19 Min Read

Why Closing a Post Office Is So Hard

Closing a U.S. post office involves months of legal steps like notice, comments, and appeals, but emergency suspensions can skip them.

23 Min Read

Can You Win the Presidency While Losing the Popular Vote?

The Electoral College can let a candidate win the presidency while losing the national popular vote, as it did in 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016.

An Independent Team to Decode Government

GovFacts is a nonpartisan site focused on making government concepts and policies easier to understand — and government programs easier to access.

Our articles are referenced by trusted think tanks and publications including Brookings, CNN, Forbes, Fox News, Pew Research, Snopes, The Hill, and USA Today.

Your Money & Home

Why Postal Workers Can’t Legally Strike

Postal workers cannot legally strike under federal law. This explains the 1970 mail strike and how arbitration settles pay disputes…

What a Data Breach Means for You

A data breach notice means your info was exposed, not that it's been stolen. Learn the first steps, from freezes…

What Dodd-Frank Did After the 2008 Crash

Dodd-Frank created the CFPB and tried to end bank bailouts after 2008. See how the 2023 bank failures reopened debate…

Your Health & Safety

Why Mail Fraud Is a Federal Crime

Learn why mail fraud became a federal crime, tracing the law from an 1872 statute to today's rules on intent,…

Special Education Rights Under IDEA

A plain-English guide to IDEA special education rights: requesting evaluations, what schools must provide, key deadlines, and options if services…

Civil Rights History in Schools: What Federal Education Standards Require

When Reverend Jesse Jackson died in February 2026, the national conversation about his legacy collided with an uncomfortable reality: most…

Your Voice & Rights

What the First Amendment Actually Protects

Learn what the First Amendment protects, from workplace speech to threats, protests, and campaign spending, using three key questions.

How the Census Shapes Political Power and Funding

See how census counts shape House seats, Electoral College votes, and federal funding, and which groups get undercounted most.

Electioneering Rules: How Close Can Campaigners Get to Polls?

Election buffer zones range from 10 to several hundred feet, and federal law bans voter intimidation everywhere, even outside the…

Your World

How to Get a Green Card: The Main Paths

Breaks down the four legal paths to a green card, family, employer, humanitarian, and the diversity lottery, with costs and…

No Treaty, No Accountability: Why the Karachi Consulate Shooting Is Hard to Prosecute

Ten people are dead in Karachi. Everyone knows who pulled the trigger. The question is whether any court on Earth…

‘Imminent Threat’ Has No Legal Definition — and Presidents Know It

Search the entire text of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 and you will not find a definition of "imminent…

A Tomahawk Costs $2 Million. Here’s Who Gets Paid to Replace It.

Estimates from Anadolu news agency put the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury at approximately $779 million. That number…

Trending Federal Guidance

USPS Package Size Limits

Whether you're shipping products nationwide as a small business owner or sending gifts to loved ones, choosing the right packaging and mailing option can save you time, money, and stress.…

14 Min Read

Understanding the Social Security Earnings Limit

You can receive Social Security retirement or survivor benefits while still employed. However, if you…

Understanding Your Passport Costs: A Clear Guide to Fees

Getting a U.S. passport is your ticket to international travel, but understanding the associated costs…

USPS Media Mail Rules and Restrictions

Media Mail is an economy shipping service provided by the USPS specifically for sending media…

Official USPS Change of Address

Moving to a new home is an exciting chapter but it also comes with a…

Other Top Federal Guidance

Step-by-Step Guide for Applying for Social Security Benefits

Navigating Social Security benefits doesn't have to be complicated. This guide breaks down the application process for Retirement, Disability, and…

Exempt vs. Non-Exempt Employees: Understanding Your Rights Under the FLSA

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the cornerstone of federal wage and hour law in the United States. Enacted…

Quitting Tobacco in the Military: Your Guide to the DoD’s UCanQuit2 Program

Tobacco use creates significant challenges in the U.S. military. It affects individual health, financial well-being, and mission readiness. The Department…

DoDEA Schools: A Guide to Eligibility and Enrollment for Military Families

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) operates schools worldwide for children of eligible military service members and DoD personnel.…

Understanding Information Security (INFOSEC): A Guide for DoD Personnel

Information Security, commonly known as INFOSEC, is a cornerstone of the Department of Defense (DoD) mission and the security of…

You May Also Like

How Government Ethics Rules Work

Federal ethics rules explain how officials disclose assets, avoid conflicts of interest, follow gift limits, and face lobbying bans after leaving government.

26 Min Read

Fiscal vs. Monetary Policy: What’s the Difference?

Fiscal policy is Congress setting taxes and spending. Monetary policy is the Fed setting interest rates. See which lever actually moves your paycheck or loans.

22 Min Read

How to Protect Your Mail From Theft

Protect your mail from theft with daily collection habits, free USPS tools like Informed Delivery and Hold Mail, and steps to take in the first 24 hours.

20 Min Read

Why the U.S. Lags Behind on High-Speed Rail

Why can't the U.S. build true high-speed rail? See how track ownership, land laws, funding, and politics in California, Texas, and Florida hold it back.

22 Min Read

How the Supreme Court Decides Which Cases to Hear

Learn why the Supreme Court hears only about 1 to 2 percent of petitions, how clerks screen thousands of cases, and what the Rule of Four really means.

21 Min Read

How Property Taxes Work

Learn how property taxes are assessed, why bills vary by state and county, and how homeowners can appeal values or apply for tax relief programs.

22 Min Read

Public Financing of Campaigns: How It Works

Public campaign financing explained: the $3 tax checkoff, state matching funds, clean-elections grants, democracy vouchers, and why fewer candidates use them.

20 Min Read

How Congressional Seats Are Divided Among the States

Learn how 435 U.S. House seats are divided among states after the 2020 census, using the method of equal proportions fixed since 1929.

20 Min Read

Can a President Serve More Than Two Terms?

The Twenty-Second Amendment caps elections, not years served, so a successor president can serve up to about ten years, and a vice-presidential loophole remains untested.

20 Min Read

How Whistleblower Protections Work

Learn how U.S. whistleblower protection and reward programs work, including where to report, filing deadlines, and anonymity limits.

24 Min Read

The Legal Immunity Shielding USPS

Why federal law usually shields USPS from lawsuits over lost, damaged, or withheld mail, and what insurance or SF-95 claims can still do.

20 Min Read