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Many people probably know the U.S. Department of State (DoS) as the agency that issues passports and visas. However, for most Americans, the department is a virtually invisible part of the U.S government that registers only when bad news strikes. The 1979 hostage crisis at the U.S. embassy in Iran, the two 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Africa and the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, all thrust the State Department into the media spotlight and the public consciousness. Somewhere between the mundane duties of passport approvals and the terror of embassy attacks, the State Department and thousands of American Foreign Service employees carry out a wide-ranging mission of outreach at more than 300 U.S. diplomatic facilities — embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions — in countries around the globe. Here are some surprising facts about the Department of State’s mission and capabilities.

National security issues can be complex, but the U.S. government’s recent Worldwide Threat Assessment makes one thing clear: we are living in increasingly dangerous times. The Director of National Intelligence, James R. Clapper, testified before a U.S. House committee on April 11, 2013 — just four days before the Boston Marathon attack — and gave a sobering summary of the full spectrum of threats facing the United States when he said, “In my almost 50 years in intelligence, I do not recall a period in which we’ve confronted a more diverse array of threats, crises, and challenges around the world.” These threats range from seemingly mundane issues like budget fights to militant Islamist groups, cyber attacks and rogue nations building weapons of mass destruction. Here’s a summary of Clapper’s assessment of the leading threats to U.S. national security, in no particular order.

April 12 marks four years since U.S. Navy SEAL snipers killed three pirates in a daring operation off the coast of Somalia. The SEALs’ actions led to the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips of the cargo ship Maersk Alabama, which the pirates had hijacked several days earlier. That incident marked the first time pirates had seized an American-flagged vessel since the early 19th century. Many people probably recall the spectacular conclusion to that incident, but most probably haven’t thought at all about pirates in the years since. Yet piracy remains a major concern. Piracy is on the rise in some regions, pirates are growing bolder in asking for much larger ransoms, and some analysts are concerned about a possible link between these modern-day outlaws and al-Qaeda. Here’s a look at modern piracy and what the U.S. and other nations are doing to combat the problem.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is certainly one of the most controversial acts of legislation in modern U.S. history. The bill led to a bitter national debate that sparked heated town hall meetings and controversial deals in Congress. And it passed through Congress along almost entirely partisan lines, after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi infamously noted that lawmakers would have to pass the bill to find out what’s in it. Three years later, as the Affordable Care Act nears full implementation in 2014, some of the negatives of the new law are becoming evident. Conservatives who’ve criticized the plan — which they derisively call “Obamacare” — are saying, “I told you so.” Supporters of the new law point out that adopting a plan that overhauls one-sixth of the U.S. economy will obviously have some growing pains. Yet millions of Americans, including many Democrats who originally supported the law, are discovering that it has a dark side. Here are 10 troubling signs for the new health care law, culled from media and government reports and other sources in recent months.

For some 40 years, Americans faced the prospect of nuclear Armageddon, as the U.S. and Soviet Union waged the infamous Cold War. Schoolchildren practiced “duck-and-cover” drills to prepare for nuclear strikes, and pundits and politicians used alarming phrases such as “balance of terror” and “mutual assured destruction” to explain that both countries could be expected to exercise some restraint. So when the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s, the prospect of nuclear destruction seemed more remote. Unfortunately, changes in the political landscape, and more countries with nuclear capabilities, mean there is a risk of nuclear conflict somewhere in the world. How real is that risk? And how can the U.S. defend against the threat? Those are questions that are being debated almost daily now in defense and government circles in the U.S. and elsewhere. Here are five of the most realistic threats and what the U.S. is doing to prevent such scenarios.

Americans have some pretty strong opinions about what no longer works in their country, whether in terms of education, government, an aging infrastructure, health care, etc. In some cases, the country’s failures have become obvious. The United States continues to do many important things very well, however. It's not perfect, but when it's at its best, no other country can come close. With that in mind, here are 10 areas where the U.S. still sets the standard for the rest of the world.

