Mental Floss

GOVERNMENT



John Vanderlyn, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

At 5 feet 4 inches, Madison was America’s shortest commander-in-chief—but he left behind a towering legacy.

Mark Mancini






"Accidentally misfired" and "young baby" are redundant terms that should not be used.

In 2014, a leaked copy of the Directorate of Intelligence Style Manual & Writer's Guide for Intelligence Publication, a.k.a. Strunk & White for spies, found its way to the Internet.

Nick Greene
Library of Congress

During the State of the Union a few weeks ago, I noticed that the members of Congress were sitting on rows of theater-style seating in the House Chamber. In a lot of period movies, though, you often see them seated at individual desks pre-20th century.

Matt Soniak
Getty Images

After George Washington took office, he assembled a Presidential Cabinet that had just four positions—Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph. Sin

Bryan Dugan


Element5 Digital, Unsplash // Public Domain

In the majority of the United States, one candidate gets all of a state’s electoral votes. Two states, however, don’t have to go the all-or-nothing route: Nebraska and Maine, thanks to the Congressional District Method.

Stacy Conradt






Ollie Atkins, White House photographer, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Presidents as far back as George Washington have waited until their final days in office to sign pardons. Let's take a look at some of history's more notable ones.

Ethan Trex