Politics
What a Mandate Is — and How to Judge Whether an Election Gave One
Margins, agenda specificity and divided government offer a way to test a claim that voters endorsed a platform.
Henrik Larsen · September 17, 2026
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.
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 · August 20, 2026
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 · July 5, 2026
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 · May 2, 2026
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 · April 9, 2026