Political Issues
The Political Issues Channel discusses hot topics and important political issues such as conventions, scandals and theories.
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President Joe Biden has earmarked $80 billion of his infrastructure plan to go to the U.S. railway system, namely Amtrak. But the biggest hurdle is getting Congress — and passengers — on board.
By John Donovan
President Biden wants to increase taxes on capital gains for the wealthiest Americans to help pay for some of his economic programs. But what are capital gains and how might this affect you?
A brilliant political strategist and Putin critic, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been poisoned, imprisoned and recently ended a hunger strike. What's next for him?
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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
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
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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?
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.
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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
Does the campaign slogan really make or break a candidate? Some of the most successful presidential campaign slogans have had little to do with any actual issues. Take our quiz on victorious presidential campaign slogans to find what worked.
White House press briefings, which date back to the McKinley administration, could be the most important means of communication between the White House and the American people. Are they a thing of the past?
Economic sanctions are one way of pressuring another nation to comply without resorting to war. But the penalties often target the population and not the government. So do they work?
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The ERA just got a big boost from the state of Virginia. Is now finally the time that the ERA will become the 28th Amendment?
By John Donovan
The 10th Amendment says any power not delegated to the U.S. by the Constitution is reserved to the states. But the Constitution is never that simple ... and that's why Libertarians are so at odds with it.
By John Donovan
The question of whether to pay reparations for slavery in the U.S. has been going on since slavery ended but picked up steam this year with a House hearing on the issue. We look at some key issues in the debate.
By Dave Roos
Executive orders are directives handed down from the president without input from the legislative or judiciary branches of government. Presidents often use them when Congress won't approve a favored regulation. But should they?
By Dave Roos
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Ignoring a subpoena can land you in jail. So why would anybody do it?
By John Donovan
Opinions differ about whether the U.S. has become an oligarchy, a society in which a wealthy elite has most of the power.