Whether you’re for or against same-sex marriage, you should pay attention to the Supreme Court this spring, when the nine justices take on two pivotal cases, both of which could have a sweeping impact on the definition of marriage in the United States. The first set of briefs in the cases — which involve California’s Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) — were filed last month, and additional filings are due next week. As the high court prepares to consider the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, catch up on what’s at stake and how Americans view the issue in 2013.

Public opinion of same-sex marriage in the United States has changed dramatically in recent years: In a December USA Today/Gallup poll, 53 percent of Americans said gay couples should have the same marriage rights as straight couples — nearly twice the percentage who said so in 1996. Don’t expect that shift to reverse, either. A massive 73 percent of the 18- to 29-year-olds who were polled said they support same-sex marriage. Data from a Washington Post-ABC News poll on the question of marriage equality also shows how opinions have changed since 2004:

The president’s view of gay marriage has evolved, as well. During his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, he defined marriage as being “between a man and a woman.” Eight years later, in a potentially risky pre-election move, he used a TV interview to publicly come out in support of full marriage rights for gay couples. More recently, he highlighted gay rights in his inaugural address and this week’s State of the Union.

High-profile wins for supporters of gay marriage in last year’s general election marked a major shift: After more than 30 losses at the ballot box, voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington approved gay marriage, marking the first time the feat was achieved at the polls. The same day, Minnesota rejected a constitutional amendment banning gay unions.

Same-sex marriage is legal in six other states — Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont — in addition to the District of Columbia. Activists in other states, including Illinois, are aiming to make legislative gains this year. Outside the United States, gay and lesbian couples can tie the knot in 11 countries on four continents and in some other major jurisdictions, such as Mexico City.

The Supreme Court will hear two cases during two consecutive days of arguments in late March: Hollingsworth v. Perry, better known as the Prop 8 case, involves California’s constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage. The other case, United States v. Windsor, is one of several legal efforts to abolish DOMA, which denies legally married same-sex couples the federal benefits available to their heterosexual counterparts.

(Getty Images)

Hollingsworth v. Perry gets at the constitutionality of California voters banning same-sex marriage by referendum in 2008 after the state Supreme Court had legalized it earlier that year. The case is being argued by a somewhat surprising duo: David Boies and Ted Olson, foes in the famous Bush v. Gore showdown, but allies in the effort to overturn California’s ban.

The DOMA case centers around Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer, who were together for 30 years before registering as domestic partners in 1993. The couple married in Canada in 2007, just two years before Spyer died. While their home state of New York recognized their marriage, Windsor lacked spousal rights under federal law and was ordered to pay $363,053 in estate taxes.

The court’s decisions could have a wide-reaching impact on marriage rights: A decision that Prop 8 is unconstitutional could create two possible outcomes. A narrow ruling upholding the lower court’s decision would clear the way for same-sex marriage to resume in California. A broader decision proclaiming that all bans against gay marriage violate the U.S. Constitution would force all states to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. Alternatively, the justices could let Prop 8 stand, overturning the lower court’s ruling. It’s also possible that the justices will essentially punt, disposing of the case on procedural grounds.

DOMA is a complicated case with more jurisdictional issues for the justices to consider. Assuming they don’t dismiss the case on those grounds, they could uphold the section of DOMA under scrutiny, which would maintain the status quo of denying federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples. Striking down DOMA would pave the way for gay couples to receive federal benefits.

It could all come down to a single vote: As is often the case, the Supreme Court’s decision will likely depend on Justice Anthony Kennedy. Considered a moderate conservative, Kennedy has authored important decisions expanding the rights of gay people. But there is uncertainty about which way he’ll go. “It may be that he will see these cases as a chance for the Court–and for himself–to rise to the challenge of history and write a new chapter in the long story of equality, ” writes Garrett Epps in The Atlantic. Yet there is no “clear sign” that he believes marriage should be open to same-sex couples, adds Epps.

