Choose your focus — we'll customize your experience. You can explore everything and change this anytime.
Understanding your government is the first step to holding it accountable.
Free, nonpartisan courses designed to give you the civic knowledge you need to be an informed citizen.
Follow a bill from introduction through committee, floor debate, conference, and presidential action with an interactive step-through visualization.
A searchable dictionary of 100+ civic terms — from "appropriations" to "whip count" — with plain-language definitions and real-world context.
The framework of American government explained article by article and amendment by amendment — what it says, what it means, and why it matters today.
Learn the basics of campaign finance — PACs, Super PACs, dark money, and disclosure rules — and why it matters for democratic accountability.
Test your knowledge of Congress, the Constitution, campaign finance, and elections with interactive scored quizzes.
Explore landmark legislation, constitutional amendments, electoral milestones, and government reforms across 230+ years.
Visual flowcharts for impeachment, the budget process, treaty ratification, Supreme Court nominations, and more.
For classrooms
Capitol Trace now supports classroom-ready civics assignments built on the same public lessons, quizzes, and live-data tools students already explore on their own.
Put your knowledge into practice. Capitol Trace gives you free, real-time access to the data behind American government.
Watch legislation move through Congress in real time. See sponsors, status, and full text.
See how every member of Congress voted on every bill — and spot the patterns.
Explore who is spending money to influence lawmakers and on which issues.
Follow the money behind elections — who donates, how much, and to whom.
Deep profiles on every representative and senator — voting record, finances, and more.
Track presidential directives and understand how executive power shapes policy.