About US Government Made Simple
An independent, nonpartisan project to make US government understandable for everyone.
What this is
A growing library of plain explanations of how US government works: how it is built, how elections work, how laws are made, how courts work, which offices exist and how power is gained and checked. It starts with an interactive visual guide and 29 explainers and guides.
The office before the person
Who holds an office changes. What the office can do, how people get it and who can check it change far less. We teach the office first, and we will add current records only with dates and official sources.
Independence
This site is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any federal, state or local government agency, and it does not promote any party or candidate.
What is live, and what is planned
The explainers, guides, glossary, sources and the visual guide are live. Officeholder lookups, bill tracking and election data are plans, not services.