Will Trump’s backing revive moribund term-limits movement?
Although the movement to limit congressional terms has been largely dormant for the past two decades, 15 states do limit how many terms their own legislators can serve.
Despite Oregon governor’s win, candidates of different sexual orientations could face resistance in a presidential run
While a growing number of LGBT politicians have been elected to public office and attitudes toward the LGBT community have become much more favorable over the past decade, survey data suggest that being gay or lesbian remains an obstacle for candidates running for president.
Child marriage is rare in the U.S., though this varies by state
About 57,800 minors in the U.S. ages 15 to 17 are married – or five of every 1,000 in that age group. But the rate of child marriage varies widely between states.
Many Americans unaware of their states’ voter ID laws
With less than a month to go before Election Day, not all American voters are aware of their states’ voter ID requirements.
Most states allow religious exemptions from child abuse and neglect laws
All states prosecute parents whose children come to severe harm through neglect. But in thirty-four states (as well as the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico), there are exemptions in the civil child abuse statutes when medical treatment for a child conflicts with the religious beliefs of parents.
Same-Sex Marriage, State by State
In June of 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled all state bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry nationwide. This timeline highlights the changes in state policies leading up to that ruling.
Americans’ Views on Open Government Data
Many hope that more transparency and data sharing will help journalists, make officials more accountable and improve decisions. But very few think agencies are doing a great job of providing useful data.
Ahead of redistricting, Democrats seek to reverse statehouse declines
The national Democratic Party wants to regain some of the 900-plus state legislative seats Democrats have lost since 2009.
States suing Obama over immigration programs are home to 46% of those who may qualify
A group of 26 states filed a lawsuit in December to stop his executive actions on immigration, arguing that he didn't have the authority to make the changes.
Chart of the Week: The most liberal and conservative big cities
Big cities in the U.S. tend toward the liberal side of the political spectrum, even when they’re within conservative states (residents of Austin sometimes joke that their city is “an island surrounded by Texas”). But which cities are more liberal — or conservative — than their reputations?
