Articles
Open Rule vs. Closed Rule: House Bill Debate
An open rule lets House members offer relevant amendments; a closed rule bars them. The Rules Committee sets the terms for debate on a bill.
Articles
What Mootness Ends: When a Court Case Goes No Further
What mootness ends is a federal court’s power to decide a live dispute: when circumstances erase the controversy, Article III requires dismissal, with limited e
Read →Articles
What Is Winner-Take-All Allocation of Electors?
What the winner-take-all allocation of electors is: in 48 states and D.C., the statewide popular-vote winner usually receives every electoral vote.
Read →Articles
Where a Federal Agency Gets Its Authority: Statutes
Where a federal agency gets its authority is answered by Congress’s statutes: they define what an agency may regulate and where its reach ends.
Read →
How a Proposed Amendment Is Ratified by States
How a proposed amendment is ratified depends on Article V: three-fourths of…
What Is a Markup Session? How Committee Edits Shape a Bill
A markup session is where a committee debates and votes on amendments…
Absentee Voting and Mail Voting Are Not the Same Thing
Absentee voting and mail voting are not the same thing in every…
What Stare Decisis Requires of a Court
What stare decisis requires of a court: lower courts follow higher-court precedent,…
explainers on how the machinery works.