Government

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

You have to be at least 35 years old to be President of the United States. So, has anyone come close to that?

By Jesslyn Shields

After 20 years of U.S. presence in Afghanistan, Taliban fighters swept through the country with lightning speed, taking control of the capital city Kabul on Sunday. What does the future hold for the people there?

By Tony Walker

History has been made as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo steps aside and Kathy Hochul becomes the state's first female governor.

By Patty Rasmussen

Impeachment is when Congress decides whether it's possible a president, or another elected official, has failed in their duties to the American people.

By Jesslyn Shields

The Republican Party is known as the "GOP," but why? And what does "GOP" even mean?

By Carrie Dennis

When you think of the Secret Service, you probably think of the people in black guarding the president of the United States. But that's just a small part of the job. What else does this agency do?

By John Donovan

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

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.

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

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.

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