Updated Articles and Resources
- Historical TV Ratings : TV Ratings For Republican ConventionsUpdated: 2008-09-07 @ 01:44:42 GMT
How many people watch political conventions? This table shows how many US household televisions were tuned in to Republican Conventions from 1960 to 2008. The TV rating here is composed of two part… - Historical TV Ratings : TV Ratings For Democratic ConventionsUpdated: 2008-09-07 @ 01:39:23 GMT
How many people watch political conventions? This table shows how many US household televisions were tuned in to Democratic Conventions from 1960 to 2008. The TV rating here is composed of two part… - John McCain - RNC - McCain Acceptance Speech - 4 September 2008Created: 2008-09-05 @ 17:07:15 GMT
Text of John McCain acceptance speech, 4 September 2008, Republican National Convention… - Sarah Palin - RNC - Palin Acceptance Speech - 3 September 2008Updated: 2008-09-04 @ 07:38:03 GMT
Text of Sarah Palin acceptance speech, 3 September 2008, Republican National Convention… - Presidential Election Campaign Fund : Guide To Political Terminology…Updated: 2008-09-04 @ 04:41:35 GMT
The Presidential Election Campaign Fund (PECF) is an attempt to publicly fund federal elections elections. It is funded by a voluntary check-off that appears on US income tax return forms as the qu… - What Is The Endangered Species Act? : Learning About Laws, The Endan…Updated: 2008-09-03 @ 16:58:04 GMT
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) provides for both the conservation and protection of plant and animal species that face the threat of extinction as well as for "the ecosystems upon wh… - 22 Key House Races To Watch - 2008 Election - The Race for the HouseUpdated: 2008-09-02 @ 21:38:47 GMT
Get the rundown on 22 key US House races in the 2008 election. Every two years, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives are contested; of the 35 open House seats this November, 28 are held by… - What Is The Fairness Doctrine? : FCC History and Policies, Fairness …Updated: 2008-09-01 @ 10:14:21 GMT
The fairness doctrine was a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) policy. The FCC believed that broadcast licenses (required for both radio and terrestrial TV stations) were a form of public trus… - What Is The Equal Time Rule? : FCC History and Policies - Equal TimeCreated: 2008-09-01 @ 10:13:52 GMT
The equal time rule This is a provision of the 1934 Communications Act (section 315) that "requires radio and television stations and cable systems which originate their own programming to tre… - Party In Power - Congress and Presidency - A Visual Guide To The Ba…Updated: 2008-08-30 @ 08:24:59 GMT
Table showing the party in power (balance of power) in each of the three branches of government, from 1945-2008… - US PoliticsUpdated: 2008-08-30 @ 08:16:43 GMT
The U.S. politics site is a clearing house for information on political issues and events, providing background on important issues such as tax legislation, foreign policy, abortion, electronic dem… - Hurricane Katrina - Statistics - Third Anniversary of KatrinaUpdated: 2008-08-30 @ 07:17:46 GMT
Livability statistics for New Orleans area, post Katrina… - Hurricane Katrina : Katrina Timeline from US PoliticsUpdated: 2008-08-30 @ 04:59:15 GMT
A timeline of events leading up to and following Hurricane Katrina's landfall on the Gulf Coast of the US in August 2005. Focus is on government actions and political decisions… - Lyndon B. Johnson - LBJ : The Architect Of The Great SocietyCreated: 2008-08-29 @ 18:57:03 GMT
Lyndon Baines Johnson would have been 100 on 27 August 2008. Here is his legacy, not just as a legislator, but as an executive who understood Congress, having risen from that body to the White Hous… - Lyndon B. Johnson - We Shall Overcome - Speech Text - 15 March 1965Created: 2008-08-29 @ 18:34:07 GMT
On 15 March 15 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson addressed Congress, calling for passage of the voting rights act. The speech cam one week after a gathering in Selma, AL led to deadly violence when… - Barack Obama - DNC - Obama Acceptance Speech - 28 August 2008Created: 2008-08-29 @ 05:15:20 GMT
Text of Barack Obama acceptance speech, 28 August 2008, Democratic National Convention… - Joe Biden - DNC Speech - 27 August 2008Updated: 2008-08-28 @ 09:31:13 GMT
Joe Biden - DNC Speech - 27 August 2008… - Michelle Obama - DNC Speech - 25 August 2008Created: 2008-08-28 @ 09:02:56 GMT
Michelle Obama - DNC Speech - 25 August 2008… - Bill Clinton - Text of Speech at Democratic National Convention - 27…Created: 2008-08-28 @ 08:55:28 GMT
Bill Clinton - Text of Speech at Democratic National Convention - 27 August 2008… - Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) Voting Systems, Touchscreens - A H…Updated: 2008-08-28 @ 08:24:12 GMT
