In the United States Senate, senatorial courtesy is a practice where senators will not confirm nominees to official positions without the approval of the senators from the home state of the nominee. This practice is not official or codified, but…
A congressional caucus is a group of congress members who share common interests and goals. The members of the caucus periodically meet together to discuss issues of interest, and to direct actions which will further various causes, from sponsoring legislation…
Yellow dog Democrats are Democrats who are fiercely loyal to their party, typically voting a straight Democratic ticket and always supporting Democratic candidates. The Democratic party of course greatly appreciates yellow dogs, although the term is sometimes used disparagingly to…
Many of the best examples of progressive reform center on how citizens interact with their government. The phrase “progressive reform” is predominantly American, and came about in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Early examples include rules governing how…
The United States government is divided into three branches: the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch. Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives are all parts of the legislative branch. In US politics, the term "Congress"…
There have been more Republican presidents than Democratic presidents. Between 1789 and 2013, 43 people have been sworn into office as the president of the United States of America. Of these, a larger number have belonged to the Republican Party…
Swiftboating is a slang term which is commonly used to refer to an especially vicious and public smear campaign against someone. The term has its roots in 2004, when an organization called the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth accused Presidential…
The President of the United States (POTUS) is the head of the American state and government, in addition to heading up the executive branch of the United States government. Together with the judicial and legislative branches, the president makes decisions…
The Contract With America was a statement drafted in 1994 by a number of leading House Republicans, and signed by almost all House Republicans at the time. It was a comprehensive list of promises the Republicans made to the American…
The Anti-Saloon League was an organization which lobbied for the prohibition of alcohol in the United States, ultimately becoming quite politically powerful. When Americans firmly voted to repeal Prohibition in 1933, the Anti-Saloon League and its policies fell out of…