Explore: politics

Tagged politics

Race in the United States: Social Justice Virtual Workshops for Teens

The first half of 2020 has been a pivotal time in the movement for racial justice. Inspired by lifelong Black activists and spurred into action by the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others, millions of Americans are…

"I Voted" Stickers from Our Special Collections

It's Primary Election Day in Philadelphia! If you've signed up in Pennsylvania to vote by mail , you should have already received your ballot with its easy-to-follow instructions, enclosure envelope, and mailing envelope. The…

Women of the World, Unite!

"Women of the world, unite. You have nothing to lose but your chains!" You’ve probably heard a slightly different version of this quote (or, to be fair, misquote ) from Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto , the…

Get Your Trusted 2020 Presidential Election News from the Free Library

Super Tuesday is now behind us. The 11th debate of the Democratic presidential primary is on the horizon. Candidates are dropping out of the race left and right, but it’s still anybody’s game. As the field narrows, how can…

Women's History Month 2020: Stories We Know, Stories We'll Discover

"Even if I believed that women should be denied the right of suffrage, wild horses could not drag such an admission from my pen or my lips, for this reason: precisely the same arguments used to prove that the ballot be withheld…

MLK Day of Service | When the Youth Lead

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a strongly celebrated day in Philadelphia. People of all ages come together to support their communities and uplift the values of MLK’s civil rights leadership during this nationally recognized Day of…

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5 throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. During this general election, Philadelphians will elect a Mayor, 10 District Council and Seven Council at-Large members, as well as Judges, City…

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…

Dear Rep. Pramila Jayapal event attendees,

As with our other events for the summer this event has been cancelled as well. We hope to reschedule in the not too distant future.

Dear Carol Anderson event attendees,

Dear Carol Anderson event attendees, Our August 4th event with Carol Anderson has been cancelled. Read the Open Letter from Concerned Black Workers at the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Social Justice Symposium

Young people ages 12 to 20, join us for the Free Library's fifth annual Social Justice Symposium, a day that will celebrate youth voices and inspire the activists of tomorrow! This free virtual program will provide a safe space…

Dear Eddie Glaude, Jr. event attendees,

Dear Eddie Glaude, Jr. event attendees, Our July 16 event with Eddie Glaude, Jr. has been cancelled. In the interim, please read Mr. Glaude's statement on Twitter regarding this cancelled appearance, along with…

Dear Alice Wong and Maysoon Zayid event attendees,

Dear Alice Wong and Maysoon Zayid event attendees, Our July 15 event with Alice Wong and Maysoon Zayid has been cancelled by the author in solidarity with the Concerned Black Workers at the Free Library of…

Dear Colson Whitehead ticket buyers,

Dear Colson Whitehead ticket buyers, Our July 8 event with Colson Whitehead has been cancelled. All tickets will be refunded in the coming week. In the interim, please read Mr. Whitehead's statement on Twitter regarding…

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.

Gale OneFile | High School Edition (formerly 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…

Ezekiel J. Emanuel | Which Country Has the World’s Best Health Care?

Ezekiel J. Emanuel is Vice Provost for Global Initiatives and Chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. An oncologist and author of nine books on medical ethics and healthcare, he…

Chris Wallace | Countdown 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days That Changed the World

The popular anchor of Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace has reported on nearly every watershed national and international political event. During his 50-year career in journalism, he has earned three Emmys, the duPont-Columbia Silver…

Stacey Abrams | Our Time is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America

In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6ABC Action News morning edition Stacey Abrams is the New York Times bestselling author of Lead from the Outside , a serial entrepreneur, nonprofit CEO, and political leader. After serving…

Donna Rifkind | The Sun and Her Stars: Salka Viertel and Hitler’s Exiles in the Golden Age of Hollywood

A prolific book critic whose reviews appear in the Wall Street Journal , the Washington Post , and the New York Times Book Review , Donna Rifkind was a 2006 finalist for the Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing from the…

Imani Perry In Conversation with Kiese Laymon: On the Uprising since George Floyd's Murder and Black Struggles for Freedom in the United States

