Political Issues

The speaker of the House occupies a central role in our government, but what exactly does the job entail?

By Rachel Paine Caufield

Every few years a group of White House historians and scholars rank America's presidents in order. The "winner" of the worst president ever category has been pretty consistent.

By Kate Morgan

With abortion rights under attack today, we take a look back at the days when safe abortions were nearly nonexistent and at the collective of women who stepped in to provide them.

By Kate Morgan

After only 44 days in office, Liz Truss has resigned as British prime minister. What does this mean for the future of the U.K. and who will take her place?

By Garret Martin

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Patrick J. Kiger

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

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

Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in the early morning hours of July 7, 2021, but prior to that, his tenure was anything but peaceful.

By Tamanisha John

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

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?

By Patrick J. Kiger

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?

By Patty Rasmussen

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