As the U.S. government stumbles from one budget crisis to the next, defense officials have been searching for ways to make due with less money while minimizing any impact this will have on combat readiness. Cutting expensive weapons programs is one of the ways the armed services have tightened their belt in the past, but that doesn’t mean they have given up on all the big-ticket items. For example, the Air Force still expects to spend many billions of dollars on a replacement for the B-2 Stealth Bomber and is quietly testing a prototype spaceplane. Still, meeting budget sometimes means the military has to cancel weapon systems it would love to add to its arsenal, as these five examples illustrate.

As politicians in Washington, D.C. struggle to avoid the looming specter of sequestration, a series of automatic federal spending cuts, the Pentagon is seeking ways to handle cuts in military spending. The U.S. has a number of longstanding and expensive security commitments all around the world. Most Americans are familiar with the large U.S. military presence in countries such as Germany, South Korea and Japan. However, the response to the 9/11 attacks shifted America’s strategic priorities away from Europe and toward some relatively obscure places in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere. As a result, U.S. troops are currently deployed to more than 150 countries, some of which might come as a surprise to some people.

Following President Barack Obama’s announcement of 23 executive orders to combat gun violence in the wake of the Newtown shootings, some critics have questioned the president’s rights to issue such orders. Conservative politicians and pundits contend President Obama is overstepping his powers in an attempt to circumvent Congress. Yet every president in history has exercised this authority (with the exception of William Henry Harrison, who died shortly after taking office). And with 147 executive orders (as of Jan. 20, 2013), President Obama has issued the fewest such directives of any president dating to the 1880s. To put this in perspective, President Ronald Reagan issued 381 such orders, President George Bush issued 166, and presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush issued 364 and 291, respectively.

The vast majority of presidential executive orders cover incredibly mundane matters, such as President Andrew Jackson’s order to honor a deceased French military officer as a “friend of liberty.”) But a few, like the following 10 examples listed in chronological order, shaped the very essence of the United States … for better or for worse.

Each month after the U.S. government releases its official unemployment rate, politicians and pundits from both sides of the political divide seize on the news as proof that the country is either headed for an economic recovery or economic hard times. But in reality, the U.S. and other developed nations have a much different standard of unemployment than people in the Third World, where unemployment rates of 25 or 30 percent or more are common. Even during the depth of the Great Depression, most developed nations never exceeded unemployment rates of 25 to 30 percent. Here’s a look at the nations with the highest unemployment rates in the world, rates that would be unimaginable in the U.S. and other wealthy nations. (All figures are estimates from the Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook.)

Pro golfer Phil Mickelson sparked controversy last week when he lamented the high tax rates in California and suggested he might consider moving elsewhere. According to Sports Illustrated, Mickelson earned $60.7 million in 2012, and Mickelson said that federal, state and local taxes take a 62 or 63 percent bite of his income. The popular golfer apologized for his remarks a couple of days later, but conservative pundits had already seized upon the remarks as a symbol for over-taxation, and fellow golf star Tiger Woods defended Mickelson, saying he left California for Florida — which has no state income tax — years ago for that reason. As Mickelson ponders his future, here are the five states with the lowest combined state and local tax burden as a percentage of income, according to the TaxFoundation.org.

As President Barack Obama begins his second term in the White House, he’s got plenty to worry about: budget impasses, a sluggish economy, a gridlocked Congress, Syria and more. But unlike millions of other Americans, he won’t have to worry about his health care or saving money for his retirement. United States presidents don’t live like royalty in some other countries, but they enjoy a very comfortable life that comes with a generous salary, a great pension, the finest health care, 24/7 protection, first-class transportation and other benefits. But it wasn’t always this way. Some of the amenities modern presidents take for granted are relatively recent additions.

The leaders of the Republican Party have their work cut out for them. With the U.S. House of Representatives and 29 statehouses under GOP control, it’s clear the Republicans are more than capable of winning elections on the regional level. But just one win in the popular vote for president since 1988 suggests something's no longer clicking nationally. Turning things around won't be easy, but the results of the 2012 vote make it clear what the party needs to fix.

