Congress (U.S.)

<p><span class="deck">Compromise upon compromise whittled FDR’s dreams down considerably, but enabled him to pass the Social Security Act, perhaps the most sweeping social reform of the 20th century.</span></p>

<p><span class="deck">Employing shrewd politics and a strong dose of compromise, LBJ passes comprehensive federal insurance for seniors. </span></p>

<p>An impetuous and sometimes corrupt Congress has often hamstrung the efforts of the president since the earliest days of the republic.</p>

<p>Members of the first federal Congress had to create a new government almost from scratch.</p>

<p>Histories written about the nation's greatest crisis focus on Lincoln and the military campaigns. But an intriguing group of characters in Congress also played a major role, advising and prodding the president.</p>

<p>Our research reveals that 19 artworks in the U.S. Capitol honor men who were Confederate officers or officials. What many of them said, and did, is truly despicable.</p>

<p>Distinguished historians have written extensively on the misconduct in presidential administrations since George Washington.</p>

<p>Political leaders once agreed that the U.S. should borrow only for well-defined purposes. But, in the last 20 years, we’ve ignored their guidance and added a staggering $25 trillion to the federal debt.</p>

<p>Crédit Mobilier, one of the worst outrages in the history of Congress, affected national elections and gave “the Gilded Age” its name.</p>

<p>Today’s budget wars would be unrecognizable to earlier generations of Americans. A veteran reporter on government looks at the history of shutdowns and battles over the budget. </p>