Politics & Political Systems, VOT-YOU
Monarchies, republics, democracies, dictatorships, and hybrids of every kind all offer ways of organizing power. Explore the systems and ideas through which societies govern themselves.
Politics & Political Systems Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Voting in the U.S.A.
While voting would seem fundamental in a democracy, voting rights in the U.S. have long been contentious. The Constitution......
voting rights
voting rights, in U.S. history and politics, a set of legal and constitutional protections designed to ensure the......
Vrije Volk, Het
Het Vrije Volk, former daily evening socialist newspaper, once one of the largest and most influential dailies......
Wafd
Wafd, (Arabic: âEgyptian Delegationâ), nationalist political party that was instrumental in gaining Egyptian independence......
wapentake
wapentake, an administrative division of the English counties of York, Lincoln, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, and......
war
war, in the popular sense, a conflict between political groups involving hostilities of considerable duration and......
War Communism
War Communism, in the history of the Soviet Union, economic policy applied by the Bolsheviks during the period......
War Democrat
War Democrat, in the history of the United States, any of the Northern Democrats who supported the continued prosecution......
War Hawk
War Hawk, in U.S. history, any of the expansionists primarily composed of young Southerners and Westerners elected......
War on Poverty
War on Poverty, expansive social welfare legislation introduced in the 1960s by the administration of U.S. Pres.......
war on terrorism
war on terrorism, term used to describe the American-led global counterterrorism campaign launched in response......
War Refugee Board
War Refugee Board (WRB), United States agency established January 22, 1944, to attempt to rescue victims of the......
Wardrobe
Wardrobe, in medieval English history, a department of the kingâs household that became an office of state, enjoying......
Warren Commission
Warren Commission, commission appointed by U.S. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson on November 29, 1963, to investigate the......
Was Abraham Lincoln a Wrestler?
Before he wrestled with the future of American democracy as the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln......
Was Coco Chanel a Nazi Spy?
Historians generally agree that Coco Chanel had ties to Nazi officials and tried to benefit from Nazi policies,......
We Damn Your Memory! The Confederate Statue Controversy
In choosing to remove monuments honoring figures now viewed as objectionable, contemporary Americans are in a world-historical......
Weather Underground
Weather Underground, militant group of young white Americans formed in 1969 that grew out of the anti-Vietnam War......
Welfare Party
Welfare Party, Turkish political party noted for its Islamic orientation. It was founded in 1983 by Necmettin Erbakan.......
Were the Nazis Socialists?
Were the Nazis socialists? No, not in any meaningful way, and certainly not after 1934. But to address this canard......
Westernizer
Westernizer, in 19th-century Russia, especially in the 1840s and â50s, one of the intellectuals who emphasized......
Westminster Assembly
Westminster Assembly, (1643â52), assembly called by the English Long Parliament to reform the Church of England.......
Westminster, Statute of
Statute of Westminster, (1931), statute of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that effected the equality of Britain......
What are the 3 branches of the U.S. government?
The framework for how the U.S. government works is laid out in less than 4,000 words in Articles I, II, and III......
What Did It Look Like for a U.S. President to Condemn Racism in 1921?
Warren G. Harding was hardly a peopleâs president. Handpicked by the Republican Party as an inoffensive alternative......
What does it mean to be a dark horse?
Dark horse is a term used to describe a contender in a competition who is either not well known or not expected......
What does the secretary of state do?
The secretary of state is the head of the U.S. Department of State, responsible for managing the countryâs foreign......
What happens if the president dies?
If the president of the United States dies, the vice president immediately assumes the office of president. The......
What If the President Is Impeached?
Impeachment proceedings begin when the president is accused of âTreason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanorsâ......
What Is a Lame-Duck President?
The phrase lame duck is one of the most-usedâand nonsensicalâterms in modern U.S. politics. According to Merriam-Webster,......
What is a visa, and how does it differ from a passport?
A visa is a supplement to a passport, usually in the form of a stamp, sticker, or insert and sometimes as a separate......
What Is an Executive Order?
In the United States the president acts as both head of state and head of government. Although the office gives......
What Is an October Surprise?