Most Americans are probably only vaguely aware of the particulars of the federal Endangered Species Act, passed in 1973 to help protect and provide for the conservation of endangered and threatened species of wildlife, fish and plants. Certainly, the law hasn’t generated the type of mass demonstrations seen both in opposition and support of the Affordable Care Act, to name but one controversial law. But the Endangered Species Act is no stranger to controversy. Supporters claim it has helped protect dozens of endangered species, including the bald eagle, from possible extinction. Critics contend the law is a bureaucratic nightmare that destroys jobs, wastes money and infringes on personal property rights. And some critics question whether the ESA has even fulfilled its primary goal of protecting species. As the law nears its 40th anniversary in 2013, here’s a look at several unusual incidents from the last couple of years where the law came into play, for better or worse.

With President Barack Obama reelected for a second term, pundits are busy predicting what he will do for an encore. Will he attempt to pass any major initiatives, perhaps another economic stimulus? Or will the U.S. see the same government gridlock the country has experienced the past couple of years? If history is any indication, Obama will do well just to escape scandal, controversy or further economic woes in his second term. Since the beginning of the 20th century, and especially since World War II, most presidential second terms have been plagued by misfortune, either through a president’s own errors, or from outside influences beyond his control. Whether these presidents were to blame for these problems or not, their reputations took a beating.

Here’s a look at the trouble-filled second terms of several presidents since 1900, in reverse chronological order.

Economists, business leaders and politicians have closely monitored the unemployment rate in the United States since the so-called Great Recession. Politicians will mention a change of even 1/10th of a percent in the so-called “official” unemployment rate to justify that their economic policy is working, or that the opposition’s strategy is failing. But beyond that “official” unemployment rate, the Bureau of Labor Statistics maintains a bewildering array of other employment figures. And if politicians and pundits can’t use the “official” unemployment rate to make their case, they’ll highlight one of these other numbers to show how “bad” — or “good” — things really are. But what are all these numbers? How are they compiled and what do they really mean? Here’s a rundown on what the Bureau of Labor Statistics refers to as six “Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization.”

During the 2012 Democratic and Republican national conventions, funnyman Conan O’Brien and his team scoured presidential campaign footage to develop some hilarious alternative campaign slogans to President Barack Obama’s “Forward” and Mitt Romney’s “Believe in America.” A few gems included: “It’s Every American for Themselves,” “America: Just Another Place With a Flag on the Map” and the blunt, “I Made a Lot of Money.” O’Brien specializes in satire, but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, as throughout U.S. history a number of presidents and presidential wannabes have employed some slogans so ridiculously bad, we remember a few of them more than 150 years later.

The closer we get to each election, the more promises, “statistics” and divisive talk we hear from both sides of the party aisle. And while the Internet has made more “facts” available than ever before, the web has also given rise to increasingly sophisticated techniques to manipulate the media and public. Special interest groups hire PR firms to spread fabricated news under the guise of factual articles, while individuals with biased viewpoints establish websites plagued by untruths and inaccurate statements to advance a particular viewpoint. Both phenomena have contributed to a flourishing environment for fact-checking organizations and websites that dig deep into stories, press releases, etc. in an effort to establish the truth. Ironically, political fact checkers have become so entrenched in the political landscape that they even became part of the 2012 presidential campaign, when a pollster for GOP candidate Mitt Romney declared, "we're not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact-checkers." That said, here’s a look at five of the best-known sites dedicated to exploring the facts behind the rhetoric.

Has the ship already sailed on climate change? Data clearly shows our globe continuing to warm. Temperature and other records continue to be broken, and at a record pace. Yet as the warm-up appears to gain momentum, any momentum on the policy front to stem it has slowed to a crawl, if not a halt. The reasons for this are varied, not a little complex, and as rapidly evolving as the weather itself.

Jimmy McMillan had his moment in the national spotlight a few years ago, running as the Rent Is Too Damn High Party candidate for New York City mayor and then governor and senator in New York state. The Rent Is Too Damn High Party isn’t the first unusual political movement to arise in the United States, and it certainly won’t be the last. It’s worth noting that most of these parties were so outside the mainstream that they had very short lifespans. Here’s a look back at some unusual political movements in American history.

