Tagged Politics

Don't Forget to Register to Vote by Monday, October 23

Did you know that Pennsylvania makes it easy for you to register to vote? You can find voter registration forms at public libraries, state park offices, state-run Veterans Homes, and many other places. This is part of a big effort to…

Let Freedom Read: It's Banned Books Week!

October 1–7 is Banned Books Week , and this year's theme is " Let Freedom Read! " This important observance began in 1982 in response to a surge in book challenges in libraries, schools, and bookstores with the…

Let's Talk: Philly D.A.

Philadelphians, we need to talk! Join your neighbors at eight Free Library of Philadelphia libraries between May 23 and June 30th, to watch and discuss individual episodes of the award winning PBS documentary series Philly D.A. . We…

Frenemies: The Strange Friendship of JFK and Richard Nixon

The 1960 presidential campaign was close, hard-fought, and left both sides feeling embittered. Kennedy’s final margin of victory was less than 115,000 votes out of nearly 70 million cast.  Nixon was convinced that the Kennedy…

Trust No One: Joe McCarthy and the Politics of Fear

Lies. Alternative facts. Demonize and Destroy Your Opponents. Does this sound familiar? Former Senator Joseph R. McCarthy (R-Wisconsin) has been dead for 63 years, but the political tools and techniques that he pioneered are as fresh as…

Voting by Mail? Avoid "Naked Ballots"!

Updated Tuesday, October 20, 2020 12:15 p.m. Spanish and Chinese translations have been added to this blog post. In the real world, small technical details count for a lot. How many checks were never cashed because the person who wrote…

Making Her Mark: Philadelphia Women Fight for the Vote Exhibition Opens Fall 2020

As we find ourselves weeks away from Election Day, consider this question:  Who was the first person in your family to vote?  The stories of Philadelphia women who built and sustained movements dedicated to voting rights is…

Defying Putin: The Dangers and Opportunities in Opposing Russia’s President

Bad things happen to people that Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, dislikes. Currently, Aleksi Navalny, the most important leader of Russia’s opposition, lies in a German hospital bed struggling to recover from a cup of…

The Picture of Health: The Strange Case of John F. Kennedy

During the critical first presidential debate in 1960, the difference in the physical appearance of the two candidates could not have been sharper. Vice President Richard Nixon looked like a man who belonged in a hospital. The…

A Dying Man Runs for President

If ever a man simply wore himself out while serving his country, Franklin D. Roosevelt is his name. First elected during the depths of the Great Depression in 1932, he was still on the job twelve years later in the midst of World War…

President Eisenhower, Senator McCarthy, and "The Junketeering Gumshoes"

During the years that Dwight Eisenhower served as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, he had to contend with some of the most demanding and difficult personalities on two continents.  The shortlist included Franklin D. Roosevelt ,…

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

Updated Friday, July 10, 2020 4:59 p.m. "The Social Justice Symposium Teen Planning Committee supports the Concerned Black Workers of the Free Library of Philadelphia ! CBWFLP Response to DEI/Board of Trustees' letter We 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…

Ari Berman | Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People―and the Fight to Resist It

REGISTER In conversation with Neil Makhija The national voting rights correspondent for  Mother Jones  and a reporting fellow at Type Media Center, Ari Berman is the author of  Give Us the Ballot: The Modern…

Military History Club: Military Flashpoints - Russia and NATO

Join our monthly discussion group! We are beginning a discussion series centered on the possible military flashpoints that may lead to conflict and war. This month's discussion will center on Russia and NATO. Group meets 11 AM to…

Military History Club: Military Flashpoints - Russia and Ukraine

Join our monthly discussion group! We are beginning a discussion series centered on the possible military flashpoints that may lead to conflict and war. This month's discussion will center on Russia and Ukraine. Group meets 11 AM to…

Daniel Schlozman and Sam Rosenfeld | The Hollow Parties: The Many Pasts and Disordered Present of American Party Politics

REGISTER In conversation with author and Pennsylvania State Senator, Nikil Saval In The Hollow Parties , Daniel Schlozman and Sam Rosenfeld present a comprehensive history of the rise of American mass party politics through the…

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

This list offers a comprehensive exploration of the intricate world of American elections and politics. Covering a wide range of topics, from historical perspectives to contemporary issues, these titles provide valuable insights into the…

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…

Jen Psaki | Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World

In conversation with Annie Duke An “unflappable and genial point-person” ( The New York Times ),  Jen Psaki  served as the thirty-fourth White House Press Secretary under President Biden until May 2022. Currently the host of MSNBC’s…

Frank Bruni | The Age of Grievance

In conversation with Karen Heller, former national features writer and current contributor for The Washington Post, formerly a metro and features columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and a finalist for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize in…