In the waning days of the 1980 presidential campaign between incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter and Republican Ronald......
What Is Gerrymandering?
In the United States, representatives to state assemblies and the U.S. House of Representatives are determined......
What is the 3.5% rule?
The 3.5% rule refers to the assertion that if at least 3.5% of a countryâs population has actively opposed the......
What is the difference between democracy and republic?
Democracy and republic, while often used interchangeably, have distinct meanings, origins, and implications. Democracy......
What Is the Emoluments Clause?
The emoluments clause, also called the foreign emoluments clause, is a provision of the U.S. Constitution (Article......
What is the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)?
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is a U.S. government agency created by the Housing and Economic Recovery......
What is the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence?
Following a long period of European administration in Africa, in the 20th century many colonies agitated to regain......
What Is the Newest Country in the World?
New countries donât pop up every day. And even if a territorial entity does declare itself to be an independent......
What is the Small Business Administration?
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent federal agency that advocates for and provides resources......
What Led to Franceâs Reign of Terror?
On September 5, 1793, a group of Parisian radicals petitioned the National Convention to place âterror on the order......
What was Hadrianâs relationship with his Jewish subjects?
Romeâs relationship with the Jewish population of the Roman Empire had been strained since the destruction of Jerusalem......
What was the last sub-Saharan African country to gain independence?
The last sub-Saharan African country to become independent was South Sudan, which gained independence from its......
What was Ulysses S. Grantâs policy regarding Reconstruction?
U.S. Pres. Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grantâs predecessor, was a hard-line Southern Democrat who handled Reconstruction......
What was Ulysses S. Grantâs relationship with the Lakota Indians?
Ulysses S. Grant became president of the United States less than a year after the Second Treaty of Fort Laramie......
What Were Contraband Camps?
For upward of 500,000 enslaved people, the path to freedom during the American Civil War (1861â65) involved a contraband......
Whatâs the Difference Between a Migrant and a Refugee?
Migrant and refugee are just two of the many terms we use to describe people who are seeking new homes in other......
Whatâs the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?
The names Great Britain and United Kingdom are often used interchangeably. However, they are not actually synonymous.......
Whatâs the difference between Trumpism and MAGA?
Trumpism, named for U.S. Pres. Donald Trump (2017â21 and 2025â ), is widely understood as an American political......
When Representing Your Country Becomes Political
When it comes to sporting events, there is perhaps nothing more stirring than the sight of victorious athletes......
When Was the Declaration of Independence Signed?
For many people, that seems like an easy question. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776.......
Which U.S. Presidents Have Been Impeached?
The short answer is: Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump (twice). But to truly understand what happened......
Whig and Tory
Whig and Tory, members of two opposing political parties or factions in England, particularly during the 18th century.......
Whig Party
Whig Party, in U.S. history, major political party active in the period 1834â54 that espoused a program of national......
Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion, (1794), in American history, uprising that afforded the new U.S. government its first opportunity......
White Australia policy
White Australia policy, in Australian history, fundamental legislation of the new Commonwealth of Australia that......
White House
White House, the official office and residence of the president of the United States at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue......
White House press corps
The White House press corps is a group of journalists from various news media who cover the president of the United......
White House press secretary
White House press secretary, senior U.S. official who oversees the communication of the executive branch of the......
White Revolution
White Revolution, aggressive modernization program implemented in Iran in 1963 and continued until 1979. The reforms,......
Whittington, Dick
Dick Whittington was an English merchant and lord mayor of London who became a well-known figure in legend and......
Who Becomes President After the President and Vice President?
The current order of presidential succession in the United States is: Vice President Speaker of the House President......
Who Was the First Woman to Run for President of the United States?
When Hillary Clinton, running as the first female presidential candidate of a major political party, won the popular......
Why are people from New Zealand called Kiwis?
People from New Zealand are called âKiwisâ because of their unique and symbolic connection to the kiwi, a flightless......
Why are some states called battleground states?
Battleground states, also known as swing states, are those American states where both the Democratic and Republican......
Why Are Two Political Parties Dominant in the U.S.?
Two parties dominate the U.S. political system in large part because the U.S. system of representation is based......
