Tagged politics
New Voting Machine Demonstrations at a Neighborhood Library Near You!
Whether you've voted or not in the past few years for national or local elections, you may or may not know that voting security has become an ever-increasing concern. A bipartisan report by the Senate Intelligence Committee released…
How to Vote in the Primary Election on Tuesday, May 21
Philadelphians: it’s time to make your voting plans for the 2019 Pennsylvania primary election, which will be held this coming Tuesday, May 21! The Free Library is here to help you vote, in more ways than one. Here’s an…
First Ladies, In Their Own Words
The position of First Lady is a unique one in American government. It’s not a democratically elected position, but the office holds a great deal of cultural clout, and the women who occupied it have been deemed significant enough…
Plan for the Polls: No Excuses!
With the launch of our Division of Cultural and Civic Engagement (DCCE), the Free Library is committed, more than ever, to getting Philadelphians involved in what’s happening in their neighborhoods and communities, as well as the…
Midterms Matter: Democracy Looks Like You!
Voting is an exercise in democracy. And no matter where you fall on the political spectrum, if you’re not registered to vote, your voice won’t be heard. Midterms matter! And for these crucial 2018 elections, the deadline to…
Our Spring 2018 Author Events Series Is Full of Fire and Fury!
Updated January, 16, 2018 Watch our interview with Michael Wolff tonight LIVE starting @ 7:30 p.m. A week from today, in what is sure to be one of our more interesting Author Events to ever take place at the Free Library, we welcome…
Rally to Save Net Neutrality and Open Internet for All!
Welp, here we go again... This is what could happen if there are no Net Neutrality laws. Remember Net Neutrality ? If not, here's a refresher: In its simplest terms, Net Neutrality is the basic principle that prohibits internet…
November 7th is Election Day
Election Day is Tuesday, November 7th throughout the state of Pennsylvania. During this general election, Philadelphians will elect both a new District Attorney and City Controller, as well as: Nine new judges on Philadelphia…
Looking Beyond the Headlines: What You Should Know About Russia, North Korea, and Turkey
Relatively few Americans have ever visited or know much about Russia, North Korea, and Turkey. Yet, each passing day seems to bring additional evidence that these nations are working to thwart U.S. foreign policy goals from Eastern…
Presidential Inaugural Stories and Anecdotes
The peaceful transfer of power from one presidential administration to the next is a hallmark of our democracy—and something that Americans take great pride in. The occasion is particularly bittersweet when one of our two major…
Bernie Sanders: Progressivism, Social Democracy, and Political Revolution
2016 will be remembered for many things in the history books and one of those top historical moments will be the 2016 Presidential Election. No matter which candidate you voted for or what political beliefs you may hold, there is no…
Click, Engage, and Involve at Technology Learning Collaborative's Conference
The Technology Learning Collaborative (TLC) , an association of service organizations from throughout Philadelphia committed to leveraging technology resources to reduce poverty, improve public health, decrease homelessness,…
Celebrate International Literacy Day with the Free Library
Happy International Literacy Day ! While everyone knows libraries are literacy hubs, many might not know the different types of literacy the Free Library of Philadelphia helps to promote! Not sure what we're talking about? Here…
Ronan Farrow | Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators
Auditorium sold out; in-house simlucast tickets on sale New Yorker writer Ronan Farrow has won the Pulitzer Prize for public service, a National Magazine Award, and a George Polk Award for his “indefatigable and imaginative”…
Rashid Khalidi | The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonial Conquest and Resistance, 1917 – 2017
The Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University and editor of the Journal of Palestine Studies , Rashid Khalidi is one of the world’s leading historians of the Middle East. Among his many books are…
“Giants of the 1950’s: Adlai Stevenson”
“Giants of 1950's” is a four part lecture series convened around journalism, politics, and entertainment in the Golden Age We close out this series with a look at the life and work of the ever popular Adlai…
“Giants of the 1950’s: Nat King Cole”
“Giants of 1950's” is a four part lecture series convened around journalism, politics, and entertainment in the Golden Age In part three we consider the musicality and influence of the legendary Nat King Cole . A…
Friends Speaker Series | Why Did Finland's Jews Survive?