After the controversy over the 2000 Presidential election vote count, Congress passed the Help American Vote Act. Although technically the term "electronic voting" encompasses punch cards… - Paper Ballot, Optical Scan - A History of Optical Scan VotingUpdated: 2008-08-28 @ 08:24:11 GMT
Optical scan technology was developed in the late 1930s and has been widely used for standardized testing since the 1950s. However, the technology was not adapted to counting paper ballots until 19… - Paper Ballots, Voting By Mail - A History of Voting By MailUpdated: 2008-08-28 @ 08:24:11 GMT
The polling place has become an institution that symbolizes democracy in America. But it is being replaced by a vote at home plus the Post Office… - Mechanical Counting, Lever Pull Voting - A History of Lever Pull (Me…Updated: 2008-08-28 @ 08:24:11 GMT
- Electromechanical Counting, Punch Cards - A History of Punch Card Vo…Updated: 2008-08-28 @ 08:24:11 GMT
The voter rolls grew throughout the 20th century, from women's suffrage to the Civil Rights Act. Election officials needed new equipment to cope. Enter a new technology, computers, in the voting mi… - Paper Ballot Voting, Hand Counted - A History of Paper Ballot Voting
Updated: 2008-08-28 @ 08:24:11 GMT
The word "ballot" is derived from the Italian word ballotta, which means "little ball." A manually counted paper ballot is the most common method of voting in use around the wor… - Pre-Ballot Voting - A History of Pre-Ballot VotingUpdated: 2008-08-28 @ 08:24:10 GMT
The way we conduct elections has changed dramatically since the days of the Greeks ... and since the founding of the United States. The County Election by George Caleb Bingham (1852) shows us how e… - History of Voting Methods - An Illustrated History of Voting Methods…Updated: 2008-08-28 @ 08:23:07 GMT
An effective voting system allows citizens to express their preference for public policy decisions in a secure and private manner. The system itself includes everything from deciding who can vote t… - History of Voting Methods - An Illustrated History of Voting Methods…Updated: 2008-08-28 @ 08:23:07 GMT
An effective voting system allows citizens to express their preference for public policy decisions in a secure and private manner. The system itself includes everything from deciding who can vote t… - History of Voting Methods - An Illustrated History of Voting Methods…Updated: 2008-08-28 @ 08:23:07 GMT
An effective voting system allows citizens to express their preference for public policy decisions in a secure and private manner. The system itself includes everything from deciding who can vote t… - Conventions : Key Moments In Political History, Democratic and Repub…Updated: 2008-08-28 @ 07:47:39 GMT
The (now defunct) Anti-Masonic Party held the first political convention in the US in 1831. The first Democratic convention came the next year (1832) in Baltimore. The first Republican convention w… - Hillary R. Clinton - DNC Speech - 26 August 2008Updated: 2008-08-28 @ 05:36:24 GMT
Hillary R. Clinton - DNC Speech - 26 August 2008… - Iraqi War Resolution - Text of Iraq Resolution and Roll Call Vote Au…Updated: 2008-08-28 @ 05:32:38 GMT
Text of the 2002 Joint Resolution of Congress authorizing military force in Iraq and roll call vote information… - Ted Kennedy - Text of Speech - DNC - 25 August 2008Created: 2008-08-27 @ 05:49:46 GMT
Ted Kennedy - Text of Speech - Democratic National Convention - 25 August 2008… - Seniority System - Guide To Political Terminology : What Is The Seni…Created: 2008-08-27 @ 01:38:53 GMT
In Congress, the seniority system describes the practice of granting privileges to members of Congress (Senators and Representatives) who have served the longest. … - Signing Statement - Unitary Executive - Guide to Political Terminolo…Updated: 2008-08-27 @ 01:22:44 GMT
A signing statement is an addendum issued by the President that accompanies the signing of a law. Those that deal with how the executive branch plans to enforce the law -- those that are de facto … - Executive Privilege - Political Terminology : What Is Executive Priv…Updated: 2008-08-27 @ 01:21:56 GMT
Presidents of the United States -- beginning with George Washington -- have claimed that the Constitutional principle of separation of powers grants the Executive Branch the right to resist some Co… - Presidential Records Act (PRA) - Political Terminology : What Is The…Updated: 2008-08-27 @ 01:20:56 GMT
The Presidential Records Act (PRA) of 1978, 44 U.S.C. ß2201-2207, governs the official records of Presidents and Vice Presidents that were created or received after January 20, 1981… - First Amendment -- Political Terminology : What Is The First Amendm…Updated: 2008-08-27 @ 01:19:57 GMT
