Government
Government is a key part of any society and culture. Learn more about different types of government, politics and civic issues.
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Reconciliation is a secret weapon the Senate uses to pass huge tax and spending bills quickly through Congress. It's how the Senate just passed President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill. So what is it, and what does it mean?
The United States Secret Service provides 24/7 protection for the wives and kids of the U.S. president and vice president, including their adult children. But why do a president's children get protection?
By Dave Roos
The Department of Justice claims to be the world's biggest law office, but it does everything from operating prisons to conducting counterespionage operations.
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Judge Amy Coney Barrett says her judicial philosophy is originalism, following in the footsteps of her mentor, Justice Antonin Scalia. What does that even mean?
By John Donovan
Populism is a political philosophy that divides society by splitting it into two opposing factions: the people and the elite. So who benefits from that?
By John Donovan
Cast your ballot to these questions to find out how much you know about the history of U.S. presidential elections.
Young voters in the U.S. have a historically low turnout, which means the democracy fails to represent the youth generation. But we talked to five college students voting for POTUS this year who are determined to make a change.
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This American institution began with Abraham Lincoln following Stephen Douglas on the campaign trail. Today, the presidential debate is one of the most anticipated markers of candidates' campaigns.
Candidates in U.S. elections spend an enormous amount of their time on swing states. But what exactly are these states and why are they so important?
She was the youngest New Zealand leader elected in over 150 years and has won plaudits for her handling of the coronavirus epidemic. We get the backstory on Jacinda Ardern and her many achievements.
It's happened before, and it'll likely happen again. The tricky part, though, is when it happens.
By Julia Layton
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Voice of America, the U.S. government-controlled media network, has long had a reputation for being a source of unbiased news in contrast to the government-controlled media in countries it reaches. But will that continue?
America's founders devised a structure in which the three branches of government would co-exist in a system of checks and balances designed to prevent each branch from gaining too much power. But does it still work?
President Trump is threatening to pull funding from public schools that don't open due to coronavirus. Can he even do that?
The U.S. presidential election is just around the corner and the country is in the throws of a global health crisis. Is voting by mail the way to stay safe this election cycle?
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Antifa is a loosely organized movement that doesn't have leaders or advocate government policies. Instead, the movement's goal is to oppose fascism wherever it appears around the world.
Every week there's a poll with new numbers on how many Americans approve of the president's job performance. But what do these numbers really tell us and when should we take them seriously?
By Dave Roos
The date the U.S. president must vacate office is written into the Constitution, election or not. Filling the seat without an election, though, is extremely complicated.
By John Donovan
Natural disasters may not pair well with the COVID-19 pandemic. For America to brace the impact, it needs to prepare now.
By Ari Kelo
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President Harry Truman signed it into law in 1950 and it's been invoked many times ever since. Should President Donald Trump be using it more to help health care workers?
By John Donovan
What is the Waffle House Index anyway, and does the Federal Emergency Management Agency really use it to gauge local disasters?
By Sarah Gleim
Some legal experts say that the U.S. government lacks the authority to close state borders or quarantine entire cities to stop the coronavirus from spreading. Others aren't so sure.
Why does the Democratic Party have superdelegates who don't have to respect primary results when they cast votes? Is that undemocractic or a hedge against nominating a poor candidate?
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Super Tuesday is the day early in a U.S. presidential primary season when a large number of states hold primaries. It's also the first day when a huge number of delegates are up for grabs.
By Sarah Gleim
Political primaries let voters choose which candidate they want to represent their political party as president. But not everyone is happy with the process. What are the problems, and can they be fixed?