a jersey with the president's name on the back. Does he get to keep that? Also, what happens to the gifts the president is not allowed to keep?
-- William McKee Jr., Flowery Branch
A: U.S. presidents can keep gifts, but they are required to fill out financial disclosure forms on anything they retain that's valued at more than $350. "In most cases, the president and the vice president accept gifts on behalf of the U.S. government, and the items are turned over to the National Archives, rather than kept for personal use," Bloomberg reported. The gifts can later be displayed in presidential libraries, MSNBC.com reported.
Q: During elections, I often hear political commentators talk about swing and battleground states. What is the difference between the two terms?
-- Joni Pelta, Atlanta
A: Swing and battleground both can be used to describe a state "where the two major political parties have similar levels of support among voters," according to www.OxfordDictionaries.com. These states also are sometimes referred to as purple states, a combination of the two colors representing the Republicans (red) and the Democrats (blue). Swing states are "viewed as important in determining the overall result of a presidential election," since winning these states would provide additional electoral votes.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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