U.S. Political System and Voting
Palin Mistakenly Urges U.S. to Side With North Korea
Read a transcript of Sarah Palin's comments on North Korea. See why critics pounced on Sarah Palin's comments on North Korea. Learn about Sarah Palin's comments on North Korea earlier in the interview. Discover why Sarah Palin's comments on North Korea were a mistake and not a lack of knowledge.
Presidential Debate Schedule in 2012 White House Race
Find out the presidential debate schedule for 2011 and 2012. See when Republican candidates seeking to unseat President Barack Obama face off in their first presidential debate. Discover who is holding a presidential debate and where their presidential debate is taking place.
Can You Really Trademark a Name?
Find out whether it's possible to trademark a name. See why Sarah Palin filed paperwork to trademark a name. Read an explanation of how the government views requests to trademark a name. Learn about the legal issues surrounding attempts to trademark a name.
Elections? Decided by Voters?
U.S. Rep. Dan Boren proposes a constitutional amendment intended to reduce the influence of outside money in House and Senate elections.
Sarah Palin Gabrielle Giffords Controversy
Read about the Sarah Palin Gabrielle Giffords controversy. Find out why Sarah Palin included Gabrielle Giffords on a target list of House members. See how Sarah Palin responded to the Gabrielle Giffords shooting. Discover why Sarah Palin was criticized and defended after the Gabrielle Giffords shooting.
The Supermajority Vote
Defines supermajority votes in U.S. government and politics, and explains when they are required and by what authority.
Electoral Votes by State in 2012
Which states have the presidential power? Read the list of Electoral College votes by state.
Weekend Elections Not the Answer, GAO Reports
People who contend that moving Election Day to a weekend would increase voter turnout are probably wrong, according to the Government Accountability Office, which says weekend elections would actually create new problems.
New State Voting Laws May Affect More Than 5 Million
A new report shows that more than 5 million Americans may find it harder or even impossible to cast ballots in the 2012 election due to new state voting laws enacted since 2008.
Voter Registration: Just Mail it In
How to use the national mail-in voter registration form authorized by the “motor voter” law.
Most Conservative Congressmen
Find out who is ranked among the most conservative congressmen in the United States. Read brief biographies of each of the most conservative congressmen. See a slideshow of the most conservative congressmen.
Why Keep the Electoral College?
Why the Founding Fathers created the Electoral College system for presidential elections and reasons for retaining it now.
Have You Spoken Out?
Letting your opinions be known at a public meeting of you local government is exactly what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they created our nation’s “participatory democracy.” Tell us about your experience. What kind of meeting did you attend? What issue did you speak on? Do you feel your appearance was effective and what advice do you have for others considering speaking at a… See submissions
Meeting with Your Members of Congress
While more difficult than sending them a letter, visiting your Members of Congress, or their staff, face-to-face is the most effective way to actually influence them. Individuals and groups can arrange personal meetings with Senators and Representatives either in their Washington offices, or in their local offices at various times during the...
Registering to Vote
In most places, you must register before you can vote. What is voter registration, how do you register to vote, and why is it important that you keep your voter registration current? Learn more about voter registration.
Counting the Votes
After the last voter has left the polling place, how do they count all those votes and how do they make sure the votes are counted accurately and fairly?
Survey Shows Why Many Americans Fail to Vote in Elections
Why do so many qualified Americans choose not to vote? Let's ask them. The California Voter Foundation (CVF) has released the results of a statewide survey on the attitudes of infrequent voters and citizens eligible to vote but not registered. The first-of-its-kind survey sheds new light on the incentives and barriers to voting, along with the...
Election Day Guide
Clearly, the main thing to do on election day is vote. Unfortunately, voting can often be a confusing process. Here is a brief guide designed to answer some common election day questions. Where do you vote? When do you vote? What should you bring to the polls? What are your rights as a voter?
Voter Information Resources
Resources for making informed decisions before you pull the lever.
Why Keep the Electoral College?
America’s Founding Fathers had valid reasons for taking unlimited power to elect the president out of the people’s hands with the Electoral College. Find out what those reasons were and why they remain just as valid today as they were in 1787. From your About Guide.
Election Information for Your State
When are your state’s presidential primaries or caucuses? When is your state’s deadline to register to vote? Who are your state’s Electors in the Electoral College? Learn the answers to these and more election-related questions at your state’s elections office.
Why We Vote When We Vote
Of course, every day is a good day to exercise our freedom, but why do we always vote on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November?
The 17 Best Reasons to Vote
As a fitting tribute to the sailors who died on the USS Cole, how about contributing tothe best voter turnout in American history on November 7th?
Why We have a House and Senate
Why do we have two chambers in Congress, the House and Senate? Since members of both are elected by, and represent the people, wouldn't the lawmaking process be more efficient if bills were considered by only one body? From your About Guide.
Voting Mad -- Which issue will most influence your vote in the 2010 m…
Lots of voters will be "voting mad" in this November’s mid-term election. Health care reform, immigration policy, the Gulf Coast oil disaster, the economy – just a few of the issues expected to send Americans to the polls in record numbers. How about you? Which one issue will most influence your vote this fall and why?
Good Old Fashioned Conventions
Not finding much suspense in this year's major political party conventions? Well, politics isn't always a party. Thanks largely to the modern state primary election system, major party conventions have become about as exciting as watching the Electoral College vote.
It wasn't always like this. Take the 1860 conventions, for example.
The Electoral College System
Every fourth November, after almost two years of campaign hype and money, over 90 million Americans for the presidential candidates. Then, in the middle of December, the president and vice president of the United States are really elected by the votes of only 538 citizens -- the "electors" of the Electoral College.
Political Campaign Contribution Laws for Individuals
By November of 1999 the twelve top candidates for President 2000 had raised over $144 million. Find out how much you can legally contribute to the candidate of your choice.
How to Contribute (Legally) to a Political Campaign
By November of 1999 the twelve top candidates for President 2000 had raised over $144 million. Find out how much you can legally contribute to the candidate of your choice.
Why We Have Third Parties
Whether their candidates win or not, America's third political parties are important and here's why.