Politics

Filter by topic:

Filter by TopicFilter by Type

Image from How Watergate and Citizens United Shaped Campaign Finance Law

How Watergate and Citizens United Shaped Campaign Finance Law

The Watergate campaign finance scandals led to a landmark law designed to limit the influence of money in politics. Decades later, some say the scandal isn’t what’s illegal, it’s what’s legal.

Image from Why Supreme Court Confirmations Have Become So Bitter

Why Supreme Court Confirmations Have Become So Bitter

The defeat of Robert Bork’s nomination to the Supreme Court in 1987 changed the way justices are confirmed today.

Image from Presidents v. Press: How the Pentagon Papers Leak Set Up First Amendment Showdowns

Presidents v. Press: How the Pentagon Papers Leak Set Up First Amendment Showdowns

Efforts to clamp down on White House leaks to the press follow a pattern that was set during the Nixon era after the publication of the Pentagon Papers.

Image from Gerrymandering Tilts Political Power. Here’s How Redistricting Affects Democracy.

Gerrymandering Tilts Political Power. Here’s How Redistricting Affects Democracy.

Both parties play the redistricting game, redrawing electoral boundaries to lock down power.

Are you a teacher? Check out our teaching resources for this video.

Image from How the Military Response to 9/11 Led to Two Decades of War in Afghanistan

How the Military Response to 9/11 Led to Two Decades of War in Afghanistan

Officials who drove the decades-long war in Afghanistan look back on the strategic mistakes and misjudgments that led to a 20-year quagmire.

For teachers: This video is part of a collection of resources including four short films, each accompanied by a lesson plan and student activity.

Image from Why the Cold War Race for Nuclear Weapons Is Still a Threat

Why the Cold War Race for Nuclear Weapons Is Still a Threat

Russian President Vladimir Putin controls the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, and his invasion of Ukraine is a reminder that Russia, the U.S. and many other countries have thousands of nuclear missiles, even as safeguards once in place have fallen away.

Image from The Cold War on TV: Joseph McCarthy vs. Edward R. Murrow

The Cold War on TV: Joseph McCarthy vs. Edward R. Murrow

In the heat of the Cold War, Joe McCarthy’s anti-communist crusade became a media sensation.

Image from How a Cold War Airlift Saved Berlin With Food, Medicine and Chocolate

How a Cold War Airlift Saved Berlin With Food, Medicine and Chocolate

A Soviet blockade around Berlin cut the divided city off from the West. But in 1948 U.S. and British pilots began to fly food, fuel and medicine to the Allied sectors.

Image from Poll Watchers and the Long History of Voter Intimidation

Poll Watchers and the Long History of Voter Intimidation

President Trump has called on supporters, including law enforcement officers, to monitor election sites. Voter intimidation tactics have a long history.

Image from Enemies of the People: Trump and the Political Press (Media Mistakes Excerpt)

Enemies of the People: Trump and the Political Press (Media Mistakes Excerpt)

In this Emmy Award-nominated film, top national political reporters admit mistakes in their reporting on the 2016 election campaign.

Image from Enemies of the People: Trump and the Political Press (CNN's Missteps Excerpt)

Enemies of the People: Trump and the Political Press (CNN's Missteps Excerpt)

In this Emmy Award-nominated film, CEO Jeff Zucker acknowledges missteps in CNN’s 2016 campaign coverage, when many media outlets covered Donald Trump’s campaign as a spectacle.

Image from Enemies of the People: Trump and the Political Press (False Equivalency Excerpt)

Enemies of the People: Trump and the Political Press (False Equivalency Excerpt)

This Emmy Award-nominated film looks at how the journalistic instinct for “balanced” reporting on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in 2016 played out.

Image from Bush v. Gore: How a Recount Dispute Affects Voting Today

Bush v. Gore: How a Recount Dispute Affects Voting Today

The dramatic controversy surrounding the 2000 presidential election led to sweeping voting reforms, but opened the door to a new set of problems that continue to affect elections today.

