Politics
Congress Turns to Stopgap Bills to Avoid Government Shutdowns
A look at how continuing resolutions work, why lawmakers rely on them almost every year, and what happens when one is not passed by the fiscal deadline.
Valentina Sokolov
Politics
Politics examines how power is won and constrained: election results and the coalitions they permit, party discipline, the arithmetic of a working majority, and the bargaining that precedes any significant vote. Analysis explains why an outcome was available rather than predicting the next one. Written for readers following government as a system.
Analysis of how majorities are assembled and held: election results, coalition bargaining, party discipline and the limits on any government's mandate.
Politics
Supreme Court Upholds Birthright Citizenship in Trump v. Barbara
The Court ruled 6–3 on June 30 that children born on U.S. soil to parents unlawfully or temporarily present are citizens under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Alexandria Lucas
Politics
Congress Ends 76-Day DHS Shutdown With Split-the-Difference Bill
The House passed a Senate bill funding every DHS component except ICE and Border Patrol by voice vote on April 30, and the president signed it the same day.
Alexandria Lucas
Politics
Why Control of Congress Is the Whole Ballgame in 2026
Committee gavels, subpoenas, the Senate's confirmation calendar, and the fate of every bill run through the majority — which is why both parties treat midterms as existential.
Alexandria Lucas
Politics
DHS-Only Shutdown Enters Second Month With No Deal in Sight
The Homeland Security funding lapse that began February 14 reached its second month with Democrats demanding enforcement reforms and Republicans refusing riders.
Alexandria Lucas