Imani Perry is the Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies and faculty associate in the Program in Law and Public Affairs and Gender and Sexuality Studies at Princeton. She is the author of six books, most recently the…

Karla Cornejo Villavicencio | The Undocumented Americans

In conversation with Andrea González-Ramírez, Senior Writer at GEN and an Ida B. Wells fellow at Type Investigations. Read Ms. González-Ramírez's interview with Karla Cornejo Villavicencio. Originally from Ecuador, Karla Cornejo…

Jennifer Steinhauer | The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress

A reporter for the New York Times for 25 years, Jennifer Steinhauer has covered the United States Congress since 2010. Her former assignments include Los Angeles bureau chief and New York City Hall bureau chief. The winner of the…

Frank B. Wilderson III | Afropessimism

Frank B. Wilderson III spent more than five years in South Africa, where he was one of two Americans elected to the African National Congress during the country’s transformation after apartheid. His books include Incognegro: A Memoir of…

Judith Heumann | Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist

In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6ABC Action News morning edition A world-renowned leader in the Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement, featured in the new film Crip Camp , Judith Heumann has spent four decades…

David Plouffe | A Citizen’s Guide to Beating Donald Trump

The campaign manager for Barack Obama’s 2008 primary and general election victories, David Plouffe later served on the White House staff as a senior advisor and was largely credited with the 44th president’s 2012 win. He formerly worked…

Adam Hochschild | Rebel Cinderella: From Rags to Riches to Radical, the Epic Journey of Rose Pastor Stokes

Historian Adam Hochschild’s ten “carefully researched and vigorously told” ( Houston Chronicle ) books include King Leopold’s Ghost , a haunting portrait of Belgium’s 19th-century brutal colonization of the Congo, and To End All Wars ,…

Steven Levy | Facebook: The Inside Story

In conversation with Michael A. Smerconish Editor at large at Wired and a technology writer for more than 30 years, Steven Levy is the author of seven books, including In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives ;…

Dan Pfeiffer | UnTrumping America: A Plan to Make America a Democracy Again

In conversation with Alyssa Mastromonaco , author of Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?: And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House and frequent guest on Pod Save America The White House director of…

Gretchen Sorin | Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights

A curator with more than 30 years’ experience, Dr. Gretchen Sorin has consulted for more than 250 institutions, including the Smithsonian, the Jewish Museum, and the New York State Historical Association. She is the director of the…

John Sayles | Yellow Earth

Referred to by Roger Ebert as “the conscience of American independent filmmaking,” John Sayles is the writer/director of 18 movies, including Matewan , Lone Star , Eight Men Out , and Passion Fish . In addition to writing more than 100…

EJ Dionne | Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite to Save Our Country

In conversation with Dick Polman “Substantial” and “notably fair minded” ( New York Times Book Review ), E.J. Dionne Jr. is a syndicated columnist who appears twice weekly in the Washington Post and nearly 100 other newspapers, a…

David Zucchino | Wilmington’s Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy

In conversation with Mark Bowden, most recently author of The Last Stone: A Masterpiece of Criminal Interrogation David Zucchino is a contributing writer for The New York Times . He has covered wars and civil conflicts in more than…

Paul Krugman | Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future

In conversation with Mark Zandi, Chief Economist, Moody’s Analytics “The most celebrated economist of his generation” ( Economist ), Paul Krugman won the Nobel Prize in 2008 for his work in international trade and monetary geography. A …

Andrew Bacevich | The Age of Illusions: How America Squandered Its Cold War Victory

Praised for their “clarity of expression . . . devastating directness” and “coruscating wit” ( Washington Post ), Andrew Bacevich’s bestselling books include The Limits of Power , America’s War for the Greater Middle East , and …

Saeed Jones | How We Fight for Our Lives with Clifford Thompson | What It Is: Race, Family, and One Thinking Black Man’s Blues

Saeed Jones is the author of the “hard and glaring and brilliant” ( NPR Book Review ) poetry collection Prelude to Bruise , winner of the 2015 Stonewall Book Award/Barbara Gittings Literature Award. He is also the co-host of BuzzFeed’s…