U.S. Government & Politics: Elections, Branches of Government

History Shorts: The First Hispanic Congressman Fights for His Seat

Romauldo Pacheco ran to represent a large Southern California district that was sympathetic to his bid for office. But he encountered fierce opposition.

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Affirmative Action

Affirmative action programs attempt to address past discrimination by encouraging minority and women’s representation in college admissions and employment.

Populism in the United States: A Timeline

The Know Nothings • 1849-1860 One of the earliest populist political parties in America was the Know Nothings in 1849. Opposed to immigrants and Catholics, the Know Nothings used the beliefs of white Christian supremacy to seize political power over minority populations. The Know Nothings grew out of a Protestant secret society known as the Order […]

4:27 minTV-PG

Here’s Why the Affordable Care Act Is So Controversial

In 2010 President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, (aka Obamacare), into law to give more Americans access to healthcare, but elements like the individual mandate have caused controversy. Republicans have tried to repeal the law numerous times.

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National Debt

What Is the National Debt? The national debt is the amount of money that a national government has borrowed through various means, including foreign governments, investors and federal agencies. When the U.S. federal government runs a deficit, or spends more than it receives in tax revenue, the U.S. Treasury Department borrows money to make up […]

4:04 minTV-PG

Here’s How the National Park Service Got Started

Explore the history of how the National Park Service came to be and how Presidents Lincoln, Grant, Roosevelt and Wilson helped protect areas like Yosemite and Yellowstone. Learn the difference between National Forests and National Parks.

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3:20 minTV-PG

Here’s Why Reaganomics is so Controversial

Learn about President Ronald Reagan’s economic policies, which are known as Reaganomics, and why its trickle-down theory construct — giving huge tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations — is a controversial idea even to this day.”

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Republican Party

Early Political Parties Though America’s Founding Fathers distrusted political parties, it wasn’t long before divisions developed among them. Supporters of George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, who favored a strong central government and a national financial system, became known as Federalists. By contrast, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson favored a more limited government. His supporters called […]

US Political Campaign Views Pin expresses the political view: "Proud to be Democrat"

Democratic Party

Democratic-Republican Party Though the U.S. Constitution doesn’t mention political parties, factions soon developed among the new nation’s founding fathers. The Federalists, including George Washington, John Adams and Alexander Hamilton, favored a strong central government and a national banking system, masterminded by Hamilton. But in 1792, supporters of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, who favored decentralized, […]

National Park Service

Transcendentalism Popular 19th-century writers, including transcendentalists such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman drew inspiration from nature, while artists of the era—including Thomas Cole, Asher Durand and Albert Bierstadt—depicted the sublime beauty of the American landscape. These writers and artists influenced the ideals of the American conservation movement. Many Americans at […]

Library of Congress

Library of Congress Founded The story of the Library of Congress began in 1800, when President John Adams approved a congressional act that moved the national capital from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. As part of that bill, a sum of $5,000 was earmarked for books intended for use by the U.S. Congress. Under Adams’ immediate […]

3:01 minTV-PG

The Judicial Branch

What are the origins of the judicial branch of the U.S. government? What powers does the Supreme Court have, and what are its most notable rulings?

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