How does Senate confirmation work?
By Mark Trainer Whenever a U.S. president nominates someone to fill a position in his administration — whether it’s just after the election or another time during his term in office — that nominee’s appointment must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Somewhere between 1,200 and 1,400 government positions require confirmation. While many confirmation hearings take place ... Read More»
The presidential Cabinet explained [video]
A new U.S. president carefully considers the people whom he nominates to join his Cabinet — his close partners in governing. Who are the men and women who make up this important group, and what do they do? The term “Cabinet” is never mentioned in the U.S. Constitution , but the video explains where the term came ... Read More»
Joe Biden: America’s next president
By Lenore T. Adkins Joseph R. Biden Jr., a former vice president and a longtime Capitol Hill lawmaker known for reaching across the political aisle to get things done, takes office on January 20 as the 46th president of the United States. Biden served eight years as former President Barack Obama’s vice president and defeated incumbent President Donald ... Read More»
Why so much time from election to inauguration of a U.S. president?
While many democracies swap in new leaders in a sprint, the U.S. ambles along with a transition period of 11 weeks. But slow as that might seem, it’s shorter than the four months the Constitution originally left for the handoff of power from an incumbent to a new president. Picking up the pace The original ... Read More»
U.S. campaign songs stir the public imagination [video]
Music and politics have been closely linked throughout U.S. history, with songs that promote candidates (or attack their rivals) dating back more than 200 years. Those songs have often reflected the bruising nature of U.S. campaigns , which Stuart Eizenstat — a U.S. diplomat and former White House domestic affairs director for President Jimmy Carter — once ... Read More»
The spirited history of presidential debates
American debates have changed much since the days when an Illinois lawyer held the nation spellbound with his moral arguments against slavery. That was 1858, and the arguments of Abraham Lincoln, who was debating Stephen Douglas, didn’t lead to Lincoln’s winning the Senate seat he sought. Nevertheless, transcripts were distributed throughout the country and became ... Read More»
Understanding America’s Electoral College [infographic] (June 25)
Understanding America’s Electoral College [infographic] (June 25) When U.S. citizens cast their presidential election ballots, they’ll be voting for someone like Hagner Mister or Rex Teter. You probably have not heard of Mister or Teter. In fact, most voters who chose them in 2016 did not know who they were. During the last presidential ... Read More»
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