Data from the past 50 years reveal the upward yet uneven trajectory of black political leadership in America.
God or the divine is mentioned at least once in each of the 50 state constitutions and nearly 200 times overall.
In 2015, about 126,000 prisoners were held in privately operated facilities under the jurisdiction of 29 states and the federal Bureau of Prisons.
One hundred years after Jeannette Rankin became the first female member of the U.S. Congress, women remain underrepresented in political and business leadership.
Just five states – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Missouri and Texas – accounted for all 20 executions in the U.S. in 2016.
Although the movement to limit congressional terms has been largely dormant for the past two decades, 15 states do limit how many terms their own legislators can serve.
While a growing number of LGBT politicians have been elected to public office and attitudes toward the LGBT community have become much more favorable over the past decade, survey data suggest that being gay or lesbian remains an obstacle for candidates running for president.
About 57,800 minors in the U.S. ages 15 to 17 are married – or five of every 1,000 in that age group. But the rate of child marriage varies widely between states.
Fewer than half of U.S. states give their employees Columbus Day as a paid holiday.
Forty-six states currently allow children to be exempt from vaccinations due to religious concerns, including 17 states that also allow exemptions for “personal reasons."