Getting Democrats and Republicans to agree on just about any issue is an exercise in frustration, which is one of the reasons the U.S. government has been stuck in gridlock the past couple of years. Yet one issue both parties agree upon is this: the national debt poses a grave threat to the future health of the United States. Of course, both parties vehemently disagree on how to balance the budget and pay down the debt. Democrats favor such solutions as tax increases on higher income individuals and cuts to military spending; Republicans are pushing for cuts to domestic spending and tax reform to spur the economy. Meanwhile, the national debt, which stands at almost $16 trillion as of this writing, continues to grow. How did the U.S. get into this situation? Here’s a look back at 10 milestones in the growth of the U.S. national debt.

Celebrities who embrace humanitarian causes attract both criticism and praise. Many question whether they’re motivated more by the publicity rather than a genuine concern for humanity. Then there are the tax write-offs to consider. But cynicism aside, some celebrities are so famous they don’t need extra attention. And many do seem to care deeply for their chosen cause, especially those who give generously of their time. Some are even willing to get arrested, although the consequences for a film star are far less devastating than for ordinary citizens. When celebrities do adopt a cause, it’s certainly good news for that particular organization and the needy who will ultimately benefit. These stars have enormous influence and help highlight crucial domestic and international social issues.

Here are 10 celebrities who are very active in humanitarian causes. As with many lists of this type, the rankings are highly subjective, as it’s impossible to rate certain humanitarian causes as more worthy than others.

Ah, the joys of a presidential election year. We’re inundated by labels and buzzwords meant to rally a political base by inciting hatred or reinforcing a negative stereotype about other groups. Politicians and pundits wield these stereotypes like verbal bullets, and while they are often blamed for perpetuating these images, it could be said that they are merely reflecting what is already ingrained in our national consciousness and culture. Here are 10 political stereotypes that American politicians have exploited in recent years.

For a fan of small government, the two-party system is endlessly frustrating. If, for example, you believe the government should step aside and let the free market do its thing, you might be drawn to the Republicans, but what if you also believe consenting adults should be free to use drugs or marry whomever they want? And if you support those social freedoms, you might be drawn to the Democrats, but what if you're also uncomfortable with the concept of a big, centralized government?

The answer, of course, is the Libertarian Party, and here are 10 reasons that's not as crazy as it sounds.

It’s become an annual rite of spring in Washington, D.C., as politicians haggle over how to cut federal spending. But real cuts are hard to make, especially when powerful constituencies are involved. Case in point: Defense spending. The Obama administration has ordered the Pentagon to cut hundreds of billions of dollars from its budget in the coming years, yet the Defense Department and Congress find themselves at odds over what should be cut. So as has happened many times in recent years, the Pentagon is recommending cuts to weapons programs it deems unnecessary, only to see congressmen — worried about jobs and defense contracts in their home districts — overrule DoD recommendations and budget money for the programs anyway. Congress, not the military, gets the final say in spending, so military leaders are often saddled with weapons and programs they do not want — and the budget deficit continues to grow. Here are five examples of this phenomenon from the fiscal year 2013 budget and other recent years.

If you’re tired of hearing about the federal budget deficit, it might be time to buy some earplugs. The deficit will be one of the hot topics in not only this year’s presidential race, but in Congress as well, as lawmakers again debate the extension of the federal debt-ceiling limit. Expect plenty of partisan bickering, and endless debate among politicians and pundits alike about how to reduce the deficit. Just don’t expect much of a reduction in federal employment. Here are the five largest employers in the U.S. government today, and how the ongoing budget battles could affect their workforces.

The Secret Service scandal that erupted in April 2012 severely tarnished the image of one of most respected agencies in the United States government. When we think of Secret Service agents, we picture stone-faced men in sharp suits, forming a perimeter around the U.S. president. Yet the Secret Service operated for decades before it began protecting the president, and its current responsibilities go far beyond presidential security, and even extend into other countries. Here are five surprising facts about the United States Secret Service.

