Government

The FBI's seizure of top secret files from Donald Trump's Florida home shined a spotlight on the declassification system. How does the process work and who decides when something is no longer top secret?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Affirmative action, LGBTQ rights and election laws are all on the Supreme Court's new docket. And how SCOTUS rules stands to change many Americans' lives. Here's what to expect for the 2022-2023 session.

By Morgan Marietta

American TV viewers are bombarded with political ads during the ever-longer campaign season. But do these ads really make a difference to voting habits?

By Dave Roos

Kansas, Missouri and Florida are among several states that have passed laws that voter registration groups say put volunteers at risk and make registering to vote more difficult.

By Carrie Levine

Chosen by the Conservative Party, Liz Truss succeeds Boris Johnson to become the U.K's prime minister, the 15th to serve under Queen Elizabeth.

By Nicholas Allen

In the U.S., the bar to running for president is deliberately set low – only age and citizenship rules are written into the Constitution. Still, are there any laws that would bar a felon from holding the highest office in the land?

By Dave Roos

Is it millions of marchers with clever signs and slogans, or does effective protest take more than just raised voices and collective outrage?

By Yves Jeffcoat

There are three levels of security classification for U.S. documents related to national security. What are they and who decides how they're protected against unauthorized disclosure?

By Jeffrey Fields

The FBI searched Mar-a-Lago for missing White House documents on behalf of the National Archives. How did they even know what to look for?

By Shannon Bow O'Brien

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could give state legislators almost complete control over federal elections, which some experts fear could establish one-party rule and endanger democracy.

By Patrick J. Kiger

When the Articles of Confederation failed, the Constitutional Convention of 1787 became a contest between large states and small states for equal representation.

By Jesslyn Shields

The battle over abortion in the United States rages on. Will abortion rights decisions be moved to the states if the leaked Alito opinion is adopted by the Supreme Court?

By Morgan Marietta

Is the U.S. a democracy or a republic? Or both? And what's the difference, anyway?

By Dave Roos

Research shows that generations of refugees, whether displaced because of war, climate or famine, may no longer want to return to the place that was once home, even after it is safe to do so.

By Sandra Joireman

This group of men has enormous wealth, and they make up Putin's inner circle. Do they also have any chance of toppling Putin's regime, as well?

By Stanislav Markus

The United Kingdom and the United States both have representative democracies, but their legislatures work very differently.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Belgium has become the first country in the world to revitalize their boring old government-issued passports with a comic strip design.

By Katie Carman

Declassified government documents can change our view of history, and also sometimes contain surprising revelations. Here are six to discover.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Researchers investigated the racial makeup and economic well-being of 22,286 census blocks in the U.S. with roadways bearing the slain civil rights leader's name. Here's what they found.

By Sweta Tiwari & Shrinidhi Ambinakudige

Pay-as-you-throw is an effective tool for reducing waste, controlling waste disposal costs and giving residents an incentive to participate in recycling and composting programs.

By Lily Baum Pollans

The Global Peace Index ranks 172 independent states and territories according to their levels of peacefulness. Those that came in last may — or may not — surprise you.

By Patrick J. Kiger

They're often mentioned in the same breath, but not every socialist is a communist, and not every communist or socialist country operates in the same way.

By Dave Roos

It's that time of decade, when congressional maps get redrawn to reflect population growth — and often to improve one party's chances at the polls. So, when does redistricting become gerrymandering? The line is blurry.

By Dave Roos

Do you have a complaint to lodge against a large business, or a government agency or university, but feel like you're going up against a giant? Then you may just need an ombudsman on your side.

By Laurie L. Dove

The office of the Senate parliamentarian provides access to nonpartisan and confidential legislative expertise to help develop new legislation and understanding of the rules that govern the Senate.

By Patty Rasmussen