Text and background on the First Amendment to the US Constitution… - Filibuster - Political Terminology : What Is A Filibuster?Updated: 2008-08-27 @ 01:18:59 GMT
Overview of Senate procedural Rule 22, filibuster and cloture… - Filibuster and Cloture - Rules of the Senate: Filibuster & ClotureUpdated: 2008-08-27 @ 01:18:37 GMT
Overview of Senate procedural Rule 22, filibuster and cloture … - Greymail -- Political Terminology : What Is Greymail?Updated: 2008-08-27 @ 01:14:57 GMT
Defines greymail, a defense tactic used by government employees who have connections to national security… - Unfunded Mandates - Political Terminology : What Is An Unfundated Ma…Updated: 2008-08-27 @ 01:14:12 GMT
Definition and issues surrounding unfunded mandates… - Green Card - Political Terminology : What Is A Green Card?Updated: 2008-08-27 @ 01:13:30 GMT
Definition of "green card" - which signifies the person is a legal permanent resident of the US… - Hatch Act - Political Terminology : What Is The Hatch Act?Updated: 2008-08-27 @ 01:12:10 GMT
The Hatch Act restricts the political activity of executive branch employees of the federal government, District of Columbia government and some state and local employees who work in connection wi… - Partisan - Political Terminology: What Does It Mean To Be Partisan?Updated: 2008-08-27 @ 01:11:21 GMT
Definition of partisan… - GATT - Political Terminology : What Is GATT (General Agreement On Ta…Updated: 2008-08-27 @ 01:08:30 GMT
What is the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade?… - Gang of Eight - Political Terminology : Who Is The Gang Of Eight?Updated: 2008-08-27 @ 01:07:08 GMT
The Gang of Eight refers to eight members of Congress who must be briefed by the executive branch on matters of intelligence… - Veto -- Political Terminology : What Is A VetoUpdated: 2008-08-27 @ 01:06:23 GMT
Definition, use of veto… - Energy - Campaign 2008 - The Candidates On Energy - McCain and Obama…Updated: 2008-08-26 @ 23:40:42 GMT
Energy -- as symbolized by gasoline prices -- will be a major factor in the November elections. In 2004, when gasoline prices were about half of what they are today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics … - What Is The Fourth Estate?Created: 2008-08-21 @ 09:42:26 GMT
The fourth estate is a term that references the press, positioning it as a fourth branch of government. … - The Hatch Act - Right Of Employees To Participate PoliticallyUpdated: 2008-08-19 @ 23:34:40 GMT
Passed in 1939, the Hatch Act restricts the political activity of executive branch employees of the federal government, District of Columbia government, and some state and local employees who work … - Today In Political HistoryUpdated: 2008-08-19 @ 19:45:26 GMT
An ever-growing calendar of political events that have helped shape the United States of America… - Sex and Politics in AmericaUpdated: 2008-08-19 @ 10:56:11 GMT
An overview of political sex scandals in America… - US Presidential Debates - 2008Updated: 2008-08-18 @ 17:01:32 GMT
Overview of 2008 presidential debates with look at history and controversy… - Deconstructing a Political Poll: How to Determine if a Political Pol…Updated: 2008-08-18 @ 17:01:21 GMT
Ever wondered at the validity of political polls and at their newworthiness? Then this series of tips is for you… - Speeches: Barack Obama - Democratic National Convention -Created: 2008-08-16 @ 02:07:56 GMT
Text of speech by Sen. Barack Obama, 27 July 2004, Democratic National Convention, Fleet Center, Boston, MA… - Speeches: Barack Obama - World AIDS Day - 1 December 2006Created: 2008-08-16 @ 01:56:08 GMT
Text of speech by Sen. Barack Obama, 1 December 2006, World AIDS Day @ Saddleback Church, California… - Bills Vetoed by President Bush (2001-2008)Updated: 2008-08-15 @ 23:38:57 GMT
Details on the bills that have been vetoed by President Bush (43). … - 2008 Presidential Campaign - Barack Obama On AbortionUpdated: 2008-08-15 @ 06:17:15 GMT
Although abortion was legalized in the United States in 1973 when the U.S.Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that during the first trimester a woman has the right to decide what happens to her body… - How Does the Michigan Primary Work?Updated: 2008-08-15 @ 05:28:13 GMT
Presidential election primaries and caucuses are two different methods that political parties use to let party members (voters) select the presidential nominee. How do primaries work and why did De… - How Does the Florida Primary Work?Updated: 2008-08-15 @ 05:28:13 GMT
Presidential election primaries and caucuses are two different methods that political parties use to let party members (voters) select the presidential nominee. How do primaries work and why did De… - How Do The Iowa Caucuses Work?
