Religion & Liberty Online Archives

Explainer

May 25, 2017

25 Facts about Africa

May 25 is Africa Day, a holiday originally created to celebrate the foundation of the Organization of African Unity (now known as the African Union) on May 25, 1963. In honor of the commemoration, here are 25 facts you should know about the continent: 1. Continue Reading...
May 24, 2017

Understanding the President’s Cabinet: White House Chief of Staff

Note: This is the post #18 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introduction here. Cabinet position: White House Chief of Staff Department:  Executive Office of the President Current staffer: Reince Priebus Department Budget: Primary Duties of the Secretary: While the roles of the chief of staff varies by presidential administration, they usually include the following: • Select key White House staff and supervise them; • Structure the White House staff system; • Control the flow of people into the Oval Office; • Manage the flow of information; • Protect the interests of the president; • Negotiate with Congress, other members of the executive branch, and extra-governmental political groups to implement the president’s agenda; and • Advise the president on various issues, including telling the president what he does not want to hear. Continue Reading...
May 18, 2017

Explainer: What you should know about NAFTA

The Trump administration formally announced to Congress today that it intends to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). According to the Associated Press, U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer sent a letter to congressional leaders to start 90 days of consultations with lawmakers over how to revamp the pact. Continue Reading...
May 17, 2017

Understanding the President’s Cabinet: Vice President

Note: This is the post #17 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introduction here. Cabinet position: Vice President (VPOTUS) Current: Mike Pence Succession: The Vice President is second in the presidential line of succession. Continue Reading...
May 10, 2017

Understanding the President’s Cabinet: Attorney General

Note: This is post #16 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introduction here. Cabinet position: Attorney General Department: Department of Justice Current Secretary: Jeff Sessions Succession: The Attorney General is seventh in the presidential line of succession. Continue Reading...
April 27, 2017

Explainer: What you should know about President Trump’s tax reform plan

Yesterday the Trump administration released its tax-reform plan, which the White House is calling the “biggest individual and business tax cut in American history.” Here is what you should know about the plan: What are the goals of the tax reform plan: The stated goals are to: • Grow the economy and create millions of jobs • Simplify our burdensome tax code • Provide tax relief to American families—especially middle-income families • Lower the business tax rate from one of the highest in the world to one of the lowest What are the objective for individual taxpayer reform? Continue Reading...
April 21, 2017

Explainer: What you should know about Earth Day?

What is Earth Day? Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which events are held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement. Continue Reading...