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Lists about what's going on on Capitol Hill and in your own backyard.

Most Annoying

Richard Blumenthal

Annoying politicians are a fact of life in these United States. In a time when the gulf between the two major parties has never been wider, the names on this list are thought by some to be the worst of the worst politicians. They provoke their opponents with both their words and actions, drive voters crazy making bad laws, make pompous speeches, and generally annoy the crap out of the American public.

Have you had enough of President Obama&#39;s lofty rhetoric? Does John Boehner&#39;s orange tan make you see red? Tired of Ted Cruz&#39;s apocalyptic language? How about US Rep. Trey Gowdy&#39;s endless hearings about Benghazi, or Senator Bernie Sanders blaming everything on rich people?

Here&#39;s your chance to make your voice heard, even before election day: Vote up the most annoying politicians currently in office or vote down the politicians on this list who you don&#39;t mind that much.

Make your voice heard for the 2020 election. <a href="https://headcount.turbovote.org/?r=ranker" target="_blank">REGISTER TO VOTE</a>!

Explainer

Laws named after victims remain a source of debate. While plenty of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/crimes-by-rich-white-women/elle-tharp" target="_blank">brutal crimes</a> occur within any given year, only a very small percentage&nbsp;lead to changes to our legal system. When it comes to US laws created because of crimes, public outrage is key. Particularly <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/crimes-by-rich-white-women/elle-tharp" target="_blank">horrifying kidnappings</a>, murders, and suicides receive&nbsp;an unusual amount of press coverage, often resulting in&nbsp;the widespread backlash needed to pressure politicians into reforming the legal system.&nbsp;The crimes that resulted in new laws&nbsp;were already illegal when they were committed. The resulting legislation is usually seen&nbsp;as closing a loophole or addressing a unique aspect of the crime. However, there is much public debate on whether such laws are ethical or effective. People who have laws named after them are honored and memorialized, on the one hand, but critics argue such laws are often too reactionary to be truly effective.&nbsp;If you're unsure where you stand on the issue, browse this list. It will help you develop a more detailed understanding of how and why some crimes lead to new laws.&nbsp;

US History

In an era when&nbsp;the United States Congress is unwilling to compromise to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/17/congress-prepares-for-weekend-work-as-stimulus-stalls-447567" target="_blank">provide basic relief to American citizens</a>, when&nbsp;Supreme Court justices are <a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-ruth-bader-ginsburg-amy-coney-barrett-82a02a618343c98b80ca2b6bf9eafe07" target="_blank">argued and voted upon party lines</a>, and when&nbsp;even basic <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/us/politics/as-two-thirds-of-house-republicans-support-the-texas-election-suit-a-democrat-called-them-traitors.html" target="_blank">elections descend into partisan lawsuits and name-calling</a>, it&rsquo;s hard not to feel that the United States is more divided than ever before. No matter how dysfunctional the American two-party system may seem, it doesn&rsquo;t look like it will be changing any time soon. But it begs the question: Why are we stuck with only these two major parties? How did these specific parties come to be? And are these political parties even necessary for the American government to function?

These&nbsp;may&nbsp;not be simple questions, but they are&nbsp;important ones. American political parties, and the two-party system they populate, began in the late 1790s and have persisted into contemporary politics in the 21st&nbsp;century. The main two parties have grown, changed names, realigned values, and sometimes disbanded while ushering in new parties to replace them, but the divisiveness between whichever the big two may be has remained the same for&nbsp;more than 200 years. Though it&nbsp;sometimes seems the contention between two factions is the source of America&rsquo;s problems, the parties have their place in democracy, and&nbsp;arguably, may be a healthy sign of a working republic.

Politics

Ann Coulter

This is a bipartisan list of the most over-the-top, spittle-stained, fist-thumping, hyperbolic political pundits of all time. Speakers, writers, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/famous-female-tv-personalitys/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">TV personalities</a> or radio hosts, each of these people has a special place in the Hallowed Halls of Overblown Rhetoric. The most obnoxious political pundits have a partisan point of view, and they are not afraid to share it!Odds are if you hate <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/annoying-politicians/mike-rothschild?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">annoying politicians</a>, you already know and detest these obnoxious pundits. This <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-famous-commentators/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">list of political commentators</a> includes men and women, Democrats, Republicans and Independents. If you see someone missing from this list, add them! Or just rank those that are already here as you see fit.So who are the most obnoxious political pundits? This list will answer that question based on your votes.

