No party has ever won a majority of the Knesset's 120 seats, forcing every Israeli government to be built from a coalition.

Even after a winner is projected, the election is not complete. Between Election Day and Inauguration Day, electors formally cast votes and Congress meets in a joint session to certify the results, following a constitutionally defined timeline.

In 2020, the major parties selected nominees through 64 primary and caucus contests held over 22 days. Until the 1960s, most nominees were chosen by party leaders at conventions rather than through widespread primaries.

Despite celebrating Christmas for hundreds of years, the US Presidential White House didn't have its first Hanukkah celebration until 1979, when Jimmy Carter oversaw the lighting of a menorah. Since then, the tradition has expanded, including lessons on playing with dreidels and big parties. See a timeline of the events here.

In a contingent election, the United States House of Representatives is constitutionally required to choose the president, with each state delegation casting one vote when no candidate secures a majority of the electoral votes.

This article explains how the Constitution leaves most rules for choosing electors to the states. Today, parties typically select elector slates through state conventions, rewarding loyal supporters who formally cast votes weeks after Election Day.

In January 2023, Kevin McCarthy was elected speaker of the United States House of Representatives on the 15th ballot. This required more rounds than any speaker election since before the Civil War and marking the longest multiballot speakership contest in modern history.

A presidential candidate is declared the winner once they reach 270 of the Electoral College’s 538 votes. This interactive map from 270 to win shows how winning individual states shifts the path to victory on election night.

In presidential systems like the US, the executive and legislature are separately elected, giving presidents fixed terms and independent authority. In parliamentary systems, executives are elected by legislatures and can be removed by a simple vote of no confidence.

As of 2025, 16 states limit how long lawmakers can serve, usually capping tenure at eight to 12 years in one chamber or across both chambers combined. Most of these limits stem from a 1990s reform wave aimed at curbing career politicians.

If the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the vice president assumes the presidency. The line then proceeds to the speaker of the House, Senate president pro tempore, and Cabinet secretaries, beginning with the Department of State, established under the Presidential Succession Act.

Eighty-seven percent of Americans want term limits for Congress. So why don't they exist? The Founders debated this in 1787 and chose not to include them, believing elections would be enough. In the 1990s, 23 states tried to make it happen—until the Supreme Court struck them all down in a 5-4 decision.

In the years after independence, many states drafted constitutions to limit executive power. Most governors served only one- or two-year terms, sometimes with breaks before reelection.

Many early lawmakers served just one or two terms before stepping aside, reflecting the ideal of the citizen legislator and the discomforts of living in Washington, DC. Longer careers in Congress became typical only later in the 19th century.

Just weeks after Khomeini's return, Iran held a national referendum to replace the monarchy with an Islamic Republic, and over 98% voted in favor (though the vote was criticized). The vote formalized the revolution's outcome, laying the foundation for a theocratic government that remains in place today.

When Khomeini died in 1989, Ali Khamenei was appointed acting supreme leader on the same day. He served in this position until his death in February 2026, shaping Iran for nearly four decades.

Greeted by millions of Iranians flooding the streets of Tehran, Khomeini's return was a defining moment of the revolution. Within days, he appointed a rival prime minister, effectively dismantling the last remnants of the Shah's government and consolidating clerical rule over the new Islamic Republic.

During major events like the State of the Union, one Cabinet member is kept at a secure location. This "designated survivor" would assume the presidency if a catastrophe eliminated those higher in the line of succession.

In ranked-choice voting, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no one wins a majority, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated, and their votes are reassigned until a candidate surpasses 50%, avoiding separate runoff elections.

When Britain, France, and Israel secretly invaded Egypt, the Eisenhower administration supported UN resolutions condemning the invasion and called for a ceasefire—publicly criticizing its closest allies to uphold the principle that force should not be used to resolve international disputes.

The public broadcasting organizations of Iceland, Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, and the Netherlands said they will not compete in the 2026 Eurovision in Austria to protest Israel's inclusion, citing the humanitarian crisis from the Israel-Hamas war.

Learn more about the June 1967 conflict which shifted territorial lines across Israel and its neighbors—Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq—reshaping the Middle East’s political landscape with long-lasting geopolitical ramifications.

There have been 21 shutdowns of the federal government in US history, a result of Congress's failure to pass appropriations bills in time. While the cause of most of the shutdowns stems from issues around the national debt and budget, a few originated in fights over unrelated policies. Dive into the history of each one with this comprehensive list.

Most states cap governors to two consecutive four-year terms, though rules vary—Virginia is unique in allowing only one term at a time. These limits reflect a long tradition of restricting executive power at the state level.

Franklin D. Roosevelt broke with precedent by winning four consecutive presidential elections. Serving from 1933 until his death in 1945, he remains the only US president to hold office for more than two terms.

A University of Chicago and Stanford study found that state legislators barred from reelection sponsor fewer bills, serve on fewer committees, and skip more votes. The research suggests lawmakers are more productive when future elections remain possible.

US presidential elections are not “majority rules” contests. A complex mechanism underpins them, guided by the Electoral College system established by the Constitution. This US government website offers an overview of that system, which apportions “electors” for each state and requires winning presidential candidates to secure at least 270 Electoral votes on election night.

Recently removed President Yoon Suk Yeol isn’t the first South Korean leader to face turmoil at home. As this Voice of America piece shows, at least seven of the country’s 20th-century heads of state saw their political careers (and, in some cases, their lives) come to an abrupt and sometimes violent end.

This interactive tool lets users explore the outcomes of every US presidential election from George Washington's uncontested 1789 victory through 2024, showing how electoral votes, state results, and shifting coalitions shaped each race.

The Senate now takes longer than ever to confirm presidential nominees, with partisan gridlock stalling even routine appointments. The average confirmation time has nearly tripled since the 1980s, leaving key government roles vacant for months.

A president may veto legislation passed by Congress, but a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate can override it. For most presidents, only a small share of their vetoes have been successfully overturned.

Eurovision is intended to be a celebration of diverse cultures from around Europe—and, in the case of Israel and Australia, beyond Europe. But since 1999, most of its participants have sung in English. This episode of "The Allusionist" features Historian Dean Vuletic, who breaks down why so many countries' competitors avoid their native languages.

Eurovision includes the non-European competitors Australia and Israel, who were invited to participate in the 2015 and 1973, respectively, due to the countries' affinity for the song contest. Previously, Morocco competed in Eurovision (once, in 1980), though it no longer does.

Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a record 635 vetoes—more than twice as many as any other president. Other frequent users include Grover Cleveland (584), Harry Truman (250), and Dwight Eisenhower (181), reflecting long tenures, divided government, high legislative output, and assertive executive leadership.

Although polls show overwhelming support for congressional term limits, this would require a constitutional amendment. Since 1995, the Supreme Court has barred states from imposing their own limits, leaving only the difficult Article V amendment process as a path forward.

Because presidents are elected through the Electoral College rather than a national vote, candidates can win while receiving fewer votes nationwide. John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump (2016) each won the presidency while losing the nationwide popular vote.

This 2025 documentary explores how the relationship between Iran, Israel, and the United States has shaped Middle Eastern geopolitics for decades. The film covers events leading up to and following the 2025 12-day war involving these nations.

Television networks first granted airtime to the out-of-power party in 1966, with Republicans Everett Dirksen and then-Representative Gerald R. Ford delivering the inaugural response. See a list of each opposition response to the State of the Union since then.

It was founded in Cairo in 1945 and spans 22 nations across the Middle East and North Africa, ostensibly to coordinate policy on economics, culture, and defense. Its charter says any resolution only binds states that voted for them, rendering most of them toothless.