Trade Policy
Section 338: Presidential Tariffs and Import Bans
Trade retaliation invites a calculation: how much extra will an imported product cost? Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 permits a president confronting specified…
Congress
Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government. It is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and it writes the nation's laws, controls federal spending, and oversees the executive branch. The Constitution sets out its powers, and each chamber makes its own rules. This area also covers the offices that support Congress.
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Latest in Congress
House and Senate Structure
Why Only One-Third of the Senate Is Up Each Election
Explains why the Constitution splits the Senate into three classes, so only about a third of seats face voters each election while others keep serving.
How a Bill Becomes a Law
Why Most Bills Never Become Law: The Hidden Chokepoints in Congress
Congress introduces thousands of bills each year, but most die from Senate rules, budget reconciliation limits, or the obscure Byrd Rule test.
Congressional Powers
Congress’s Tariff Power After the Supreme Court Ruling
The Supreme Court’s ruling says the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize presidential tariffs, the taxes charged on imports. Other laws Congress has passed…
Topics in Congress
Making laws
Lawmaking follows the path described in How a Bill Becomes a Law, under the rules of Congressional Procedures. Much of the detailed work happens in Congressional Committees, within the authority set out in Congressional Powers.
How a Bill Becomes a Law
13 articles
- House vs. Senate: How Congress’s Two Chambers Shape American Lawmaking
- How Problems Become Priorities: Understanding Problem Definition and Agenda Setting
- From Ideas to Reality: How Government Policies Actually Happen
Congressional Procedures
22 articles
- The Senate Filibuster: What It Is and Why It’s Controversial
- Why the Minority Party Can Force a Government Shutdown
- How Washington Lobbying Works
Chambers and members
The design of the two chambers is explained in House and Senate Structure. The people who serve and the party and leadership roles they hold are covered in Congressional Membership and Leadership.
All Articles on Congress
How Congress Could Reclaim Tariff Authority—And Why It Probably Won’t
President Trump imposed broad tariffs in 2025 using emergency powers. The Supreme Court will soon decide whether he exceeded his authority. But here's what…
Three Congressional Procedures That Can End a Shutdown Quickly
The federal government shut down at midnight Saturday. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers face furloughs, agencies are running with minimal staff, and the…
What Happens When the Speaker Loses Control of the House Floor
Six Republicans voted against their own party's labor reform bill Tuesday afternoon. The defeat was more than embarrassing. It was a public demonstration that…
What Presidential Power Over Territories Actually Allows
On January 7, 2026, President Donald Trump declared from Air Force One that the United States would act on Greenland "whether they like it…
How Congressional Impeachment Powers Check Cabinet Officials
Illinois Representative Robin Kelly filed formal charges to remove Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, on January 8, 2026. The immediate…
Trump Added His Name to the Kennedy Center. Here’s How He Did It.
On December 18, 2025, the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, chaired by President Donald J. Trump,…
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene Resigned from Congress
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene announced her resignation from Congress on November 21, 2025, effective January 5, 2026. The Georgia Republican's departure came after a…
Congressional Stock Trading: The Law, the Conflicts, and the Push for a Ban
Members of Congress are legally allowed to buy, sell, and hold individual stocks and other financial assets. This simple fact drives one of the…
Why the 2025 Government Shutdown Ended
The government shutdown ended with a funding compromise. The agreement reopened agencies while leaving health-insurance aid and later budgets unsettled.
Why Americans Keep Re-electing Congresspeople They Dislike
Voters are unhappy with their government. This anti-incumbency sentiment, defined as a desire to vote out officeholders, is a constant in U.S. elections. Polling…