Heard a claim about a court case, a law, or an election? Pick a source below and see what you can find out for yourself.
Federal and state courts
See how the two court systems work and what kinds of cases each one hears.
Try it
Find one kind of case state courts usually hear. If a headline just says “a court ruled,” what would you want it to tell you?
Read a bill for yourself
Read one version of a bill about photo ID for federal elections.
Try it
Find one kind of ID the bill lists. Then look at the dates at the top. What would you need to check before saying the bill became law?
Who said they voted?
These tables show what people said about voting in the 2024 election.
Try it
Open Table 2 and pick “All Races.” Compare ages 18–24 with ages 65–74. Check whether you’re comparing a count or a percent. Can these numbers tell you why people voted?
Why did the judges disagree?
Read the real decision about a student who got in trouble for a Snapchat post. The first pages sum up the case.
Try it
Find one fact the judges cared about. Then find Justice Thomas’s opinion and see what he thought mattered. Which reason makes more sense to you, and why?
What does the voting-age rule say?
Read the actual words of the amendments that came after the Bill of Rights.
Try it
Find Amendment XXVI. Which words tell you the age it covers? Could you use that section to explain who can vote, or would you need to read another rule too?
Why did some people skip voting?
The Census Bureau asked people why they didn’t vote. Table 10 lists the reasons they gave.
Try it
Find two different reasons. If someone says people skip voting because they don’t care, what could you point to that makes you question that?
More places to look
- U.S. Courts glossary helps when you run into a court word you don’t know.
- Supreme Court opinions let you read what the judges actually said.
- Congress.gov shows what happened to a bill after someone introduced it.
- Amendment guides explain each amendment and link to the original words.
- The Teen Court explainer shows how some teens help handle cases in their communities.
Image credits
The photos credited below are public-domain images used around this site. The courtroom photos illustrate what different courtrooms look like.
- U.S. Supreme Court building: Ken Hammond / USDA.
- Sioux City courtroom and Davenport courtroom: Carol M. Highsmith / Library of Congress.
- Old City Hall courtroom, Philadelphia: National Park Service.
Source pages provide the rights information. Public-domain status does not imply that any photographer or organization endorses this project.