Evaluate citizens' and institutions' effectiveness in addressing social and political problems at the local, state, tribal, national, and/or international level.

What Are Interest Groups?

Hospital systems spent millions while patients flooded Congress with calls. The ACA repeal failed by one vote. This is how interest groups really shape policy.

concept

5 min · beginner

How Lobbying Actually Works

Tech companies spent $85.6 million lobbying in 2024. Meta led with $24.2 million. No major AI regulation passed. Companies successfully delayed federal rules while shaping state laws.

mechanism

6 min · intermediate

The Revolving Door Problem

Former government officials become lobbyists for industries they once regulated. Congress members take corporate jobs after leaving office. This revolving door creates conflicts of interest that shape policy decisions.

concept

7 min · intermediate

Iron Triangles and Issue Networks

The defense iron triangle produced $771 billion in contracts for five firms from 2020 to 2024. Congress authorizes bigger budgets, the Pentagon awards contracts, and contractors donate to committee members.

mechanism

7 min · intermediate

How the Criminal Justice System Works

From traffic stop to Supreme Court—trace how power flows through America's criminal justice system and who controls each step.

concept

6 min · beginner

Corporate Power vs Public Interest

Pharmaceutical companies spend $380 million annually lobbying Congress. Drug prices stay the highest in the developed world. Concentrated wealth creates asymmetric access to decision-makers.

comparison

8 min · advanced

Grassroots vs. Astroturf: Real and Fake Movements

When thousands protest, how do you know if it's real? Sometimes grassroots uprisings are corporate-funded campaigns designed to manufacture popular support. It looks real from a distance but it's plastic all the way down.

case_study

7 min · advanced

Arrest Bail and the Pretrial System

Illinois eliminated cash bail in 2023. More than 460,000 people sit in local jails who haven't been convicted of any crime. They're there because they couldn't afford to go home.

mechanism

7 min · beginner

Plea Bargaining: Why 97% of Cases Never Go to Trial

Only 2% of federal felony defendants go to trial. The rest plead guilty. Your Sixth Amendment right to trial by jury is real on paper, but the system pushes everyone to waive it.

case_study

7 min · intermediate

Mass Incarceration: The Numbers and Who Profits

U.S. prisons held 1.25 million people in 2023. Add 664,000 in local jails and 1.9 million are incarcerated daily. The U.S. incarceration rate is 355 per 100,000, higher than any other country.

comparison

8 min · intermediate

Police Accountability: Who Watches the Police?

Tyre Nichols died after a 2023 traffic stop. Five officers were charged with murder, but the DOJ found widespread unconstitutional policing in Memphis. Individual prosecutions can't fix systemic problems.

case_study

7 min · advanced

Reentry: The Second Punishment

Florida voters restored voting rights to 1.4 million people with felony convictions in 2018. Seven months later, the legislature added requirements that effectively eliminated that right for many. Getting out of prison isn't the end of legal consequences.

mechanism

7 min · advanced