Why Are U.S. Elections Held on Tuesdays?
For decades, federal elections in the United States have been held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.......
Why Did the Soviet Union Collapse?
On January 1, 1991, the Soviet Union was the largest country in the world, covering some 8,650,000 square miles......
Why Does Louisiana Have Parishes Instead of Counties?
Of the 50 states that make up the United States, Louisiana is the only one that designates each of its largest......
Why doesnât the U.S. have a Department of War anymore?
U.S. Pres. Donald Trump has signed an executive order rebranding the Department of Defense as the Department of......
Why Has Peru Had So Many Presidents?
Peru has earned a reputation for a so-called âpresidential curseâ: Eight presidents have taken office since 2016,......
Why Is Puerto Ricoâs Political Status So Complicated?
In 2018 petitioners addressing the United Nations (UN) Special Committee on Decolonization described the United......
Why Was Nazi Germany Called the Third Reich?
Nazi leader Adolf Hitler imagined his dictatorial regime as the historical successor to two great German empires.......
witan
witan, the council of the Anglo-Saxon kings in and of England; its essential duty was to advise the king on all......
Wolfenden Report
Wolfenden Report, a study containing recommendations for laws governing sexual behaviour, published in 1957 by......
Womenâs Land Army
Womenâs Land Army (WLA), U.S. federally established organization that from 1943 to 1947 recruited and trained women......
womenâs suffrage
womenâs suffrage, the right of women by law to vote in national or local elections. Women were excluded from voting......
Womenâs Trade Union League
Womenâs Trade Union League (WTUL), American organization, the first national association dedicated to organizing......
WoodâForbes Mission
WoodâForbes Mission, (1921), fact-finding commission sent to the Philippines by newly elected U.S. president Warren......
Workersâ Opposition
Workersâ Opposition, in the history of the Soviet Union, a group within the Communist Party that achieved prominence......
Workingmenâs Party
Workingmenâs Party, first labour-oriented political organization in the United States. Established first in Philadelphia......
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was a work program for the unemployed that was created in 1935 under U.S.......
World Geography Quiz
Test your knowledge of the countries of the world with Britannicaâs Geography Quiz! Identify countries on a world......
Wormley Conference
Wormley Conference, (Feb. 26, 1877), in American history, meeting at Wormleyâs Hotel in Washington, D.C., at which......
WPA Federal Art Project
WPA Federal Art Project, first major attempt at government patronage of the visual arts in the United States and......
WPA Federal Theatre Project
WPA Federal Theatre Project, national theatre project sponsored and funded by the U.S. government as part of the......
WPA Federal Writersâ Project
WPA Federal Writersâ Project, a program established in the United States in 1935 by the Works Progress Administration......
Yavana
Yavana, in early Indian literature, either a Greek or another foreigner. The word appears in Achaemenian (Persian)......
Yisrael Beiteinu
Yisrael Beiteinu, Israeli political party established in 1999 by Avigdor Lieberman. Like the Likud Party, Yisrael......
Young Algerians
Young Algerians, Algerian nationalist group. Formed shortly before World War I (1914â18), they were a loosely organized......
Young Americans for Freedom
Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), American youth organization based on conservative principles, notably limited......
Young Ireland
Young Ireland, Irish nationalist movement of the 1840s. Begun by a group of Irish intellectuals who founded and......
Young Italy
Young Italy, movement founded by Giuseppe Mazzini in 1831 to work for a united, republican Italian nation. Attracting......
Young MÄori Party
Young MÄori Party, association of educated Westernized MÄori of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, dedicated......
Young New Zealand Party
Young New Zealand Party, parliamentary group that became most palpable as a vigorous faction within the parliamentary......
Young Ottomans
Young Ottomans, secret Turkish nationalist organization formed in Istanbul in June 1865. A forerunner of other......
Young Tunisians
Young Tunisians, political party formed in 1907 by young French-educated Tunisian intellectuals in opposition to......
Young Turks
Young Turks, coalition of various reform groups that led a revolutionary movement against the authoritarian regime......
Your Party
Your Party, centre-right political party in Japan. It was established in August 2009 by Watanabe Yoshimiâformerly......