Author: Leonard Burgess

As a child, Leonard Burgess was fascinated by politics. At 13 years old, he wrote his first politics article, years later, he is still following his passion.
Frederick Muhlenberg: The First Speaker
History

Frederick Muhlenberg: The First Speaker

Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg Today, the Speaker of the House gets a bad rep. As leader of the House of Representatives, the Speaker is responsible for all the House does. Both the good and the bad. But Frederick Muhlenberg, the first and third Speaker was not nearly as controversial as his modern day counterparts. A member of the now-defunct Pro-Administration Party, and later the Anti-Administration Party and its successor the Democratic-Republican Party, Muhlenberg codified many of the traditions the Speaker still does and was loved by allies and rivals alike! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Early Life Continental Congress Speaker Later Life & Death
Thomas A. Hendricks: A Democrat Through And Through
History

Thomas A. Hendricks: A Democrat Through And Through

A lifelong Democrat, Thomas A. Hendricks was the definition of a party man, voting the party line time and time, even if modern Democrats would be appalled at his voting record. Indeed, his rise to power during the Reconstruction Era saw this Southern Democrat oppose all attempts to heal the rift created by slavery, including supporting Andrew Johnson after his impeachment and voting against the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth Amendments. And this didn't with his election as Vice President, if anything, it only strengthened his resolve and gave him more power to execute his agenda. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Early Life A Start in Politics Senator Governor VP Candidate Vice Presidency Death & Legacy
How The Udall Family Became The Strangest Political Family Ever
History

How The Udall Family Became The Strangest Political Family Ever

Rooted in the American West and members of the LDS church, the Udall family have become one of the strangest political families due to their political intermarrying and bipartisan nature. Indeed, whilst the family has historically been associated with the Democrats, some cousins are Republicans, as their ancestors married into strong Republican political families and took their political stances. Even today, members of the family find themselves on opposite sides of the Senate and other legislative bodies. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Foundation Second Generation Third Generation Fourth Generation Non-Udall In-Laws Future
Explainer

What Would Space Politics Look Like?

With all the recent talk of a private space race and potential human colonization of the moon and planets like Mars, it got me thinking: what would space politics actually look like? How would astronauts, and later colonists, vote? What type of government would they form? Who would lead them? And most importantly, how would they interact with life here on Earth politically speaking? Although this is likely to be decades away from reality, these are the questions that need to be asked and answered before the first wave of colonists set off their new celestial home... (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Direct Democracy Whether you love him or hate him, Elon Musk is undoubtedly leading the charge in the private space race. Through his company, Spa...
How to Become Prime Minister in 6 Steps
Explainer

How to Become Prime Minister in 6 Steps

As with becoming the head of state for any nation, being Prime Minister is no easy job. But weirdly, there's not much in the way of rules about how to become Prime Minister. So let's look at the most conventional way... Whilst this may be the most conventional way - and the one followed by almost all Prime Ministers for the last century - you could also become Prime Minister by being in the House of Lords (rather than the Commons), being elected your party's leader and winning a General Election. Sadly, this way (the way most Prime Ministers were elected historically) is becoming rarer and rarer. The last to follow this path was Sir Alec Douglas-Home, who served as Prime Minister between October 19 1963 and October 16 1964 (364 days)! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogl...
15 Most Liberal Cities in The United States
Analysis

15 Most Liberal Cities in The United States

Due to a variety of factors, cities as a whole tend to be more liberal than conservative politically. And whilst each city has its own pockets of conservatives, some cities are more liberal on average than others. So, what are the most liberal cities in the US? To make this list as fair as possible (and because "liberal" can mean a number of different things) we are basing our criteria on a mixture of past voting records, the views of the politicians representing the cities in national politics and the city's reputation... (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 15. Las Vegas 14. Pittsburgh 13. Albuquerque 12. Boston 11. New York City 10. Tampa 9. Denver 8. Chicago 7. Seattle 6. Detroit 5. San Francisco 4. Philadelphia 3...
The Interesting Political Life of Leland Stanford: More Than Just Railroads And Universities
History

The Interesting Political Life of Leland Stanford: More Than Just Railroads And Universities

Today, Stanford University stands as a testament to Leland Stanford's business acumen. And though he is best remembered for his founding of the university in his son's name and his railroad empire, he also had a particularly interesting political career too. Indeed, as the eighth Governor of California and the first Republican to hold that office, Stanford presided over a politically significant - and not to mention turbulent - time in the young state's history, one whose legacy can still be seen today, over 130 years later! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Early Life Amasa Leland Stanford, better known to his friends as simply "Leland" was born on March 9 1824 in the town of Watervliet, New York, now a part of the town of Colonie in Albany Coun...
How do Dictators Stay in Power For so Long?
Explainer

How do Dictators Stay in Power For so Long?

Outside of fringe extremist political groups, most people tend to agree that living in a dictatorship and dictators as a whole are not great. Indeed, many brutally oppress, murder and rob the people they claim to serve. Yet a quick look at the dictators of the world and of history, many reign for several decades, often up until their deaths. Very few are deposed. So if they are such brutal and such horrendous human beings, how do they manage to stay in power for so long? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); International Support Interestingly, of the 190 or so countries in the world (estimates vary depending on what you're classing as a "country"), 52 of them are considered dictatorships, most of which are in Africa, Asia and South America. But ...
How to Found a Political Family That Will Stand The Test of Time!
Explainer

How to Found a Political Family That Will Stand The Test of Time!

Hundreds of years ago, royal families reigned supreme. Today, in an era where is much more open, politics is still dynastic, today being controlled by so-called political families. So how can you start your own political family. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Make Some Money Though there is an old adage that goes something like: "There's no money in politics," the reality could not be further from the truth. Running a campaign, no matter for which party, is incredibly expensive! Pick a Party Hold Political Office Yourself Network Have Children Help Them Get Elected Raise Your Name Recognition Help Your Grandchildren How will you found your political family? Tell me in the comments!