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National Debt

What Is the National Debt? The national debt is the amount of money that a national government has borrowed through various means, including foreign governments, investors and federal agencies. When the U.S. federal government runs a deficit, or spends more than it receives in tax revenue, the U.S. Treasury Department borrows money to make up […]

National Park Service

Transcendentalism Popular 19th‑century writers, including transcendentalists such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman drew inspiration from nature, while artists of the era—including Thomas Cole, Asher Durand and Albert Bierstadt—depicted the sublime beauty of the American landscape. These writers and artists influenced the ideals of the American conservation movement. Many Americans at […]

Executive Order

What is an Executive Order? The U.S. Constitution does not directly define or give the president authority to issue presidential actions, which include executive orders, presidential memoranda and proclamations. Instead, this implied and accepted power derives from Article II of the Constitution, which states that as head of the executive branch and commander in chief […]

Checks and Balances

Separation of Powers The idea that a just and fair government must divide power between various branches did not originate at the Constitutional Convention, but has deep philosophical and historical roots. In his analysis of the government of Ancient Rome, the Greek statesman and historian Polybius identified it as a “mixed” regime with three branches: […]

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Here’s How the National Park Service Got Started

Explore the history of how the National Park Service came to be and how Presidents Lincoln, Grant, Roosevelt and Wilson helped protect areas like Yosemite and Yellowstone. Learn the difference between National Forests and National Parks.

The Judicial Branch

What are the origins of the judicial branch of the U.S. government? What powers does the Supreme Court have, and what are its most notable rulings?

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The Executive Branch

What are the powers of the executive branch of the U.S. government? Who can be president in the United States? And what exactly goes into electing the person who sits in the Oval Office?

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