American politics is more polarized than ever and civil discourse between conservatives and liberals has become a rare commodity. It’s hard to have a productive debate about issues when people from both sides toss around inflammatory comments, creating a climate of hate and intolerance. Even worse, each side features many high-profile politicians, pundits and celebrities who either through their role in office or in the media publically fan the flames of discontent. With that in mind, here’s a look at 10 conservatives that liberals love to hate. (Here's a link to our earlier story, 10 Liberals That Conservatives Love to Hate.)

American politics is becoming increasingly polarized. Just turn on the radio or TV, browse news sites or read the paper, and you’ll notice this great ideological divide, which is especially apparent in an election year. It’s red versus blue, conservatives against liberals, and given the tone of some of the rhetoric, there seems to be no middle ground. The two “sides” love to criticize each other, and this hostility is fueled by inflammatory comments made by talk show hosts, political commentators, entertainers, and politicians. On either side of the debate are some outspoken and powerful individuals particularly despised by the “opposition.” Following are 10 liberals that conservatives love to hate. (Here's a link to a similar Listosaur story, 10 Conservatives That Liberals Love to Hate.)

In ancient cultures, priests would sacrifice animals, and then inspect their organs in an attempt to predict the future. Today, thousands of years later, we use scientific polling methods to help predict future events — and cynics would argue these polls are no more accurate than studying animal entrails. Witness the exit polls taken on Election Day in 2000 and 2004 that predicted victories for Al Gore and John Kerry, respectively. Now that Mitt Romney has all but locked up the Republican presidential nomination, pollsters are looking ahead to Nov. 6, 2012, Election Day. Given the track record of polls, are there more reliable methods to predict the winner? In short, no, but looking back at history, several trends stand out in helping separate the winner from the loser in presidential elections.

President Barack Obama’s supporters were encouraged by recent polls that showed his job approval rating climbing near the 50 percent mark. That figure is still low compared to that of several other presidents seeking reelection in the post-World War II era. However, since Gallup began such national polls in the mid-1940s, five presidents have had lower approval ratings during their reelection bid. Here’s how those presidents fared in the polls, and on Election Day.

As American taxpayers struggle to prepare their annual federal income tax returns, it’s hard to imagine that as recently as the early 20th century there were NO federal income taxes. The income tax was permanently adopted in 1913, and even then, only the richest one-half of 1 percent of earners paid taxes. Somehow, this simple beginning evolved into the current, complex and bloated U.S. tax code that contains roughly 70,000 pages. Here’s a look at 10 milestones in United States tax history.

As the Republican presidential candidates match wits in a seemingly endless run of primary debates, they know that their best sound bite might be replayed on a few newscasts, but a great quote could define their career. On the other hand, a huge gaffe on their part will quickly go viral on the Internet, be ridiculed by critics, and probably become the subject of a Saturday Night Live skit. In a worst-case scenario, the blunder might be remembered for years. Here are five memorable sound bites from past presidential (and vice presidential) debates.

Texas governor and presidential candidate Rick Perry is still feeling the heat from his 2009 statement implying that Texas might secede from the union, but to be fair, Perry never even used the term “secession.” Meanwhile, numerous legitimate secession movements have sprouted around the United States in recent years. No one expects any of these efforts to succeed, but they offer a revealing look at the fragmentation of U.S. politics today, as rural and urban interests, conservatives and liberals battle it out in state houses across the country. They also provide an interesting exercise in “What if?” Here are 10 notable secession proposals in recent years.

As the world speculates about the future of post-Gaddafi Libya, it’s hard to believe any successive regime or leader could harm the country more than the man who for four decades unleashed both bloody social experiments on his own people and sponsored notorious terrorist attacks abroad. But we need only look to history to find that ousting the “bad guy” can have the unintended result of elevating to power a far worse monster. Below are five dark chapters in modern history where regime changes, instead of fostering hope and reform, sparked chaos in their home countries and even entire regions for many years to come.