Finland's Jews survived the Holocaust. Despite the presence in their country of 260,000 German troops during World War II, not one of Finland's Jewish citizens was sent to a Nazi concentration or death camp. Why…
“Giants of the 1950’s: Margaret Chase Smith”
“Giants of 1950's” is a four part lecture series convened around journalism, politics, and entertainment in the Golden Age In part two we examine the life and work of Margaret Chase Smith ! The first woman ever to…
Friends Speaker Series | Heroes and Villains in Chestnut Hill
Want to know about the most remarkable people in our community? Storyteller Len Lear has been a reporter and editor for the Chestnut Hill Local for 25 years. A philadelphia resident and journalist for 52 years, he has won…
James B. Stewart | Deep State: Trump, the FBI, and the Rule of Law
Tickets on sale Wednesday September 18, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist James B. Stewart is the author of the number-one New York Times bestseller Den of Thieves , the story of the most notorious…
“Giants of the 1950’s: Edward R. Murrow”
“Giants of 1950's” is a four part lecture series convened around journalism, politics, and entertainment during the Golden Age In this first installment we recognize the work of broadcast journalist…
Panel Discussion: A Case for Reparations
Come to listen, come to learn. Why is there a need for reparations and what might they look like when proposed. In acknowledgement of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first slave ship, we will host a panel discussion,…
Female Justices of the Supreme Court
Female Justices of the Supreme Court, presented by Trish Chambers Productions: It took 191 years after the founding of the Supreme Court for the first woman to be allowed to become part of that august body. Four magnificent women…
American Presidency
The 2016 American Presidency Series will blend education and entertainment for the whole family, offering lectures and analysis about the presidency and leadership along with enriching programs for children in our neighborhood libraries.…
Presidents of the United States
Under the United States Constitution, the President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States. As chief of the executive branch and face of the federal government as a whole, the presidency is…
U.S. Elections and Politics
The United States midterm general election will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. In Pennsylvania, the ballot includes candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, the Pennsylvania State Senate,…
NewsBank Hot Topics
Trending news and hot topics for your next assignment! Hot topics covers Current Events, Business & Economics, Civics, Government, & Politics, Social Issues, Science, Technology & Health, Sports, Arts & Literature, and People in the News.
InfoTrac Student Edition *
High school students will have access to age-appropriate content from magazines, journals, newspapers, reference books, and engaging multi-media covering a wide range of subjects, from science, history, and literature to political…
Susan Rice | Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For
In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6ABC Action News morning edition U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013 and President Obama’s national security advisor from 2013 to 2017, Susan Rice has been at the…
Imani Perry | Breathe: A Letter to My Sons
In conversation with Tracey Matisak, award-winning broadcaster and journalist Dr. Imani Perry is the author of Looking for Lorraine , a work of “masterly syntheses of research and analysis” ( New York Times Book Review ) of the life of…
Ta-Nehisi Coates | The Water Dancer
SPOILER ALERT. A number of critical plot points are exposed during the discussion. In conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer David Blight, author of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom Ta-Nehisi Coates won the 2015…
Billy Bragg | The Three Dimensions of Freedom
In conversation with Ian Zolitor, host of The Folk Show on WXPN Introduced by Cynthia Schemmer Legendary English singer-songwriter Billy Bragg’s more than 40-year musical career melds facets of folk, punk, and protest music with…
Jonathan Safran Foer | We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast
Renowned for placing “his reader’s hand on the heart of human experience” ( Philadelphia Inquirer ), Jonathan Safran Foer is the bestselling author of the frenetically irreverent, emotionally urgent novels Everything Is Illuminated ,…
Amy Gutmann and Jonathan D. Moreno | Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven But Nobody Wants to Die: Bioethics and the Transformation of Health Care
In conversation with Action News anchor, Jim Gardner Dr. Amy Gutmann is President of the University of Pennsylvania, where she is also a professor of political science and communications. Formerly the provost at Princeton, she is the…
Terry McAuliffe | Beyond Charlottesville: Taking a Stand Against White Nationalism
In conversation with award-winning journalist, Tracey Matisak. The Democratic governor of Virginia from 2014 to 2018, Terry McAuliffe “won praise even from Republicans for his tireless salesmanship” ( Washington Post ) of the Old…
Richard A. Clarke and Robert K. Knake | The Fifth Domain: Defending Our Country, Our Companies, and Ourselves in the Age of Cyber Threats
In conversation with Michael A Smerconish Veteran counterterrorism czar and one of the world’s leading experts on cyberspace security, Richard A. Clarke worked for seven presidents and devoted three decades of his professional life to…
Julie Salamon | An Innocent Bystander: The Killing of Leon Klinghoffer
Exploring an astonishing range of genres and subject matter, Julie Salamon is the author of a score of novels, children’s books, and nonfiction books. Initially a longtime banking reporter and film critic for the Wall Street Journal ,…
Rachel Louise Snyder | No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us
The recipient of an Overseas Press Award for her contributions to This American Life , Rachel Louise Snyder is the author of No Visible Bruises . A “gut-wrenching” ( Esquire ) and intimate investigation into the scope and root causes of…
Frank Langfitt | The Shanghai Free Taxi: Journeys with the Hustlers and Rebels of the New China
In conversation with Bill Marimow As NPR's Correspondent in Shanghai, Frank Langfitt created a free-taxi service where he offered rides in exchange for passenger's stories and candid conversation. He met a motley crew of characters…
Rick Atkinson | The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775–1777
Rick Atkinson won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for An Army at Dawn , the first volume in his Liberation trilogy, a “densely researched but supremely readable” ( New York Times Book Review ) history of the Allied victory in World War II. His…
