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Explainer

How the Electoral College Works

Americans do not elect a president by popular vote. They elect 538 electors, and 270 of them decide the winner. Here is how the system actually works, state by state.

Latest Explainers

Politics
Explainer

How the Senate Filibuster Works

Why most major bills need 60 votes, not 51, and how the workarounds change that.

Money
Explainer

Roth vs Traditional IRA: Which One Wins

Pay the tax now or later. The single choice that can be worth thousands.

Technology
Explainer

What End-to-End Encryption Actually Means

Why only you and the recipient can read the message, and what it does not hide.

Money & Everyday Life

Money
Explainer

How Federal Income Tax Brackets Actually Work

A raise never lowers your take-home pay. The marginal system, with an example.

Money
Explainer

How Compound Interest Works

Why starting early beats starting big, with a plain worked example.

Health
Explainer

How the FDA Approves a New Drug

Three phases of trials, a decade or more, and why it takes so long.

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