Elections and the Political Process Elections are one of the main ways Americans convert public opinion into public power. This category explores how U.S. democracy has evolved from the founding era to today through the American experiment in democracy, how citizens learn to participate through citizenship education, and the many ways people shape government through public participation.
How Elections Work From updating your voter registration after moving to understanding primary elections, these guides explain the mechanics of voting and nominations. You can also learn how generic congressional ballot polls help indicate likely control of Congress, and what research says about whether campaign debates actually change presidential races.
Campaign finance refers to the funds raised and spent to influence federal elections in the…
America's electoral system determines not just who wins elections, but how political power is distributed…
The interplay between media and politics is fundamental to how Americans perceive government actions, elections,…
Political parties are essential to American democracy, organizing citizens around shared values and policy goals…
Redistricting is the process of redrawing electoral district boundaries for the U.S. House of Representatives,…
As of October 16, 2025, the United States federal government remains in a partial shutdown. The impasse began at 12:01…
In October 2025, Politico exposed thousands of racist, sexist, and pro-Hitler messages exchanged in a private chat group among Young…
A reader writes us to ask: "The reason Democrats want to give undocumented immigrants free health care is to get…
The federal government shutdown of September 2025, the first in more than six years, looks like political chaos. Hundreds of…
Federal funding expires at midnight on September 30, 2025, and Congress has no agreement in place. Washington is heading toward…
The federal government shut down on Oct. 1, 2025. Republicans control the White House, the House of Representatives, and the…
For a century, the Federal Communications Commission has wrestled with technology that outpaces the laws designed to govern it. From…
Civic education is the lifelong process of equipping people to be informed and engaged members of their communities, from local…