One nation, starkly divided into red and blue

(Melina Mara / The Washington Post)

Political polarization has ushered in a new era in state government, where single-party control has cleared the way for competing Americas to chart divergent paths, leading to more acrimonious national elections and mounting gridlock and dysfunction in Washington.

Latest Politics News

America’s newly insured laud health-care law

America’s newly insured laud health-care law

Benefit of health law often obscured behind political and legal disputes — and Web site glitches.

Flu virus is widespread in 10 states

Flu virus is widespread in 10 states

Officials say the states most affected so far this year are mainly in the Northeast and South.

5 top political stories of 2014

5 top political stories of 2014

Even in a midterm election year, Obamacare is likely to still dominate the headlines.

Three ominous signs for Democrats head into the 2014 midterm year

Three ominous signs for Democrats head into the 2014 midterm year

A new CNN/ORC International poll shows some troubling signs for the party.

Where the 1.3M people losing unemployment aid this week live

Where the 1.3M people losing unemployment aid this week live

A state and county breakdown of how the expiration of emergency aid on Saturday affects the unemployed.

Utah plans to take its gay-marriage fight to the Supreme Court ... soon

Utah plans to take its gay-marriage fight to the Supreme Court ... soon

The state is expected to file a request for a temporary gay-marriage ban any day now.

Two numbers that explain why Chris Christie is taking so much heat

Two numbers that explain why Chris Christie is taking so much heat

Christie is really popular. That’s made him a marked man when it comes to politics.

A review of military benefits as reform debate intensifies

A review of military benefits as reform debate intensifies

Veterans groups are fighting curbs in annual pension increases for military retirees under age 62.

Obama signs bipartisan budget deal easing cuts

Obama signs bipartisan budget deal easing cuts

President Barack Obama has signed a bipartisan budget bill easing automatic spending cuts over two years, marking a modest end to a challenging year for the White House and Congress.

Talking Turkey: How does corruption affect voting behavior?

How will voters react to corruption revelations in Turkey? Recent political science research shows voters react differently in “high corruption” and “low corruption” countries.

Are Senate Democrats open to GOP Obamacare fixes?

Are Senate Democrats open to GOP Obamacare fixes?

Sen. Schumer (D-N.Y.) suggests Democrats are open to GOP ideas for fixing the health-care law. Is that so?

Kidnapped American asks U.S. to help gain his release

Kidnapped American asks U.S. to help gain his release

Warren Weinstein, 72, of Rockville says he feels “totally abandoned and forgotten” in Pakistan captivity.

Obama visits troops, thanks them for ‘incredible sacrifices’

Obama visits troops, thanks them for ‘incredible sacrifices’

President and first lady visit Marines during their Christmas vacation in Hawaii.

Sally Jewell’s next climb: The Department of the Interior

Sally Jewell’s next climb: The Department of the Interior

From REI to the Department of the Interior, the fit mountaineer is learning how to navigate Washington.

Benefits to end for long-term unemployed

Benefits to end for long-term unemployed

More than a million people face immediate end to aid.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from The Monkey Cage!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from The Monkey Cage!

That is one adorable monkey on that Christmas tree.

Panel lets Postal Service raise stamp prices for 2 years

Temporary jump to 49 cents aims to help agency rebound from recession, not to offset growing use of e-mail.

Health-care enrollment deadline extended once again

Health-care enrollment deadline extended once again

The Obama administration provided a few details about a special enrollment period on HealthCare.gov.

In Boston, former homeless vets help those still in need

VA, in effort to end homelessness by 2015, turns to those with firsthand knowledge about life on the streets

Study finds confusion over health insurance terminology

Fewer than one in four uninsured Americans felt confident they understood nine basic terms.

New York mayor-elect’s daughter tells of substance abuse

Chiara de Blasio says she drank alcohol and smoked marijuana to deal with clinical depression, anxiety.

Idaho’s the only state where a majority of adult households have no landlines

Idaho’s the only state where a majority of adult households have no landlines

A larger share of adults in Idaho have embraced wireless life than in any other state.

Gay marriage fight shifts to federal courts, 2014 set to be tipping-point year

Gay marriage fight shifts to federal courts, 2014 set to be tipping-point year

With so many cases before federal judges, it is likely that 2014 will be the year in which states accounting for a majority of Americans will allow gay marriage.

Why South Sudan has exploded in violence

Why South Sudan has exploded in violence

South Sudan has fallen prey to the “coup-civil war trap.“

Obama symbolically signs up for Obamacare

Obama symbolically signs up for Obamacare

The White House says he doesn’t need the insurance but wanted to show solidarity with affected Americans.

Utah’s battle over gay marriage a sign of a larger shift

Utah’s battle over gay marriage a sign of a larger shift

Gay-rights advocates view changing attitudes in Utah as a pivotal point for the country on the issue.

Will the NSA have to curtail some intelligence tools?

Will the NSA have to curtail some intelligence tools?

The agency currently is on the losing side of a public relations battle in justifying its methods.