News & Society Editorial Team

News & Society Editorial Team is the collective byline for our editorial team and contributor network. Articles published under this byline or an editorial pen name are researched, written, and reviewed according to our editorial standards for clarity, consistency, and independence before publication.

Executive Orders vs. Acts of Congress: What's the Difference?

Executive Orders vs. Acts of Congress: What's the Difference?

Federal Agencies and What They Actually Do: A Quick-Reference Guide

Federal Agencies and What They Actually Do: A Quick-Reference Guide

How State Legislatures Shape Daily Life More Than Most People Realize

How State Legislatures Shape Daily Life More Than Most People Realize

How a Bill Actually Becomes a Law in the United States

How a Bill Actually Becomes a Law in the United States

Midterm Elections vs. Presidential Elections: What Changes and What Doesn't

Midterm Elections vs. Presidential Elections: What Changes and What Doesn't

Myths Americans Believe About How Congress Works

Myths Americans Believe About How Congress Works

Political Terminology Americans Encounter Most—and What the Terms Actually Mean

Political Terminology Americans Encounter Most—and What the Terms Actually Mean

Reading Political News Without Getting Misled

Reading Political News Without Getting Misled

Redistricting and Gerrymandering: Why Your Congressional District Lines Matter

Redistricting and Gerrymandering: Why Your Congressional District Lines Matter

State Governments vs. the Federal Government: Who Controls What?

State Governments vs. the Federal Government: Who Controls What?

The Confirmation Process: How Presidential Nominees Get Approved—or Blocked

The Confirmation Process: How Presidential Nominees Get Approved—or Blocked

The Federal Budget Explained: Where the Money Comes From and Where It Goes

The Federal Budget Explained: Where the Money Comes From and Where It Goes

The U.S. Political Party System: A Plain-Language Primer

The U.S. Political Party System: A Plain-Language Primer

The U.S. Supreme Court: Powers, Limits, and How Justices Are Chosen

The U.S. Supreme Court: Powers, Limits, and How Justices Are Chosen

Ways the Average American Can Meaningfully Engage With the Political Process

Ways the Average American Can Meaningfully Engage With the Political Process

What the Debt Ceiling Actually Is—and Why It Keeps Coming Back

What the Debt Ceiling Actually Is—and Why It Keeps Coming Back

Common Misconceptions About How Inflation Is Calculated

Common Misconceptions About How Inflation Is Calculated

Cost of Living by Region: Why the Same Salary Goes Further in Some Places Than Others

Cost of Living by Region: Why the Same Salary Goes Further in Some Places Than Others

Economic Terms Every News Reader Should Know

Economic Terms Every News Reader Should Know

Fixed vs. Variable Expenses: Knowing the Difference When Budgeting During Inflation

Fixed vs. Variable Expenses: Knowing the Difference When Budgeting During Inflation

Housing Costs and the Broader Economy: How Rent and Mortgage Pressures Ripple Outward

Housing Costs and the Broader Economy: How Rent and Mortgage Pressures Ripple Outward

How Supply Chain Disruptions Translate Into Higher Prices at the Store

How Supply Chain Disruptions Translate Into Higher Prices at the Store

Inflation vs. Deflation: Two Economic Forces With Very Different Effects on Your Wallet

Inflation vs. Deflation: Two Economic Forces With Very Different Effects on Your Wallet

Reading an Economic News Story Without Getting Misled

Reading an Economic News Story Without Getting Misled

Recessions on Paper vs. Recessions at the Kitchen Table

Recessions on Paper vs. Recessions at the Kitchen Table

Shrinkflation: The Price Increase You Almost Never Notice

Shrinkflation: The Price Increase You Almost Never Notice

Signs That a Household Budget Is Under Structural Strain — Not Just a Tight Month

Signs That a Household Budget Is Under Structural Strain — Not Just a Tight Month

The Economic Indicators Worth Watching — and What Each One Actually Signals

The Economic Indicators Worth Watching — and What Each One Actually Signals

Wage Growth and Inflation: When a Raise Doesn't Actually Mean More Money

Wage Growth and Inflation: When a Raise Doesn't Actually Mean More Money

What a Federal Reserve Rate Hike Actually Does to Ordinary Americans

What a Federal Reserve Rate Hike Actually Does to Ordinary Americans

What the Consumer Price Index Actually Measures — and What It Misses

What the Consumer Price Index Actually Measures — and What It Misses

Why Grocery Bills Feel Higher Than Official Inflation Numbers Suggest

Why Grocery Bills Feel Higher Than Official Inflation Numbers Suggest

A Field Guide to American Subcultures

A Field Guide to American Subcultures

Civic Engagement Beyond Voting: Ways Americans Participate in Public Life

Civic Engagement Beyond Voting: Ways Americans Participate in Public Life

Code-Switching in America: What It Is and Why It Matters

Code-Switching in America: What It Is and Why It Matters

Generational Labels Are Everywhere — But How Useful Are They Really?

Generational Labels Are Everywhere — But How Useful Are They Really?

How Pop Culture Shapes the Way America Talks About Race and Identity

How Pop Culture Shapes the Way America Talks About Race and Identity

How Social Media Reshapes the Way Americans Form Opinions

How Social Media Reshapes the Way Americans Form Opinions

Immigration and American Identity: Assimilation vs. Multiculturalism

Immigration and American Identity: Assimilation vs. Multiculturalism

Polarization in Plain English: Why Americans Feel So Divided

Polarization in Plain English: Why Americans Feel So Divided

Protest Movements and the Long Arc of Social Change in America

Protest Movements and the Long Arc of Social Change in America

Religion in America Today: Attendance, Belief, and the Rise of the 'Nones'

Religion in America Today: Attendance, Belief, and the Rise of the 'Nones'

Rural vs. Urban America: How Place Shapes Identity, Values, and Opportunity

Rural vs. Urban America: How Place Shapes Identity, Values, and Opportunity

The Changing Face of the American Family

The Changing Face of the American Family

The Decline of Third Places and What America Loses Without Them

The Decline of Third Places and What America Loses Without Them

What 'Cancel Culture' Gets Right and Wrong as a Social Concept

What 'Cancel Culture' Gets Right and Wrong as a Social Concept

What Social Scientists Mean When They Talk About 'Cultural Capital'

What Social Scientists Mean When They Talk About 'Cultural Capital'

What the 'Loneliness Epidemic' Actually Means for American Social Life

What the 'Loneliness Epidemic' Actually Means for American Social Life