As we’ve seen in the current GOP campaign for president, candidates rise and fall in the polls with more unpredictability than the stock market. This type of drama has played out countless times before in campaigns. Months of hard work, coupled with a great performance in a debate or a unique policy stance can boost a candidate to frontrunner status. But a moment of indiscretion or an awkward speech can bring a candidate’s campaign crashing down. Here are five presidential contenders who appeared on their way to their party’s nomination before disaster struck.

President Barack Obama’s poll numbers have plummeted since the early days of his presidency, as the troubled economy takes a toll on his approval rating, which has dropped 37 points from its high. If there’s any consolation for Obama, from an historical perspective, the majority of presidents in the past half-century have seen even bigger slides in the polls. That did not bode well for any of those leaders seeking reelection. Here are the five presidents since World War II with the biggest declines in approval ratings.

Like it or not, American politics today is often decided not on substance, but on appearance. Politicians employ public relations professionals to help them get their message out, and these pros often create carefully staged public appearances designed to portray their politician in a favorable light. Usually, everything goes according to plan and photos from the event generate positive media coverage — think presidential candidate Barack Obama speaking before some 200,000 people in 2008 at Berlin’s Victory Column. He looked presidential, and even his critics admit it gave him a degree of legitimacy in the public consciousness that he had not yet earned. On the other hand, sometimes these photo opportunities have disastrous results. Here are five political photo ops that turned out very bad for those involved.

Some of the most influential founding fathers, including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison, strongly favored congressional term limits. Flash forward to the 21st century, and those founders would be astounded at the amount of time some current representatives have been in Congress. Some critics of the current system advocate term limits, but even they acknowledge the potential risks. With term limits, members of Congress would not have to fear the wrath of voters, which could make them prone to questionable behavior. Also, term limits could dramatically increase the influence of career bureaucrats. But all that’s an argument for another day. Here are the eight U.S. Congressmen with the longest current tenures in office as of 2011.

After the devastating attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Americans demanded action. Most citizens and officials alike assumed further attacks would be forthcoming in the near future. Since then, there have been some failed attacks by individuals, but no concerted attack involving many people and the type of coordinated, devastating plan seen on 9/11. Here are five reasons why the U.S. has not faced another 9/11-style attack.

Politicians at the national level live in a public spotlight, with their every move scrutinized. Their comments are studied and parsed for meaning. So it’s strange how often famous politicians get saddled with words they never used, or they’re credited for originating a phrase they borrowed from someone else’s work. This was understandable before the modern era — there were no tape recorders or video cameras and record keeping was shaky. But even today, thanks to social media, once a politician gets stuck with a quote, it will be endlessly circulated until everyone forever links the politician and quote. Here are 10 famous quotes or misquotations that are frequently misattributed to politicians, including a couple of recent ones to show how such a phenomenon develops.

Chances are, you’ve never heard of the Arctic Research Commission (though it sounds cool) and you didn’t know there is a United States agency known as the Millennium Challenge Corporation. There are hundreds of federal boards, agencies, departments, bureaus, commissions and other organizations, and while many of them are quite familiar (the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Defense), others are very obscure. But just because you haven’t heard of an agency or you think it sounds made-up (hmmm … National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency? Was that from Star Trek?), each agency serves a purpose, whether it’s aiding needy populations, inspecting the food we eat or assuring transportation safety. Following is a look at some federal agencies you’ve probably never heard of, along with their mission.

History is full of some very bad characters that have made a mark on the world. Names like Adolf Hitler, Genghis Kahn and Pol Pot come to mind. These are not people most of us would want to do business with and yet, there have been cases where countries, including the United States, have had relationships with some unsavory and even evil people when it served larger national interests. Some would call this a cynical abandonment of higher values, but geopolitics and national security can be dirty, vicious exercises in choosing bad options over still worse ones.

Slavery and human trafficking are industries that have existed for eons and continue to affect millions of people in virtually every country worldwide. It is hard to believe that the purchase and sale of human beings still thrives in the 21st century, but it remains a lucrative business, raking in billions of dollars in revenue each year.  Here are 10 facts about human trafficking and modern slavery.