Erik Larson | The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War

In conversation with award winning broadcaster and journalist, Tracey Matisak. “America’s most compelling popular historian” (The Christian Science Monitor) ,  Erik Larson  is the bestselling author of eight critically acclaimed books,…

Bakari Sellers | The Moment: Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn't and How We All Can Move Forward Now

In 2006,  Bakari Sellers  defeated a twenty-six-year incumbent State Representative to become the youngest member of the South Carolina state legislature and the youngest African American elected official in the nation. The state’s 2014…

Tricia Rose | Metaracism: How Systemic Racism Devastates Black Lives—and How We Break Free

In conversation with award-winning journalist and broadcaster Tracey Matisak Acclaimed for her study of the intersections of pop music, contemporary Black U.S. culture, and sex and gender, sociologist  Tricia Rose  is the author of…

Fareed Zakaria | Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present

Pine Tree Foundation Endowed Lecture Fareed Zakaria  is the host of CNN’s flagship domestic and international affairs program  Fareed Zakaria GPS , which has aired around the world since its debut in 2008. Also a weekly columnist for…

Astra Taylor and Leah Hunt-Hendrix | Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea

In conversation with author and Pennsylvania State Senator, Nikil Saval In  Solidarity ,  Astra Taylor and Leah Hunt-Hendrix  offer a comprehensive look at not just the popular and ethereal idea of solidarity, but how it can be used by…

Morgan Parker | You Get What You Pay For: Essays

In conversation with Shantrelle Lewis Morgan Parker  won the National Book Critics Circle Award for  Magical Negro , a poetry collection that ponders the nuances of Black American womanhood. She is also the author of the young adult…

Barbara McQuade | Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America

In conversation with Ali Velshi Barbara McQuade  is a legal expert for MSNBC and NBC News , and a co-host of the podcast  #SistersInLaw . She teaches courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, national security, and data privacy at…

Dannagal Goldthwaite Young | Wrong: How Media, Politics, and Identity Drive Our Appetite for Misinformation

Co-sponsored by Committee of Seventy In conversation with Cherri Gregg, host/news anchor for WHYY radio Dannagal Goldthwaite Young is the author of Irony and Outrage: The Polarized Landscape of Rage, Fear, and Laughter in the United…

Raquel Willis | The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation

In conversation with Ernest Owens A writer, activist, and media strategist dedicated to Black transgender liberation, Raquel Willis has served as director of communications for Ms. Foundation for Women, a national organizer for the…

Jonathan Karl | Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party

In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6abc Action News morning edition Jonathan Karl is the author of the instant New York Times bestsellers Front Row at the Trump Show and Betrayal , behind-the-scenes accounts of Donald Trump…

Kimberlé Crenshaw | #SayHerName: Black Women’s Stories of Police Violence and Public Silence

In conversation with Dorothy Roberts One of the country’s foremost authorities in civil rights, Black feminist legal theory, race, and the law, Kimberlé Crenshaw is a law professor at UCLA and Columbia Law School, where in 1996 she…

Stephanie Land | Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger and Higher Education

In conversation with Errin Haines Stephanie Land is the author of the bestseller Maid , a memoir that “nails the sheer terror that comes with being poor, the exhausting vigilance of knowing that any misstep or twist of fate will push…

Martin Baron | Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and The Washington Post

Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Endowed Lecture In conversation with David Boardman In Collision of Power , Martin Baron tells the inside story of the monumental power struggle between the venerable newspaper The Washington Post , its…

Rachel Maddow | Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism

In conversation with Julian E. Zelizer Rachel Maddow  is host of the Emmy Award–winning  The Rachel Maddow Show  on MSNBC, as well as the #1  New York Times  best­selling author of  Drift  and  Blowout , and the  New York Times…

Michael E. Mann | Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons from Earth's Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis

The Presidential Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media at the University of Pennsylvania, climatologist and geophysicist Michael E. Mann has greatly contributed to science’s…

Wesley Lowery | American Whitelash: A Changing Nation and the Cost of Progress

In conversation with award-winning journalist and broadcaster Tracey Matisak In  American Whitelash ,  Wesley Lowery  examines the cyclical pattern of violence that marks each watershed moment of racial progress in this country, most…

Blair LM Kelley | Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class

In conversation with Marc Lamont Hill Referred to by acclaimed author and academic Michael Eric Dyson as “one of the most important works of history to come across my desk in a long time,” Blair LM Kelley’s Black Folk: The Roots of the…

Kristen R. Ghodsee | Everyday Utopia: What 2,000 Years of Wild Experiments Can Teach Us

In conversation with Arwa Mahdawi Referred to by bestsstelling author Rebecca Traister as “exhilarating, good humored, and forward looking,”  Kristen R. Ghodsee ’s  Everyday Utopia  is a two-millennia examination of diverse…

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…