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Featured guide

6 min read

Could the ATF confiscate AR-15s already owned by Americans?

A look at the laws, history and logistics behind proposals to remove AR-15-style rifles from private hands.

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Featured civic lesson.

Plain-English guides on the topics driving today’s most active voting conversations.

How Government Works

Could the ATF confiscate AR-15s already owned by Americans?

A look at the laws, history and logistics behind proposals to remove AR-15-style rifles from private hands.

Americans own an estimated 20-24 million AR-15-style rifles, per industry figures.

The 1994 federal Assault Weapons Ban grandfathered existing weapons and expired in 2004.

Australia's 1996 mandatory buyback collected about 650,000 firearms, a much smaller universe.

How Government Works

Where do your federal tax dollars actually go?

A quick tour of how Washington spends, who watches the books, and why "wasteful spending" debates can be trickier than they sound.

How Government Works

How does U.S. border security actually work?

A plain-English look at who guards the U.S.-Mexico border, what tools they use, and why the politics get tangled with broader immigration debates.

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