Most of us are familiar with details of the United States’ wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but there are many other aspects of the War on Terror that began with the attack on Sept. 11, 2001. In addition to the military efforts, the broad scope of the war also includes law enforcement activities, intelligence operations, and diplomatic initiatives. Within these broad strokes lie details that often go unnoticed by the public against the larger canvas of the global struggle against militant Islamism.

The faltering U.S. economy has led to more scrutiny of government spending. Foreign aid has come under attack from both budget hawks and even mayors who claim money should be spent on infrastructure in America and not Afghanistan. In fiscal year 2010, the U.S. international affairs budget was almost $57 billion. The number seems astounding, yet this is roughly 1 percent of the total U.S. budget. According to Oxfam America, Americans spend more money on pet care each year than the government forks out in foreign aid.

Foreign assistance dollars are used to help promote democracy and economic stability; to lift people out of poverty; for security and military assistance; and for counter-terrorism measures. U.S. commercial interests and national security also come into play. In 1948 the United States created its first major foreign aid program — the Marshall Plan — to help rebuild Europe’s infrastructure and economy. Most countries outside of Western Europe, Canada and Australia are recipients of U.S. foreign aid, although some countries benefit more than others. Here are the top 10 recipients of United States foreign aid, based on fiscal year 2010 figures from the Congressional Research Service.

Critics call them “popcorn politics” and “sanctimonious morality tales.” Others, like U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, believe they can change the world. These are movies that tackle controversial global issues. Hollywood is no stranger to gritty realism; films of conscience and protest have been around since the early 1930s. In recent years, however, there seems to be an overabundance of this genre. Ban Ki-Moon has urged the industry to make even more, stressing how much popular culture can affect public consciousness. Whether these movies generate real change or spur the viewing public into action is debatable. But at the very least, they document tragic international events and highlight human rights issues that may otherwise remain obscure or resigned to history books. Here are 10 movies with a mission.

Candidates for political office — from sheriff to president — expect to be pounded by attack ads. Even founding fathers Thomas Jefferson and John Adams hurled insults at each other in the presidential election of 1796. Today, radio, TV and Internet attack ads, spread virally by social media, can distort the truth, demonize opponents and violate civic taboos. But they work. They're controversial because they use subtle — and often not-so-subtle — suggestions to plant slanderous information in voters' minds. Here are 10 of the most controversial political ads from the past 50 years.

With the residual effects of colonialism, decades of violence, exploitation of resources, and a string of corrupt leaders, it’s no real surprise that the world’s 10 poorest countries are in Africa. Crippled by civil wars, drought and disease, some African nations are trapped in a cycle of poverty. The tragic irony is that most of them are endowed with rich natural resources, including diamonds, oil, and gold, yet a large majority of the population never reaps the benefits.

A country’s wealth can be measured by its per capita GDP, an approximation of the value of goods produced per person. The lower the value, the more impoverished the nation. For the sake of comparison, the per capita GDP in the United States was approximately $47,000 in 2010. Here are the 10 poorest countries according to their per capita GDP (as of 2010).

Ask the average American to list the five most influential U.S. presidents of the 20th century and a handful of names will be quickly mentioned. Ask the same person to name the five most influential first ladies of the 20th century and you’ll likely be met with silence. That’s not surprising, because for much of American history, first ladies have been in the background as their husbands ran the country.

Yet beginning with Eleanor Roosevelt and continuing into the latter half of the century, first ladies began taking a more active role in promoting social and charitable causes. That made compiling this list a challenge in choosing the first ladies whose influence has had a lasting impact on our society. For example, Lady Bird Johnson was left off the list although she inspired highway beautification efforts. Hillary Clinton would have made the top five save for the fact her legacy is still evolving.

The “bully pulpit” is the power of American presidents to get things done with the spoken word. FDR, Kennedy and Reagan were masterful. Bush was inept. Eisenhower was a man of few words; Clinton a man of too many. LBJ bullied; Carter sermonized. Truman spoke honestly; Nixon did not. Presidents talk a lot, but we remember most the sound bites they leave behind, like echoes. These are the top 10 presidential quotes of the 20th century.