Updated: 2008-08-15 @ 05:28:12 GMT
Presidential election primaries and caucuses are two different methods that political parties use to let party members (voters) select the presidential nominee. How do caucuses work and why is Iowa… - How Do Wyoming Caucuses Work?Updated: 2008-08-15 @ 05:28:12 GMT
Presidential election primaries and caucuses are two different methods that political parties use to let party members (voters) select the presidential nominee. How do caucuses work and what's the … - How Does The New Hampshire Primary Work?Updated: 2008-08-15 @ 05:28:12 GMT
Presidential election primaries and caucuses are two different methods that political parties use to let party members (voters) select the presidential nominee. How do primaries work and why is New… - How Do Nevada Caucuses Work?Updated: 2008-08-15 @ 05:28:12 GMT
Overview of how caucuses work in Nevada's 2008 primary season… - How Does the South Carolina Primary Work?Updated: 2008-08-15 @ 05:27:08 GMT
Presidential election primaries and caucuses are two different methods that political parties use to let party members (voters) select the presidential nominee. How do primaries work and why are So… - 2008 Presidential Campaign - John McCain On AbortionUpdated: 2008-08-15 @ 05:26:06 GMT
Although abortion was legalized in the United States in 1973 when the U.S.Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that during the first trimester a woman has the right to decide what happens to her body… - Wordless Wednesdays From Your About.com News ChannelUpdated: 2008-08-14 @ 05:20:09 GMT
Wordless Wednesdays blog posts feature photographs, not words. Check out these WW links from the news channel at About.com… - Politics And The OlympicsUpdated: 2008-08-13 @ 10:31:13 GMT
The Olympic games are renowned as a global event that transcend politics. However, political actions on the part of athletes and nations have colored the quadrennial games. Read on for a brief his… - Historical Presidential Approval Ratings - End Of Term Plus Current …Updated: 2008-08-12 @ 08:34:32 GMT
Chart of end-of-term Presidential Approval ratings. Links to current approval ratings -- job, Iraq -- as well as Presidential candidate polling data… - U.S. Senators That Operate Leadership PACsCreated: 2008-08-12 @ 04:47:23 GMT
A list of members of the U.S. Senate who operate Leadership PACs. … - PAC Contributions to House CandidatesUpdated: 2008-08-12 @ 01:57:19 GMT
PAC Contributions to House Candidates… - PAC Contributions to Senate CandidatesUpdated: 2008-08-12 @ 01:48:57 GMT
PAC Contributions to Senate Candidates … - What Is A Political Action Committee (PAC) - Campaign Finance Explai…Updated: 2008-08-12 @ 01:33:00 GMT
Federal political action committees, PACs, raise "hard" money for the purpose of defeating or electing candidates to federal office: Senators, Representatives, Presidents. PACs must regis… - PAC Contributions to All Federal CandidatesCreated: 2008-08-12 @ 01:32:26 GMT
PAC Contributions to All Federal Candidates - 1972 - 2006 … - Politics and Money : Bush v Kerry : Current Status, September 2004Created: 2008-08-12 @ 00:49:03 GMT
Breakdown of current political contributions to national parties, PACs and 527s… - What Is A Leadership PAC?Updated: 2008-08-11 @ 23:44:38 GMT
Federal politicians -- senators and representatives -- often form what is called a Leadership PAC to, among other things, raise money to help fund other candidate campaigns… - Fuel Economy Standards for Passenger Cars and Light Trucks - CAFE - …Updated: 2008-08-11 @ 21:25:08 GMT
Fuel Economy Standards for Passenger Cars and Light Trucks - Model Years 1978 - 2007… - Opinion and Commentary - 2005 Energy BillUpdated: 2008-08-11 @ 20:25:39 GMT
Recap opinion and commentary on the 2005 Energy Bill… - The 2005 Energy Bill - Roll Call VoteCreated: 2008-08-11 @ 16:39:32 GMT
July 2005 - Congress passes HR 6, an energy bill that pours about $9 billion into the oil and gas sector in tax credits and incentives…