Adulthood: where does it begin? In reality, that answer kind of depends on which metric of adulthood you're looking at, as the minimum legal ages for things –&nbsp;ranging from driver's licenses to military service and legal recreational cannabis –&nbsp;varies. Across the gamut of minimum legal ages in the United States, one thing is consistent: there is no consistency.Are there some things that the minimum age requirement is&nbsp;too high on, though? Is it fair to require people to be 21 to legally purchase alcohol? Is 18 a good minimum age to set for tattoos without parental consent?&nbsp;

True Stories

While it&#39;s easy to point to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bhpXhxP-WU" target="_blank">House of Commons</a> as the craziest legislative body in the western world, the US Congress is no slouch. Brawls, filibusters, fights, and bizarre bills are among the more outlandish things you may have heard about Congress, and with more than two hundred years of history, Washington has seen it all. The craziest things that happened in Congress went down for all sorts of reasons, though mostly it boils down to a few people really hating each other.

Civil Rights bills, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/republican-sex-scandals/web-infoguy?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">sex scandals</a>, and corruption have provided plenty of impetus for drastic action in the past, much like a call to action against gun violence inspired members of the Senate to stage a sit in on the floor in June 2016. But if you think that was wild, just wait until you see some of the crazy stuff below.

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America

Trivia about the American government has never been so awesome. Supreme Court Justices declare what is right and wrong in America as the judiciary branch of government and this list of US Supreme Court trivia will entertain, enlighten, and surprise you. These surprising facts about the Supreme Court of the United States range from presidential trivia (surrounding presidents like FDR, Jimmy Carter, and George Washington) all the way to fun facts about the building itself. For instance: which Supreme Court Justice led the fight to get a frozen yogurt machine in the court's cafeteria? Hint: she's still serving today.These historical tidbits include the court's &quot;totally chill&quot; reaction to religious people taking hallucinogens to their decisions on what &quot;dirty words&quot; <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/george-carlin-controversial-points/donn-saylor?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">comedians like George Carlin</a> are allowed to say on our television sets. Supreme Court Justices are put on display with their personal and political anecdotes being featured on this list. Some of the funniest hearings are also included. For example, did you know the Supreme Court of the United States decided what pickles are and once challenged 95 barrels of &quot;alleged&quot; apple cider vinegar?What should you know about SCOTUS? Read on to learn all kinds of interesting facts about America's Supreme Court and be sure to upvote the most fascinating Supreme Court facts, from history and today, below!

American People

Robert F. Kennedy

The most influential politicians in American history, ranked by everyone. Anyone can vote on this list, making these rankings a good way to discover how these politicians rank in the public eye. We are defining influence here as - for better or worse - how the actions of this politician shaped American history - so your rankings and votes should not be based on whether or not you like a particular politician or agreed with their policies and actions. Also note that this list of influential politicians is not limited to Presidents and can include other influential office-holders. The most influential political figures in US history can be from local or national politics. You can add any missing pols by making your own version of this list. Love them or hate them, politicians shaped this great country... these are the ones who had the most influence.

So who are the most influential politicians in American history? Who are the greatest politicians in American history? That&#39;s up to you to decide, so make your vote count! Then see <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/important-politicians-2019/ranker-news" target="_blank">what politicians are affecting global and US politics in 2019</a>.

Make your voice heard for the 2020 election. <a href="https://headcount.turbovote.org/?r=ranker" target="_blank">REGISTER TO VOTE</a>!

The United States has a system of checks and balances. This means no single person has complete power over laws and rulings within the country, not even the president.&nbsp;Supreme Court rulings are the final decision regarding whether laws and acts are constitutional, meaning they have major impact on the country at large.&nbsp;At times, members of the US Supreme Court stand in opposition to a sitting president and may rule against that president if they deem it necessary. These are often <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-controversial-supreme-court-cases/michael-gibson" target="_blank">controversial rulings</a>&nbsp;that lead to debate and disagreement along partisan lines.&nbsp;Times the Supreme Court disagreed with the president often led to dramatic changes in the power structure of our government.&nbsp; &nbsp;Presidents who lost to the Supreme Court reacted in different ways. While some rulings were quietly accepted, others were challenged or outright ignored. Regardless of how a single president reacted, however, president versus Supreme court rulings&nbsp;have long lasting effects that reach well beyond term limits. Therefore, it's important to be educated&nbsp;about when and why various presidents clashed with the Judicial Branch to more fully understand the implications of the US Constitution.&nbsp;

Politics can be boring. Sometimes politics can just be too much for people. There is always a lot on the line during each and every election and it seems to most people that no matter what anyone promises or does, nothing really ever gets accomplished. It's a vicious cycle. But, this list is here to save the day! Sometimes politics can be fun. Sometimes it can be entertaining. That's why this collection of funny campaign slogans exists. You won't believe that these are actually real. Actual politicians running for office used these slogans. So, take a look! Be sure to vote up the ones that you think are the funniest of the funny political slogans.

