Author: William Rosendahl

Presidential Term Limits: Why Two Terms, and Could That Change? Under the 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, no one can be elected president more than twice. A vice president who takes over… 6 min readPresidents What Is Lobbying? How Influence Works in Washington Lobbying is any organized effort to influence decisions by government officials, such as members of Congress or federal regulators. It is protected… 6 min readHow Government Works How Congress Works: 535 Members, Two Chambers, One Very Long Process Congress is the legislative branch of the US government, made up of the House of Representatives (435 voting members elected every two… 6 min readHow Government Works Political Ideologies: A Plain-English Map From Left to Right Political ideologies are sets of ideas about how society should be run. The easiest way to compare them is a two-axis map:… 6 min readParties & Ideologies How the Supreme Court Works: Nine Justices and a Lot of Paperwork The Supreme Court picks most of its own cases: losing parties file petitions for certiorari, and the Court hears a case only… 6 min readHow Government Works Third Parties in the US: Who They Are and Why They Rarely Win Third parties are any US political parties other than the Democrats and Republicans; the most active today are the Libertarian, Green and… 6 min readParties & Ideologies Term Limits for Congress: The Case For, Against and What It Would Take Members of Congress have no term limits: representatives and senators can be reelected as often as voters choose. In U.S. Term Limits… 6 min readHow Government Works Poll Tax: How Paying to Vote Kept Voters From the Ballot A poll tax was a flat fee citizens had to pay before they could register or vote. Southern states used it from… 6 min readElections What Is a Filibuster? The Senate’s Favorite Delay Tactic A filibuster is any tactic, classically a marathon speech, that keeps the US Senate from ending debate so a measure can't come… 6 min readHow Government Works Democrat vs. Republican: What Each Party Actually Stands For Democrats generally want an active federal government that expands health coverage, raises taxes on the wealthy and corporations, speeds up clean energy… 5 min readParties & Ideologies