Frequently Asked Questions
What is the mission of Modern Politics?
We document how digital tools, platforms, and cultures have shaped American political life since the early internet era. Our goal is to provide a trustworthy, nonpartisan historical record that helps readers contextualize today’s debates.
Who can use this resource?
Students, educators, journalists, policy analysts, civic organizations, and curious citizens. The writing and structured data are published under CC BY-SA 4.0, so you may reuse and adapt them — commercially included — as long as you credit the source, note any changes, and release your adaptation under the same license. Images are licensed individually; see the Terms of Use for details.
How often is the site updated?
There is no publication schedule. This is a solo project worked on in available time, so entries and revisions land irregularly. Notable changes are summarized on the Blog / Updates page.
Who writes this?
One maintainer, working with AI assistance for drafting and for an automated review pass. See Methodology & Sources for how that works and what it does not cover, and Contributors for who is behind the project.
Can I cite Modern Politics in academic work?
You can, but read Methodology & Sources first — most encyclopedia entries do not yet carry citations, and the “Reviewed” badge means a page passed an automated consistency review, not that its claims were checked against a source. For a citation, use the page title, “Modern Politics” as the author, the URL, and your access date.
Where do you get your information?
Public reporting, primary documents, published datasets, and academic research, found largely through web search. The long-form story and the statistics pages name their sources on the page. Most encyclopedia entries do not yet, and usually link to a corresponding Wikipedia article as a starting point. Methodology & Sources states the current coverage numbers.
How do I suggest new coverage?
Use the feedback button on any page, or the Suggest an Edit / Contribute page, to propose topics or recommend sources. Suggestions are read, though there is no promised turnaround.
Does the site track me?
There are no accounts, no advertising, and no session recording. The site does use a third-party analytics service to count page views and measure which pages get read, which sets a cookie holding a random visitor identifier. It is switched off automatically if your browser sends a Do Not Track signal or you use a tracking blocker. The Privacy Policy lists exactly what is collected.
Do you accept donations?
We currently decline direct donations to preserve independence. Instead, we encourage supporters to contribute research leads, documentation, or technical assistance. If funding mechanisms change, we will publish a public statement outlining safeguards for editorial integrity.
Is the project accessible to screen readers?
The site aims at WCAG 2.1 AA. In October 2026 we audited the home page, a person page, the timeline, the network graph, the Record, and search, in both light and dark mode, on a desktop-width screen. Each of those pages can be used end to end with a keyboard alone, starting with a “Skip to content” link; every control shows where focus is; no page traps focus; and an automated accessibility checker reports no violations on them.
That audit was our own, not an independent certification, and it has limits. Automated checks catch only part of what WCAG covers, and pages outside the six types above were not individually checked. Phone-sized screens were checked separately for keyboard use, focus handling, and contrast when the mobile layout was redesigned, but screen-reader testing has so far covered only the site navigation and one page. The network graph is a visual map whose layout is not described to screen readers; every entity in it can be found with the graph’s search box, and selecting one lists its connections as text.
If you hit a barrier, report it with the feedback button on any page and describe your device and assistive technology.