FDR in Oval Office, 1935

What Are Executive Orders Anyway?

Donald Trump's executive orders are coming fast and furious, but what exactly are they? And why are they the Presidential go-to tactic now?
petition

What’s With All The Petitions?

The last clause of the First Amendment guarantees the right to "petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Where did this idea come from?
Andrew Johnson impeachment trial

Impeaching History

Got impeachment? Not much. In American history, there have only been a total of 19 impeachment trials in the U.S. Senate.
Ivanka Trump

De Facto First Ladies: A Definitive Guide

Ivanka Trump will be assuming many duties of the First Lady. She won't be the first presidential daughter to take “the hardest unpaid job in the world.”
Edmund Burke

Edmund Burke and the Birth of Traditional Conservatism

Edmund Burke (1729-1797) is one of the philosophical fountainheads of modern conservatism. But he didn't start out that way.
Andrew Johnson

A Brief History of Vice Presidential Inaugurations

Vice presidential inaugurations haven’t always shared the pomp and circumstance reserved for the highest office in the land.
Poinsettia

What Poinsettias Have to do with U.S.-Mexico Relations

Poinsettias were named for the first US diplomat to Mexico. The flower was more successful than he was. How it went from Aztec dye to Christmas decoration.
George Washington inauguration

Why the Presidential Inauguration is in January

The Presidential Inauguration is January 20th as a result of a twentieth century change to the U.S. Constitution. Originally, it was March 4th.
2012 Cartogram

Time for Reform of the Electoral College?

Is it finally time to reform the Electoral College after 2000 and 2016? If so, how could this be done?
Soldier reading newspaper

When Did the Media Become a “Watchdog?”

The media changed its coverage over the course of the Vietnam War. But it may not have become more adversarial.