Politics

Follow PBS NewsHour’s complete coverage of politics, Congress, the Supreme court and the presidency.

Essayist Roger Mudd looks at how the presidential State of the Union address has evolved from the modest written document that it was in the 19th century to the spectacle of political showmanship that it has become for presidents in…

Congress approved a giant $373 billion federal spending bill Thursday for fiscal year 2004 that had been delayed for months by lawmakers concerned with issues ranging from overtime rules to food labeling.

Russia has fought a long civil war against the separation of its republic of Chechnya, but allegations of human-rights abuses are leading Moscow to increasingly transfer control to local authorities. Special correspondent Simon Marks looks at the war and the…