9 Times Congress Used a Joint Session to Hear from Foreign Leaders
Discover 9 historic times foreign leaders addressed Congress, from Winston Churchill to Nelson Mandela, and learn the procedural rules behind joint meetings.
Constitution & Congress
36 stories · page 3
Constitution & Congress stories
10 Historic Supreme Court Dissents That Later Became the Law of the Land
Discover 10 historic Supreme Court dissents that overturned precedent and became the law of the land, from Plessy v. Ferguson to Korematsu.
8 Facts About How the White House Budget Office (OMB) Controls Every Federal Regulation
Discover 8 facts about how the White House OMB and OIRA control federal regulations through cost-benefit review, executive orders, and deregulatory caps.
6 Constitutional Rules That Govern Impeachment—and How Many Federal Officials Have Been Removed
Discover the 6 constitutional rules governing federal impeachment and see why all 8 officials removed in U.S. history have been federal judges.
10 Congressional Investigations That Rewrote Federal Law
Discover 10 historic congressional investigations that produced major federal laws, from Glass-Steagall and FISA to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
5 Times the Twenty-Fifth Amendment Was Formally Invoked—and Why It Was Written
Learn the 5 times the Twenty-Fifth Amendment was formally invoked, why Congress drafted it, and how Sections 2, 3, and 4 protect…
9 Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings That Changed How Senators Question Nominees
Discover 9 landmark Supreme Court confirmation hearings from 1916 to 1993 that reshaped how senators question nominees and how nominees respond.
6 Rules That Decide What Happens During a Federal Government Shutdown
Discover the 6 legal rules behind a federal government shutdown, from the Antideficiency Act and Civiletti memos to back pay protections and…
7 Presidential Vetoes That Congress Overrode by Narrow Margins
Discover 7 historic times Congress barely beat the president's veto pen, from Ronald Reagan's highway bill to the War Powers Resolution of…
6 Times the U.S. House of Representatives Needed Multiple Ballots to Elect a Speaker
When the U.S. House of Representatives fails to elect a Speaker on the first roll call, all legislative business stops. You watch…