Explore current and historical political parties, map party control, and learn about polarization.
Under the direction of President John Adams, the Congress passed the Sedition Act of 1798, which made it a criminal offence to publish statements critical of the federal government. The first individual to be tried under the law was Rep. Matthew Lyon, who unsurprisingly had voted against its passage. Lyon was re-elected from jail.
Are you an academic or journalist interested in using NOMINATE data? Click here to download the data and learn how to use it.
The Senate's attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act narrowly failed due to a surprise defection by Sen. John McCain
Felton became the first woman to serve in the Senate, for only 24 hours.
