US Vote Blog

Civics Crash Course Lesson 4
The Constitution was designed to protect individual rights from the tyranny of the majority. States may be instrumental in safeguarding your freedoms.

American democracy exists within a federal system. Federalism is a form of government that is divided between a central authority and smaller units of power.

Over the weekend of June 7, 2025, CA Governor Newsom claimed the federal government’s deployment of the National Guard in California is a breach of state sovereignty.

Our Civics Crash Course will help you unpack the powers held by states and how they interface with the federal government.

Civics Crash Course Lesson 3
Democracy, fundamentally, is the rule of the people. But what does ‘the people ruling’ look like in practice? Citizens voting for other citizens to serve as representatives in government - that’s the main way popular sovereignty manifests in the United States. Voting is, in fact, the most common method of democratic participation in our republic.

Our beloved nation would languish without citizens stepping up to run for office or stepping out to cast ballots. While taking part in elections is essential for our democracy to survive, the founders were keenly aware that our republic would require an involved, educated citizenry for our nation to thrive.

Civics Crash Course - Lesson 2
As our nation debated ratification of the Constitution in the late eighteenth century, the Anti-Federalists raised concerns about the danger of federal representatives losing touch with their constituents in a nation as sizable as the United States.

Between elections, institutional mechanisms are in place to hold elected officials responsible if they fail to be representative or act in bad faith.

By design, there are several formal and informal means available for our institutions to hold elected officials accountable for their actions and in-actions.

Civics Crash Course - Lesson 1
Democracy is a system of government in which the people are sovereign. In other words, the fundamental essence of a democracy is rule by the people. A democratic government operates with the consent of the governed based on the popular will.

There are two main types of democracy at work in the United States: Direct Democracy and Representative Democracy. Both models are based on the will of the people expressed through their cast ballots.

The difference between a direct democracy and a representative democracy comes down to who creates the laws by which we are governed.

For democracy to thrive, citizens must be reliably informed between elections in order to prepare to effectively participate at the ballot box. With that in mind, U.S. Vote Foundation (US Vote) is excited to announce our new Civics Crash Course initiative.

In US Vote’s Civics Crash Course blog series, our in-house political scientists explain how your vote interfaces with our system of government.
- What power does your vote hold in America?
- How does American democracy function?
- How can citizens participate between elections?

Our Civics Crash Course unpacks these questions and more!

On behalf of the millions of American citizens living overseas, including tens of thousands of service members, their spouses, and family members, we strongly urge you to oppose the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, H.R. 22 / S. 128.

We are proud to represent the United States, both formally and informally, abroad. Americans living overseas, including U.S. service members and their families, are citizens fiercely committed to American democracy. Yet the SAVE Act does not make possible, or even account for, our participation in American elections.

Instead of making it easier for Americans to make their voices heard, or strengthening the security of our elections, the SAVE Act would decimate our members’ ability to register and vote.

In an election, the candidates must agree to the rules before the race begins. A candidate who waits until they’ve lost the race to claim that the rules were not fair isn’t merely a sore loser, but a threat to the free and fair elections that form the bedrock of our democracy.

Jefferson Griffin lost his November 5, 2024, race for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court to Justice Allison Riggs by 734 votes. It was a close race, and close races are tough to lose. But instead of graciously congratulating his opponent and conceding, Mr. Griffin is seeking to overturn the results of the election by invalidating more than 60,000 votes.

Love is all around us, including love for civics. A love story about why civic engagement is vital and three ways to fulfill your civic duty.

Democracy could use our affection and attention right about now. Americans are falling out of love with our system of government.

When a civic relationship has soured, there may be a strong impulse to pull back from participating in elections. To the contrary, whether our candidates win or lose, whether our preferred policies become implemented or are discarded, Americans simply can’t give up on democracy.

What are the different ways that primaries are conducted?

There are five types of primaries conducted in the United States: open primaries, primaries open to unaffiliated voters, partially open primaries, closed primaries, and semi-closed primaries. Here we provide details on the several types of primaries.

The United States is the only major democracy using primary elections to narrow down nominees for office from a selection of candidates. And we haven’t always done it this way.