US Politics

Marijuana is a commonly cultivated plant that has been grown for thousands of years and continues to be used by millions of people worldwide. It has a long history as a folk medicine among many...

Native Americans within the United States are subject to certain benefits. However, these benefits depend on whether a person is a member of a federally recognized tribe. As of 2009, 557 tribes...

Collective agreements are commonly used between companies and the unions that represent their employees. They are the product of negotiations on wages, benefits, work hours and more. Collective...

The United States cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of 15 departments. Cabinet members advise the president on issues relating to their departments.

In an ideal world we wouldn't test medicine and products on animals, but sometimes animal testing provides the only alternative to human testing. Animal testing often saves human lives. However,...

Since its inception, a move to privatize Social Security has been a major debate in the United States. Proponents of the measure point to a number of reasons, namely unfair practices and personal...

Gabriel Tarde (1843-1904) was a sociologist and social theorist known for holding this central thesis: the human person, living in society, has a complex form of existence that derives from every...

Contacting government officials can seem intimidating or challenging, but with some preparation it can be quite easy. Officials make their contact information available to the public in phone...

Renewing your passport can be a hassle, but if you know the reasons passport renewals are denied, you can save yourself the hassle by being prepared.

One way the federal government raises money is through the gas tax it levies on oil refiners. The tax has been around for roughly 80 years. It became a popular issue in 2008 when crude oil prices...

The debate on health care has shed light on the overall rights that consumers have when dealing with claims from their insurance company. Most are unaware of their rights when dealing with this...

National disasters can include any devastating occurrence (such as hurricanes, tornados, fires, floods and landslides) which affects a large region and population. The Federal Emergency Management...

The Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act is a law geared towards preventing and penalizing those responsible for committing identity theft. It provides strict guidelines and funding for the...

The U.S. dollar is a key currency, not only at home but also abroad. Because the price of the dollar fluctuates, economic trends are impacted. Analyzing the dollar's price movements will help you...

From the moment of our birth, we become part of the U.S. record system. Along with a Social Security number, we are given a birth certificate. There are a few times in life when a birth...

Presidential debates help to shape elections and provide substance for public discussions of candidates. The effects of debates vary, depending upon the candidates; polls show changes in public...

The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created to prevent work-related injuries, sicknesses and deaths. To accomplish this, the agency issues and enforces rules...

The Children's Disability Act was first known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act enacted by Congress in 1975 and was changed to its current form in 1997 as the Individuals with...

The Little Rock Nine were nine African American teenagers who became the first test case following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of desegregation of American schools. The students...

The U.S. Cabinet consists of members of the executive branch of the United States government, responsible for advising the President on key areas that are important to the country and overseeing...

Hoping to reduce the cost to process and deliver mail, the Post Office Department (POD) introduced ZIP (Zoning Improvement Plan) codes in 1963.

A prominent Bostonian, Paul Revere was a key player in pre-Revolutionary War events. He made a daring horse ride at the start of the war to warn fellow Boston radicals that the British were...

Because laws are narrowly crafted and will not fit every situation, police officers must often use discretion. Not surprisingly, the degree of discretion that officers exercise has been subject to...

The members of the presidential cabinet are the heads of various departments in the governmental bureaucracy, and each has a vital role in setting and enforcing American public policy.

The United States Cabinet is made up of the heads of the executive branch departments and the vice-president. Though not specifically created by the Constitution or federal law, the Cabinet has...

Embryonic stem cell research is one of the most politically and ethically charged debates in the U.S.. The most outspoken anti-embryonic stem cell research groups say that stem cell research is...

Every ten years, the United States Census Bureau conducts the U.S. Census. This census is important to the government because they are attempting to get an accurate count of the entire population....

It is a question that must cross many a curious mind, especially when appearing in court before a judge, customarily draped in flowing garb: Does it have to be a robe, and why is it black?

The recent health care and Nobel protests have brought to mind, at least for me, the difference between an effective protest and a non-effective one. We often see people in the streets with...

Hydrogen combines with oxygen to form water (H2O). This is an explosive, exothermic reaction, releasing a great deal of energy. Because the reactants are fully involved in the reaction, this...

Everyone and their dogs will be clambering to get their very own Nobel Peace Prize now that the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize committee has awarded it to Barrack Hussein Obama. Based on the so-called...

In an effort to standardize the display and use of the flag, regulations were established by the U.S. Code during the early 20th century. These regulations provide for the exact way to display,...

The intention of the welfare system is to help those with financial challenges within the greater society to continue functioning and eventually become independent. These benefits include housing...

The Black Panther Party was a well-known African American organization during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's and part of the 1970's. They do not consider themselves to be associated with...

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002---also known as SOX---is a United States federal law that was enacted on July 30, 2002. It was a response to the string of financial scandals that rocked major...

Customs and border regulations are a constantly updated facet of ensuring people and items entering and leaving the United States are legal and do not violate national concerns. These regulations...

The Disability Services Act is an Australian law that guarantees care and programs for people with disabilities. Programs operating under the guidance of the law work to ensure the safest...

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a U.S. law enacted in the late 1990s. Dealing with a variety of health insurance concerns, the law is known most readily for its...

The Special Education Needs (SEN) and Disability Act is a British law designed to regulate the actions of schools throughout the country. Many provisions in the law mandate the standards of...

The flag of the United States is one of the most treasured features of the nation. As such, there are a number of official, enforced regulations and laws regarding the proper use and function of...

When the United States became a nation, the laws as written held that a man was in nearly every respect the owner of his wife and children. Over the ensuing three centuries, the women's rights...

The Great Depression began in October 1929, when the stock market crashed. Many historians agree that it did not end until after the United States entered World War II in December 1941.

Democrats and Republicans can tell you about the differences between them---often in terms family-friendly websites can't repeat. In truth, however, the two parties are both broad, with a number...

The executive branch, while based heavily around the activities of the president of the U.S., is actually one of the largest organizations in the country. Employees can work for one or many...

Although Social Security numbers are necessary in order to work in the United States, there are some people who do not have a valid Social Security card. This could be because they were never...

Regarded as a universal symbol of liberty and democracy--and one of the most recognizable symbols in America--the Statue of Liberty is a tourist destination for millions. The symbolism of the...

Public policies consist of the actions, decisions and programs that governmental bodies enact to address public issues or problems. Governments at all levels--national, state and local--make...

There are thousands of elected and appointed officials serving the State of New York throughout the 4,200 local governmental units scattered across the state. However, there are only six elected...

The rights of gays are inconsistent in the U.S. In some states, gays are equal citizens under the law. In most states, gays do not have equal rights. The topic of gay rights is controversial,...

Imagine yourself traveling to another country by boat and seeing a giant statue welcoming you as you as the first sign of land appeared. So many ancestors of modern-day American citizens...