Government

The results of the 2020 Census will shift political power in future congressional and presidential elections. Find out if your state won or lost seats and what that means.

By Dudley L. Poston Jr.

Reconciliation is a secret weapon the Senate uses to pass huge tax and spending bills quickly through Congress. So what is it, and what does it mean?

By Patty Rasmussen

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.

By Patrick J. Kiger

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.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

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.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

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.

By Josh Clark & Melanie Radzicki McManus

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?

By Ed Grabianowski & Patty Rasmussen

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.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

It's happened before, and it'll likely happen again. The tricky part, though, is when it happens.

By Julia Layton

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?

By Patrick J. Kiger

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?

By Patrick J. Kiger

President Trump is threatening to pull funding from public schools that don't open due to coronavirus. Can he even do that?

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

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?

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

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.

By Patrick J. Kiger

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

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.

By Patrick J. Kiger

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?

By Nathan Chandler

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