Analyze the role of citizens in the U.S. political system, with attention to various theories of democracy, changes in citizens' participation over time, and alternative models from other countries, past and present.

How to Register to Vote

In 22 states you can register and vote on Election Day. In other states, missing the deadline by one day means you can't vote. Your state sets the rules that determine if you participate.

mechanism

5 min · beginner

Primary Elections and Caucuses

Trump won Iowa with 51% of the vote and eliminated most candidates. Why do Iowa and New Hampshire get to decide before 98% of Americans vote?

mechanism

6 min · beginner

Campaign Finance and Super PACs

Super PACs spent $2.7 billion on federal elections in 2024. They accept unlimited donations from billionaires and corporations. This was illegal before the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision changed everything.

case_study

7 min · intermediate

What is Gerrymandering?

When politicians draw their own districts, voters lose—see how modern gerrymandering flips elections and dilutes your vote.

case_study

6 min · beginner

The Two-Party System: Why Only Two?

Democrats vs. Republicans isn't the whole story. Learn why third parties can't gain traction in America's winner-take-all system.

concept

6 min · beginner

The Electoral College Explained

Clinton won 2.87 million more votes than Trump in 2016. Trump became president anyway. Your vote for president doesn't actually elect the president. It elects electors who elect the president.

mechanism

7 min · intermediate

Voter Turnout: Who Shows Up and Why

155 million Americans voted for president in 2024, but 90 million eligible voters stayed home. The U.S. ranks near the bottom of developed democracies in voter turnout. The system makes voting harder for some people.

comparison

8 min · advanced

Electronic Voting Security

After 2020, election security became the most contested topic in American politics. Most confident claims from both sides were wrong. The actual system has specific strengths and vulnerabilities that aren't evenly distributed.

mechanism

7 min · advanced

Swing States and the Path to 270

The 2024 election came down to seven states. Candidates poured billions into swing states while ignoring California and Texas. The Electoral College decides which Americans' votes actually matter.

mechanism

7 min · intermediate

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Alabama state troopers beat voting marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Five months later, Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court gutted its core protection in 2013.

concept

7 min · intermediate

Voter ID Laws

Black and Hispanic voters are twice as likely to lack photo ID as white voters. Yet 36 states require ID to vote, with 9 requiring strict photo ID. These laws passed after the Supreme Court eliminated federal oversight of discriminatory states.

comparison

6 min · intermediate

Mail-In Voting, Early Voting, and Access Battles

585,000 mail-in ballots needed fixing in 2024. 54% were corrected and counted. 46% disappeared because voters never got notified or ran out of time. Ballot rules shape election outcomes as much as candidates.

comparison

7 min · advanced