Adam Gopnik | A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventure of Liberalism
A staff writer at The New Yorker for more than three decades, Adam Gopnik is the author of Paris to the Moon , The Table Comes First , and At the Strangers’ Gate , an “elegant” memoir of his 1980s move to a peculiar New York that…
George Packer | Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century
George Packer won the 2013 National Book Award for The Unwinding , a biographical examination of the seismic shifts in economics and politics over the past three decades that have brought the United States to the brink. A longtime New…
Nicole Weisensee Egan | Chasing Cosby: The Downfall of America’s Dad
In conversation with Annette John-Hall, cohost and producer of The Why on WHYY A 14-year veteran crime reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News , Nicole Weisensee Egan was the first journalist to delve into Andrea Constand’s 2005 sexual…
Richard Blanco | How to Love a Country: Poems
Richard Blanco made history four times at Barack Obama’s second presidential inauguration: He was the first immigrant, the first Latino, the youngest person, and the first openly gay person to be the U.S. inaugural poet. Exploring…
Robert A. Caro | Working: Researching, Interviewing, Writing
In conversation with Dick Polman , "Writer in Residence" at the University of Pennsylvania, national political columnist at WHYY News and contributor to The Atlantic Standing at “the summit of American historical writing” ( Washington…
Michael Dobbs | The Unwanted: America, Auschwitz, and a Village Caught In Between
A longtime foreign correspondent for The Washington Post , Michael Dobbs reported on some of the most important events of our time. His many books include Down with Big Brother: The Fall of the Soviet Empire , Saboteurs: The Nazi Raid…
Valerie Jarrett | Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward
In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6ABC Action News morning edition “The ultimate Obama insider” ( New York Times ), Valerie Jarrett was the longest serving advisor in the 44th President’s administration. Born in Iran and…
Barry Lopez | Horizon
Barry Lopez won the National Book Award for Arctic Dreams , a “rich, abundant, vigorously composed” ( Boston Globe ) meditation on his travels in the barren but beautiful far North. His other work includes Of Wolves and Men , Crow and…
Votes PA
The Pennsylvania Department of State’s online guide to voter registration has everything you need to know about voting in the 2008 Presidential Election.
Votes PA
Portal from the Pennsylvania Department of State has information on registering to vote, locating your polling place, applying for alternative ballots, and the new voter ID law.
Vote: the Machinery of Democracy
The Smithsonian Institution has put together this website on the history of the technical and mechanical aspects of voting in the US.
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
One of the Election Assistance Commission’s primary mandates under the Help America Vote Act is to serve as a central resource for information about elections. This site includes information about registering to vote and serving as a…
The Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials from 1952 - 2012
Fascinating look at the presidential campaign commercials of yesteryear.
The Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials from 1952 - 2008
Fascinating look at the presidential campaign commercials of yesteryear.
The History of Televised Presidential Debates
Essays, interviews, and guides to the role of debates in presidential races, including video of debates since 1960.
The Electoral College
The Electoral College was established by the founding fathers as a compromise between election of the president by Congress and election by popular vote. The people of the United States vote for the electors who then vote for the President.
The American Presidency Project
A very complete electronic source of everything you ever wanted to know about the Presidency from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Includes audio and video clips back to the Hoover Administration, Executive Orders and…
Surviving Thanksgiving
Dreading the post-election Thanksgiving dinner table conversation this year? Here are some survival tips. Good Luck!
Project Vote Smart
Project Vote Smart allows voters to scrutinize candidates voting records, issue positions, interest group ratings, public statements, campaign finances and biographical information.
Pennsylvania Voter Registration Resource Center
The Pennsylvania Department of State’s Online Guide to voter registration has everything you need to know about voting in the 2018 midterm election.
League of Women Voters of Philadelphia
The League of Women Voters of Philadelphia provides a one-stop portal for non-partisan information on voting, election information, civic education, and civic participation.
Federal Election Commission
In 1975, Congress created the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to administer and enforce the Federal Election Campaign Act. This site includes data on campaign contributions to all candidates, along with maps that show where…
Fact Check: Annenberg Political Fact Checker
Based at the University of Pennsylvania, this is a "nonpartisan, nonprofit, 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. [They] monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by…
Commission on Presidential Debates
"The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) was established in 1987 to ensure that debates, as a permanent part of every general election, provide the best possible information to viewers and listeners." Look for a link to Debate…
Ben's Guide to Government for Kids
A simple guide for children on how our government works, divided by age range.
Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia is an online encyclopedia of American politics and elections. It contains neutral, accurate, and verifiable information on government officials and the offices they hold, political issues and public policy, elections,…
Additional Information about Voter Registration in Pennsylvania
The Committee of Seventy also provides information about Pennsylvania voter registration and absentee ballots.
A Guide to the 2018 Midterm Election
An independent, nonpartisan advocate for better government in Philadelphia, the Committee of Seventy has comprehensive information about each race and candidate on the ballot in the Philadelphia region.
American Presidency Series
Join the Free Library for a series of compelling provocative programs that examine the untold stories of, unconventional approaches to, and contemporary concerns about the world's most difficult job. The 2016 American Presidency Series…