Image from Enemies of the People: Trump and the Political Press (Historical Excerpt)

Enemies of the People: Trump and the Political Press (Historical Excerpt)

This Emmy Award-nominated film explores tensions between the press and presidents, charges of liberal media bias and the decline in public trust in journalism. Watch the documentary.

Image from Political Debates: What the Unforgettable Moments Reveal

Political Debates: What the Unforgettable Moments Reveal

High-stakes debates put candidates in the hot seat. But are they helpful to voters?

Image from How Black Women Fought Racism and Sexism for the Right to Vote

How Black Women Fought Racism and Sexism for the Right to Vote

African American women played a significant and sometimes overlooked role in the struggle to gain the vote.

Image from What the Bungled Response to HIV Can Teach Us About Dealing With Covid-19

What the Bungled Response to HIV Can Teach Us About Dealing With Covid-19

Politics, public health and a pandemic. What we didn’t learn from HIV.

Image from How Biden vs. Sanders Echoes a 1964 Republican Party Split

How Biden vs. Sanders Echoes a 1964 Republican Party Split

Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden are the icons of an ideological split among today’s Democrats, echoing a similar split in the Republican party of 1964.

Image from How Oscar Speeches Became So Political

How Oscar Speeches Became So Political

Oscar night, long a showcase for Hollywood glamour, has also become a platform for film stars to pitch a rainbow of political causes.

Image from Political Memes: The Rise of the Political Meme in Politics Today

Political Memes: The Rise of the Political Meme in Politics Today

Political memes are being deployed to share opinions, similar to how editorial cartoons were used in the past – but with one important difference.

Image from Impeached: How Presidents Handled it -- Trump vs. Clinton.

Impeached: How Presidents Handled it -- Trump vs. Clinton.

How can a president continue to govern with an impeachment trial looming? President Clinton and President Trump adopted very different strategies.

Image from "No" on Impeachment Unites Today's GOP. In the 1950s, a Renegade Dared to Break Ranks

"No" on Impeachment Unites Today's GOP. In the 1950s, a Renegade Dared to Break Ranks

Breaking with party unity can be costly. In the 1950’s, Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine faced backlash after she condemned Joseph McCarthy, a fellow Republican.

Image from Do Whistleblower Protections Work? Ask This One.

Do Whistleblower Protections Work? Ask This One.

A whistleblower case from 2010 reveals the peril faced by whistleblowers seeking to expose wrongdoing.

Image from Israel Survived an Early Challenge With War Planes Smuggled by U.S. Vets

Israel Survived an Early Challenge With War Planes Smuggled by U.S. Vets

In 1948, World War II aviators risked their lives in a secret operation to smuggle weapons and planes to the Israeli military.

Image from How Segregation Influenced Evangelical Political Activism

How Segregation Influenced Evangelical Political Activism

While abortion is often cited as the motivation behind evangelical Christians becoming politically active in the 1970s, there’s another little-known reason that involves the IRS and segregated schools.

Image from The Roots of Evangelicals’ Political Fervor

The Roots of Evangelicals’ Political Fervor

White evangelical Christians are among President Trump’s most important supporters. But more than 40 years ago, they were on the margins of American politics.

Image from She Derailed the Fight for Equal Rights for Women

She Derailed the Fight for Equal Rights for Women

Even in the #MeToo era, many people don’t know that the Equal Rights Amendment never passed…because of one woman. Her name is Phyllis Schlafly.

Image from Why We Can't Have a Civil Conversation About Guns

Why We Can't Have a Civil Conversation About Guns

In the 1980s, the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan and the shooting of his press secretary, Jim Brady, led to the Brady Bill. Decades later, are there lessons from that fight for the Parkland students?

Image from Us vs. Them: From George Wallace to Donald Trump

Us vs. Them: from George Wallace to Donald Trump

Donald Trump has used populist politics to appeal to voters who are fed up with the status quo. We look at another politician who tapped into America’s divisions decades ago: George Wallace.

Image from The Populist Politician and California's Property Tax Revolt

The Populist Politician and California's Property Tax Revolt

In 1978, voters passed Proposition 13, lowering taxes for millions of California homeowners. Decades later, what has it meant for California?