Interesting

The prison population of the United States is over two million people, the highest of any country in the world, and larger than <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/stomach-churning-things-about-soviet-gulags/daveesons?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the gulag system</a> at the height of the Soviet Union. Of these inmates, around 200,000 are held in federal prison, either before or after trial. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has a fascinating history, often quite different than the local and state facilities it augments, and some of it is quite shocking.True to the nature of the United States, federal crimes were rare until the late 19th century. Most justice was dispensed at the town or county level, and US Marshals carried out arrests for crimes that went across states. Since it was formed in 1931, up until 1980, BOP inmates were a small group. But mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes, handed down by &quot;tough on crime&quot; judges and prosecutors, made this number skyrocket. With it has come a host of problems and inequities. Here are some startling facts about the federal prison population and the Bureau of Prisons that house it.

Photography

Enjoy these vintage pictures of politicians when they were young. This list features politicians&#39; high school yearbook pictures, photos of politicians in college, as well as politicians before they were famous. You&#39;ll see former Presidents of the United States, Senators, Governors, and Congresswomen in their early days when they were young, wild, free, and not at all bogged down by the American political system.

Where can you find young politician pics from their less prestigious days? Only on this list will you find the funniest, cutest, and most surprising shots of your elected officials. Vote up the most interesting and cool vintage pics of these politicians, no matter what you think of their policies and voting records.

You've likely heard about gerrymandering in the United States. As the country becomes more and more divided over <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/political-issues-that-matter-the-most/mike-rothschild" target="_blank">political issues</a>, it's a term that comes up a lot.&nbsp;So what is gerrymandering, and why is it so bad?Gerrymandering is a tool employed by many congressmen to ensure they stay in power. Every 10 years, the borders of congressional districts are updated by the census board to decide which voters fall into which electoral districts. Gerrymandering happens when those new districts are redrawn in a way that benefits one party over the other. These redrawn districts are often clearly designed to cut out certain groups like racial and religious minorities or working class citizens. If a politician is worried that a certain group of people might vote them out in the next election, they can work with the majority party to redraw the district to ensure that the opposition is cut out of the conversation.This is a crucial <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/social-issues-in-america-that-you-care-about-most/mike-rothschild" target="_blank">issue people care about</a>. In May of 2017, the Supreme Court ordered two gerrymandered districts in North Carolina&nbsp;to be redrawn because they were designed to segregate voters by race, and other districts have been stricken down by the courts as well. While these individual wins are terrific for democracy, some of the most gerrymandered districts in America are still skewing the electoral system.

poll

Let&#39;s face it: politics can really bring out the worst in people, especially elected officials. Even the greatest politicians in history have had qualities that were horrible - or at best, really annoying. George Washington owned slaves, Teddy Roosevelt was an inveterate racist, Winston Churchill was a depressive alcoholic, and so on.

Just as every person has things about them that are good and bad, so too do the politicians we elect. Some of these qualities are criminal, sending politicians to prison for taking bribes, committing crimes, or exerting undue privilege. Others are just personality quirks or traits that some people find irritating. That irritation is heightened by the visibility and responsibilities of public office.

This list rounds up some of the worst qualities in politicians - from the merely annoying to the downright criminal. Vote up the most disgusting characteristics in lawmakers below! And if we missed any traits that really irritate you, be sure to add them to the list!

Make your voice heard for the 2020 election. <a href="https://headcount.turbovote.org/?r=ranker" target="_blank">REGISTER TO VOTE</a>!

The United States has faced its share of disasters, from threats abroad to natural disasters on its own soil. Woodrow Wilson was the first president to issue an emergency proclamation, which dealt with insufficient maritime shipping tonnage. However, the president&#39;s ability to declare a national emergency was not entirely defined by law until 1976, when&nbsp;President Gerald Ford signed the <a href="http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title50/chapter34&amp;edition=prelim" target="_blank">National Emergencies Act</a>.

