Tag: Elected Officials
How Congress Calculates State Costs of Federal Budget Cuts
When Congress debates cutting federal spending or enacting new national standards, a critical question arises: Who ultimately pays…
How Republicans and Democrats Have Handled Past Bigotry Scandals in Their Own Ranks
In October 2025, Politico exposed thousands of racist, sexist, and pro-Hitler messages exchanged in a private chat group…
The Trump Administration’s Control of the Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice has long operated under a guiding principle solidified after the Watergate scandal:…
Is it Normal in a Government Shutdown to Cancel Programs or Funding Benefiting the Opposing Political Party?
Historically, government shutdowns have served as legislative leverage, used by one party or branch to compel the other…
Government Shutdown 2025: Why Congress Can’t Compromise on Funding and Health Care
Federal funding expires at midnight on September 30, 2025, and Congress has no agreement in place. Washington is…
States Abandon Traditional Redistricting Rules in Partisan Power Grab
The year 2025 marks a sharp break from the century-old norm of once-a-decade redistricting. From Austin to Sacramento,…
How Lobbying Became a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry
From hotel lobbies where early petitioners sought lawmakers to today's sophisticated K Street operations, the American influence industry…
How Washington Lobbying Works
Lobbying is the professionalization of a basic American right: petitioning the government. Most people associate the word with…
Primary Elections: Who Can Vote and Why
Primary elections select party nominees for the November ballot. Unlike general elections, participation rules vary dramatically by state.…
A Case Against the Left-Right “Blame Game” for Political Violence
An anonymous reader writes to us: Why don’t you list in sequential order all the violence committed by…
National Security Council vs. President’s Intelligence Advisory Board
The National Security Council is often in the headlines when international crises break. The President's Intelligence Advisory Board…
The President’s Intelligence Advisory Board
In recent decades, most presidents have relied on a small group called the President's Intelligence Advisory Board. The…