Image from Fair Housing

Fair Housing

Has the government done enough to stop housing discrimination?

Image from Upheaval at the 1860 Democratic Convention: What Happened When a Party Split

Upheaval at the 1860 Democratic Convention: What Happened When a Party Split

Some issues are too fundamental for a party to withstand, and the consequences can last for a generation.

Image from Lessons from the 2004 Democratic Convention: Obama's Speech

Lessons from the 2004 Democratic Convention: Obama's Speech

Sometimes the most important speech at the convention isn’t delivered by the nominee.

Image from Lessons from the 1924 Democratic Convention: An Immigration Debate's Impact

Lessons from the 1924 Democratic Convention: An Immigration Debate's Impact

Immigration has been a defining issue in a campaign before, and the consequences transformed the Democratic Party.

Image from Lessons from the 1912 Republican Convention: Birth of the Modern Primary

Lessons from the 1912 Republican Convention: Birth of the Modern Primary

The animosity between William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt changed the primary process forever.

Image from The Birth of the U.S. Political Convention in 1831

How It Started (1831): Conventional Wisdom

In 1831, a radical third party had a new idea for selecting a presidential candidate, and it’s still in use today: the national nominating convention.

Image from Lessons From the 1964 Republican Convention: Declaring War on the Establishment

Lessons From the 1964 Republican Convention: Declaring War on the Establishment

Donald Trump’s candidacy wasn’t the first time the Republican Party was split by an outsider declaring war on the establishment elite.

Image from Lessons from the 1968 Democratic Convention: Under the Shadow of Protests

Lessons from the 1968 Democratic Convention: Under the Shadow of Protests

There are important lessons to be learned from the Democrats’ 1968 Chicago convention.

Image from Lessons from the 1976 Republican Convention: Why Ronald Reagan Lost the Nomination|

Lessons from the 1976 Republican Convention: Why Ronald Reagan Lost the Nomination|

In 1976, Ronald Reagan found owning the soul of a party isn’t the same as taking home its nomination.

Image from Smoking Man: Political Ads That Changed the Game

Smoking Man: Political Ads That Changed the Game

In the 2012 Republican primary, Herman Cain’s campaign produced an unusual video featuring Cain’s chief of staff, Mark Block, giving a pep talk while smoking a cigarette.

Image from The Rock: Political Ads That Changed the Game

The Rock: Political Ads That Changed the Game

In 2007, long-shot Democratic candidate Mike Gravel released one of the strangest ads in political history.

Image from Willie Horton: Political Ads That Changed the Game

Willie Horton: Political Ads That Changed the Game

The infamous Willie Horton ad placed a nail in the coffin of Michael Dukakis’ 1988 presidential run.

Image from Morning in America: Political Ads That Changed the Game

Morning in America: Political Ads That Changed the Game

Future “warm and fuzzy” ads can trace their lineage to this one. For his reelection campaign, Ronald Reagan employed a team of advertising all-stars, resulting in one of the most famous catchphrases in American politics.

Image from It's 3 AM: Political Ads That Changed the Game

It's 3 AM: Political Ads That Changed the Game

After a string of critical losses in the 2008 Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton’s campaign put out a hard-hitting ad that questioned Barack Obama’s readiness for the White House.

Image from Daisy: Political Ads That Changed the Game

Daisy: Political Ads That Changed the Game

Perhaps the most famous political ad of all time, this early television spot ran on air just once, but generated enough media coverage to become a real factor in the 1964 presidential election.

Image from Hillary Clinton and the Superpredator

Hillary Clinton and the Superpredator

Wondering what the Hillary Clinton/superpredator brouhaha is all about? Here’s the cliff notes…

Image from Being in the Bubble

Being in the Bubble

The curious origin of a political metaphor.

Image from Agent Orange: Last Chapter of the Vietnam War

Agent Orange: Last Chapter of the Vietnam War

The use of the defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War continues to cast a dark shadow over both American veterans and Vietnamese citizens.

Donate