Since the&nbsp;act was passed, 59 national emergencies have been declared. Some of these emergencies are called in response to <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-mount-st-helens-explosion/laura-allan" target="_blank">natural disasters</a>, including some of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/10-biggest-deadliest-most-destructive-hurricane_s-ever-/jeff419" target="_blank">worst hurricanes in history</a>, while others are a result of international tensions. Though many&nbsp;crises have since reached a resolution -&nbsp;like President Barack Obama&#39;s declaration regarding the swine flu pandemic -&nbsp;there are&nbsp;plenty of national emergencies still&nbsp;in effect.&nbsp;

From the Iranian sanctions of 1979&nbsp;to the declaration of an emergency at the border with Mexico, here&#39;s every national emergency that is still active today.

Celebrities

Hollywood is known as a liberal haven, but many of its movers and shakers are quite conservative. Several famous <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-greatest-film-actors-and-actresses-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">actors and actresses</a> have played against their right-leaning personal beliefs in films, acting as sex workers, witches, and even occasionally Democrats. Considering these conservative celebrities' own politics, their performances in these progressive roles are even more remarkable.The most famous figure among the conservative actors on this list is likely Robert Downey, Jr. The movie star seemingly puts aside his own conservative politics when taking progressive roles like the gay publisher Terry Crabtree in Wonder Boys, or the Democratic silent film actor Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin. After years as a Democrat, Rob Schneider recently made the jump over to the GOP. His character Deuce Bigalow might disagree with that decision. James Woods is an outspoken Republican, but that didn't stop him from playing the drug-snorting pimp Lester Diamond in Casino. And conservative voter Shannen Doherty seemed to have no qualms about portraying a witch on the popular series Charmed.Are you surprised that these conservative celebs would take liberal roles in films and on television? Perhaps the challenges offered by these parts outweighed qualms they might feel about contradicting their beliefs. Read on to discover what other stars appear on this list.

US Constitutional amendments range from the ones that everyone can name at the drop of a hat to a few that are so obscure even the Supreme Court doesn't use them. They enumerate rights not originally in the Constitution, establish some of the most basic legal protections American citizens have, and form the foundation of the legal system in the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/tags/united-states?ref=internalCrossLinking_tag">United States</a>. How many Constitutional amendments are there? 27 big ones, all with a unique effect on American history.Amendments to the Constitution also fix a number of ambiguities and errors that the Founding Fathers made when they drafted the document. Among these are clearing up confusion about succession, changing the very nature of how presidents are elected, granting voting rights to women and minorities, and taking away opportunities for states to abuse their power.The first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution make up the Bill of Rights, drafted in 1789 and ratified in 1791. But the remaining 17 amendments, ratified in subsequent years, have played important roles in US history as well.Here are all 27 US Constitutional amendments, from the First through the Twenty-Seventh, with a summary of what they do and various other fun Constitution facts.

Weapons

Photo ops of politicians holding guns are a time-honored tradition, in both the United States and around the world. Every time an election rolls around, morale needs to be boosted, or a world leader just needs to look like a bad ass, they'll have someone take a picture of them shooting something. Gun ownership and shooting have been practiced by a number of presidents, many of whom had military backgrounds. In recent decades, fewer presidential candidates have served, but all have tried to court votes from American gun lovers. As primary elections approach, they'll make sure they have lots of pictures taken firing, holding, and admiring guns. Leaders around the world do the same thing - though sometimes it's to burnish their fearsome image.Check out this list of politicians in American and around the world holding guns. Who looks the most comfortable, and who looks like they're literally just doing it for the camera? Vote up the best photos, and be sure to let us know what you think in the comment section.&nbsp;

The most important qualities in politicians are listed here for your viewing, ranking, and voting pleasure. When one thinks of character traits that make a good politician, one thinks of things like integrity and optimism. It takes an intelligent, loyal, and likable person to win any election (whether on the local, state, or national level) let alone succeed as a president. Vote for the qualities of good politicians that you think are the most important.

From tact to charisma, possessing specific traits is critical when communicating with international leaders and constituents alike. That&#39;s why leadership qualities should include things like being a diplomatic person... characteristics like integrity and likability that help a person both campaign and lead a body of people. Undetermined politicians who do things based on party lines rather than based on their own morality and sense of independence belong in the category of negative characteristics for politicians.

