It was January 2016. Before any votes had been cast. Donald Trump had spent months leading the Republican primary polls. Longtime Washington Post reporter Dan Balz met a family in Iowa that helped "crystallize" Trump's appeal with voters in America's heartland. The Swearingen family had been lifelong Democrats and voted for Barack Obama, but Trump was their candidate of choice this time.

Donald Trump ran an unconventional campaign, and the one person who was by his side everywhere he traveled was his 27-year-old press secretary Hope Hicks. Bloomberg Politics reporter Jennifer Jacobs first met Hicks in the early days of Trump's campaign in Iowa. Hicks had previously worked for Ivanka Trump's fashion company and had no experience in politics.

After a long and bruising campaign where middle America was concerned that the country was in "deep trouble," voters elected a new president. It was a change election that saw the governing party swept from power. It was November 1992.

For the second time in three years, a National Security Agency contractor is accused of stealing information from the secretive government agency. This time it's a 51-year-old Maryland man who was arrested for allegedly stealing classified computer code that hack foreign governments. But three years ago it was the 29-year-old Edward Snowden who took thousands of documents on NSA surveillance.

As vice presidential nominees Tim Kaine and Mike Pence prepare to face off in their only debate, we look back at the impact of the 2012 vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan. While Biden and Ryan were at the table, Real Clear Politics' Alexis Simendinger said on Washington Week that the real focus of the debate was the top of the ticket.

As the eight-member Supreme Court starts its new term, CNN Legal Analyst Joan Biskupic explains the often overlooked financial disclosures that can explain why a particular justice may choose to recuse himself or herself from a case. When a justice holds stock in a company and recuses himself, it is often months before the public knows why he didn't participate in arguments.

As polls in Colorado show the gap between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton tightening, we look to the students at Colorado College about what it means to vote in a battleground state. They told us about the importance of veterans issues and climate change in the Centennial State, and they voiced skepticism that Colorado will actually be a swing state this year.

The first presidential debate is just days away, and the candidate candidates have already started debate prep. We asked voters in swing-states Ohio, Pennsylvania and Colorado what they would ask Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump if they had the chance to pose a question. What would you ask? Add your voice using the hashtag #16for2016.

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will square off in their first presidential debate on Monday. What should the role of the moderator be? "Every debate moderator tries to figure a way to get past the speeches," Gwen Ifill, moderator of the VP debates in 2004 and 2008, told students at Colorado College. "It's a rare opportunity to see a contrast between the two candidates on any issue."

Three years ago, the Supreme Court sent an affirmative action case involving college admissions back to a lower court and said "strict scrutiny" should be applied when examining the University of Texas's race-based policy. Well, the ambiguity of "strict scrutiny" led this week to round two in the case Abigail Fisher v. University of Texas.

Early Sunday morning, a gunman opened fire at a crowded gay nightclub in Orlando. It was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, and it came just 1 year after a white gunman opened fired during a Bible study at a black church in Charleston, killing nine people. The shooting once again raises questions about gun violence and hate crimes.

One year ago, Donald Trump launched his unlikely campaign for the Republican nomination. Within weeks, he was leading the polls as the frontrunner, a position he would maintain until becoming the presumptive GOP nominee in May. "We’ll see how long he stays in," The Washington Post's Dan Balz said days after Trump entered the race with a speech that said Mexican immigrants are "rapists"

Less than three weeks after Hillary Clinton ended her 2008 presidential campaign, she stood on a stage with Barack Obama in Unity, New Hampshire, in an effort to bring the Democratic Party together after a bruising primary fight. Now, eight years later, Clinton once again wants to bring Democrats together after a long primary campaign. This time she came out on top.

Amid tensions over Syria and Ukraine, President Obama and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will meet in New York during the United Nations General Assembly on September 28. Alexis Simendinger of RealClearPolitics explains the challenges the two sides face trying to find common ground on their profound differences. Plus, what led to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's downfall?

As the Iran nuclear deal survives a vote in Congress, Hillary Clinton gave a speech backing the deal and promising a reset the fractured U.S.-Israel relationship. Plus, how has Clinton's long-term strategy shifted from her first presidential campaign eight years ago. And Republican Rick Perry suspended his troubled second presidential campaign after week's of low fundraising. CNN's Jeff Zeleny r

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is expected to officially launch his presidential campaign this month, but several key Bush family supporters aren't sold yet. But at the White House, a new guest is already moving in, but it’s not who you would expect. A hawk has taken up residence on the White House grounds. And officials in Boston deal with a new terror threat.

How did the U.S. claim jurisdiction over a global soccer scandal? Carrie Johnson of NPR reports on the role of U.S. banks in the FIFA investigation. Plus, John Harwood of CNBC and The New York Times gives a behind-the-scenes look into Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. And CNBC and Slate Magazine's John Dickerson previews what's to come come as he becomes the new host of “Face the Nation.”

The Pentagon recently ended its suicide prevention program, Vets4Warriors. Yochi Dreazen reports on why the program, which has assisted hundreds of thousands of veterans, is at risk. Dan Balz explains the role super PACs will play in the primary elections. Plus, why no one should underestimate certain 2016 "underdogs" and a report on the state of the infrastructure bill in Congress.

Our panelists have covered their fair share of conventions. Between the 2012 Republican and Democratic National Conventions, we asked them which was their most memorable convention. John Harwood, of CNBC and the New York Times, tells us why the 1988 Republican National Convention, with George H.W. Bush announcing Dan Quayle as his running mate made it one of the more dramatic conventions.

Our panelists have covered their fair share of conventions and we asked them which was their most memorable convention. Alexis Simendinger, of Real Clear Politics, tells us why the 1992 Democratic National Convention is her favorite. From Bill Clinton to Ross Perot, she shares the highlights from the convention in New York City.