The 2008 financial crisis and bank bailouts have undoubtedly shaped the current economy and the politics leading to the 2012 Presidential election. How did the 2008 presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama approach these subjects in their campaigns? Joining Gwen: Jeff Zeleny, New York Times; Charles Babington, Associated Press; John Dickerson, Slate/CBS News; Jeanne Cummings, Politico.

After President Obama voiced his support for same-sex marriage last week, it has increasingly become a topic in the 2012 presidential election. In 2004 Congress considered a Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage. Joining Gwen: Karen Tumulty, Time Magazine; Gebe Martinez, The Houston Chronicle, Anne Kornblut, The Boston Globe; Ceci Connolly, The Washington Post.

Martha Raddatz, ABC News Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent, recalls a personal conversation with her son on the night Osama bin Laden was killed. She also discusses how September 11th changed Americans and changed journalism in Washington Week's "The Backstory."

America post-9/11 has seen an unprecedented claim of presidential power. Military and intelligence elements have taken greater steps to strike potential national security threats. But are counterterrorism excesses eroding our civil liberties? Award-winning national security correspondent James Kitfield of National Journal analyzes one year after Osama Bin Laden's death.

Why aren't video cameras allowed in Supreme Court hearings? Would they change the outcome of the case or the way the public sees the court? In the week following the oral arguments on the Affordable Care Act, Gwen got the Backstory from Pete Williams of NBC News and Joan Biskupic of Reuters.

Ohio was considered one of the most important swing state of the 2008 presidential race and is gearing up to be just as important in 2012. This week, as Washington Week hosts our first-ever Electronic Town Hall, with audiences in Ohio and Oregon, we ask if the issues that were important to voters in 2008 different than those in 2012? Take a look back at our Road Show from Cleveland, Ohio in 2008.

Gwen Ifill is hosting the first-ever Washington Week Electronic Town Hall Friday, April 20, 2012. Audiences at PBS member station WVIZ in Cleveland, Ohio, and Oregon Public Broadcasting will have a chance to ask Gwen and her expert panelists questions about the economy, the 2012 election, and more. Tune in for this online community event.

As the nation focuses on the republican presidential primary in Wisconsin tomorrow, and as Republican Governor Scott Walker's recall election heats up, University of Wisconsin students discuss whether political advertisements have an impact on voters, especially younger voters. Are the Presidential hopefuls' messages getting through? Kate Chappell of the University of Wisconsin - Madison reports.

Maryland's state legislature and governor legalized same-sex marriage this year. How is the issue resonating with young voters as the Republican presidential candidates campaign ahead of tomorrow's presidential primary in the state? What role do they think government plays in the issue? University of Maryland student Jamie Forzato reports.

As the Roberts Supreme Court reviews the historic case challenging President Obama's 2010 Health Reform law, take a look back to when John Roberts replaced William Rehnquist as Chief Justice. A discussion of the generational shift represented by the Roberts Court and the what issues were important in his first years on the bench. Original air date: September 30, 2005, the day Roberts was sworn in.

With gas prices on the rise, energy is becoming a dominant issue this presidential election. Heading into the Louisiana GOP primary, how do voters in the Bayou State balance the need to develop energy with environmentalism? How has the BP oil spill changed minds? Student Reporter Colby Wilson from Loyola University New Orleans explores these issues in our ongoing Voice of the Voters series.

U.S. Commander in Afghanistan General John Allen will testify before Congress this week about the progress of the war. ABC News Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz traveled with Allen in Afghanistan recently. What did she hear from the General? How are Afghans responding to the recent controversies involving American soldiers? Find out in our new feature: The Backstory.

A look at the GOP candidates' strategies and campaigns in Illinois: How are local officials getting involved in the race? What issues are coming up as the candidates campaign? How organized are the candidates' on the ground? Springfields WSEC Capitol View moderator Jamey Dunn explores the race with local reporters Chris Wetterrich of The State Journal-Register & Mike Riopell of The Daily Herald.

Alabama hasn't always been a very important state in either the GOP primary or the general election. The horse race and drama of the 2012 cycle has made it a battleground to court conservative voters. Whats the lay of the land, and what matters? Find out from Don Dailey of Alabama Public Television

Remembering Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and long time Washington Week panelist David Broder one year after his passing. Watch a tribute to a dear colleague and friend.

This Saturday, March 10, is the GOP primary in Kansas. Do young voters care more about a candidates stance on the issues or their background? Does a politician need to be cut from the same cloth as the voters to be popular? What issues matter most to college students in Kansas? We explore these questions with University of Kansas Student Lisa Andersen in our ongoing Voice of the Voters series.

Of the states holding primaries on Super Tuesday, among most closely watched is Ohio. Ohio has 66 of the 419 delegates awarded next week and has seen a slew of negative advertising by candidates and Super PACs. Rick Santorum is leading in the polls, but Mitt Romney has scored some key endorsements from local politicians. Karen Kasler of Ohio Public Television previews the primary.

The GOP Presidential candidates have rallied against President Obamas health care reform law, but what does that mean to young voters who can now stay on their parents insurance because of the reform? Anna Paterson of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville reports ahead of Super Tuesday.

Though Alaska is holding caucuses on Super Tuesday, it hasn't garnered as much attention as states like Ohio. Whats the lay of the land in The Last Frontier, and how could the states unique makeup affect which candidate wins? Will former Governor Sarah Palin have an influence on the outcome? Daysha Eaton of Alaska Public Media reports

What influences young voters when deciding which political candidate to support? Washington Week asked students at Washington State University - Pullman ahead of the GOP caucuses in the Evergreen State on Saturday, March 3. Student Veronica Miracle reports.