This is a list that outlines the best qualities in a politician. Whether you consider yourself a political person or a completely neutral person, politician&#39;s actions directly affect you and your everyday life. Upvote the political characteristics you think are the most important!&nbsp;

Make your voice heard for the 2020 election. <a href="https://headcount.turbovote.org/?r=ranker" target="_blank">REGISTER TO VOTE</a>!

Jobs

Ronald Reagan - Lifeguard

This list odd first jobs of politicians will surprise and entertain you. Find out what your favorite (or least favorite) Senators, Governors, and Presidents used to do way, way, way back in the day to support themselves. These are the first jobs these politicians ever had, including Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Rand Paul. Let's just say these odd jobs weren't on the resumes that got them all the way to Capitol Hill.Which 2016 presidential candidate stayed out late after working the miniature golf course in high school? And which former president used to measure land for farmers at the rate of 40 cents an hour for 10 hours a day? Which other 2016 hopeful once built exotic bird cages?These weird and surprising first jobs of politicians are ranked here and awaiting your votes. So many politicians had odd jobs before they took office, from food court mall jobs to lifeguard at the pool, what did your Senator do back in the day? Upvote the oddest first jobs of political figures below and let us know about your first job in the comments section!

US Government & Politics

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Lots of stuff to be scared of these days... more than usual, even in our normal fear-based-economy. The media and the pundits and the politicians love to find new things for you to be afraid of every time they want your attention or your votes or your money... but what do you think the REAL threats to America are? Vote up your biggest fears and re-rank the list in the order of most important to least important and make sure to ADD any scary stuff I missed.

Scariest Terror & Political Threats to the United States

The Scariest Threats to the United States

General

Other

Best Rankings of Random Cool Facts + Stuff

other

United States

analise.dubner

Gender

Women

Gen Xers

Region

American

West Coast US

political

moderate

marvel_dc

dc comics

cinephile

foodie

news

streaming

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Us States

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Mountain US

Midwest US

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Northeastern US

International

Disinformation

Dimos Dicoudis

America is Becoming Increasingly Divided and Polarized

AlexanderRay

Corruption

Corruption is a text adventure game by Magnetic Scrolls released in 1988. In this game, a successful stockbroker suddenly finds himself embroiled in a world of crime and danger.

Money in Government

Politicians

Poorly Educated Electorate

Oscar Gonzalez

Disregarding Our Constitution

Bootsdad

Stupid People in Charge!

icoachfb

Propaganda

Propaganda, an influential book written by Edward L. Bernays in 1928, incorporated the literature from social science and psychological manipulation into an examination of the techniques of public communication. Bernays wrote the book in response to the success of some of his earlier works such as Crystallizing Public Opinion and A Public Relations Counsel. Propaganda explored the psychology behind manipulating masses and the ability to use symbolic action and propaganda to influence politics, effect social change, and lobby for gender and racial equality. Walter Lippman was Bernays’ unacknowledged American mentor and his work The Phantom Public greatly influenced the ideas expressed in Propaganda a year later. The work propelled Bernays into media historians’ view of him as the “father of public relations.”

Americans Seeing Something Wrong, and Just Ignoring It.

Joshua Erickson

Death of the Middle Class

Historical revisionism

Anti-intellectualism

Media bias

Concentration of media ownership‎ 

Hate Media

The Partisan Political System

The Rise of Identity Politics

17 Trillion Dollar Debt

The Media Itself

Apathy

Chad Bromley (born March 8, 1979), better known by his stage name Apathy (formerly "The Alien Tongue"), is a rapper and producer from Willimantic, Connecticut.His first major release was his debut album; Eastern Philosophy in March 2006 with guest appearances from Celph Titled, Ryu, and Blue Raspberry. His second album Wanna Snuggle? was released in 2009 and his third studio album Honkey Kong was released in 2011, both to critical acclaim. His fourth studio album, Connecticut Casual was released on June 3, 2014 and reached #41 in the R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts.Apathy is known for his frequent collaborations with other MCs and groups such as Demigodz, Celph Titled, Doe Rakers, Jedi Mind Tricks, Army of the Pharaohs, Styles of Beyond, and the Get Busy Committee.

RobLein

Corporate Control of the Internet

Stephen French

Injustice

Poverty

Fake news

Lots of stuff to be scared of these days... more than usual, even in our normal fear-based-economy. The media and the pundits and the politicians love to find ...