Hurry up and wait: The first briefs from supporters of Prop 8 and DOMA were filed Jan. 22. The process continues throughout the next half-year:

Late February: Briefs will be filed by opponents of Prop 8 and DOMA.
Mid March: Final briefs will be filed.
March 26: Oral arguments in the Prop 8 case will be heard.
March 27: Arguments in the DOMA case will be heard.
Late June: Decisions in both cases are expected.

For both sides of the debate, the stakes are high: Emily Bazelon of Slate called this “the civil rights issue of our generation” and noted that much is at risk, “because when the Supreme Court gets the big stuff wrong, it can take a long time to undo the damage.”

(Getty Images)

President Obama used his inaugural address to reinforce his support of equal rights for gay and lesbian Americans, saying, “Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal, as well.”

In a brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold DOMA, the top three Republican members of the House of Representatives — Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy — said, “Judicially constitutionalizing the issue of same-sex marriage is unwarranted as a matter of sound social and political policy while the American people are so actively engaged in working through this issue for themselves.”

The Washington Post’s editorial board put it this way: “The court’s job is to determine judges’ proper role in moving the country away from discrimination, not to enshrine that discrimination in constitutional doctrine.”

Stay on top of the story by liking our same-sex marriage fan page, and let us know what you think about the issue in the comments.

We’ve collected some of the most striking storm photos below:

Josephine Sipayung and her son Eric sled down an empty street past snow covered vehicles in Boston. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Passersby help push a taxi out of a snow drift in New York City. (Reuters/Carlo Allegri)

People look over a frozen pond in New York City's Central Park on Feb. 9. (John Moore/Getty Images)

A boy watches as another snowboards in Boston Common on Feb. 9. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

A car is seen buried in snow along New York's Long Island Expressway. (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)

A street sign is seen covered in snow in Manhasset, N.Y. (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)

People walk with sleds through a snowy Prospect Park in Brooklyn on Feb. 9. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

A child sits buried in the snow waiting for his father to take his photo in New York City's Central Park on Feb. 9. (Reuters/Carlo Allegri)

Steve Young shovels out his sidewalk during a severe winter storm in Boston. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

A pedestrian and a car make their way through a severe winter storm in Somerville, Mass. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

The ocean overflows the sea wall on Winthrop Shore Drive in Winthrop, Mass. (Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

A man drags a shovel up Beacon Hill during a severe winter snow storm in Boston on Feb. 9. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

David Lore, 14, uses a snow blower to clear snow from his sidewalk in Medford, Mass. on Feb. 9. (Reuters/Jessica Rinaldi)

People walk through the blowing snow while a blizzard arrives in the Back Bay neighborhood in Boston, Ma. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

A man skis through a driving snow as the blizzard hits Boston's Back Bay neighborhood on Feb. 8. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

A pedestrian walks into wind-driven snow in Boston on Feb. 8. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

Have you been impacted by the storm? Let us know in the comments.

Obama already had been sworn in at a private White House ceremony on Jan. 20, the date mandated by the Constitution. Since that fell on a Sunday, the public ceremony outside the U.S. Capitol was delayed. That shift meant the country’s first black president celebrated his second inauguration on the day Americans honor civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Diversity was a big part of the day’s ceremonies, both in Obama’s speech and in the lineup. The crowd of about 700,000 — large but not as massive as the estimated 1.8 million people who flocked to Washington, D.C., in 2009 — heard an invocation from former NAACP chairperson Myrlie Evers-Williams, songs from Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson, and a reading from Cuban-American poet Richard Blanco, the first Latino and the first gay inaugural poet.

We’ve collected some of the most striking photos of the day’s events:

First lady Michelle Obama dances with President Barack Obama at the Commander-in-Chief's ball after a day of inauguration ceremonies on Jan. 21. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama kiss while dancing at the Commander-in-Chief's Ball, honoring U.S. service members and their families. (Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)

President Barack Obama waves to the crowd at the Commander-in-Chief's Ball during inauguration ceremonies on Jan. 21. (Rick Wilking/Reuters)

Singer Alicia Keys performs during the Public Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walk the route as the presidential inaugural parade winds through the nation's capital on Jan. 21. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

A spectator watches President Barack Obama go by during the inaugural parade. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Students and other excited spectators watch the inaugural parade on Pennsylvania Avenue. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The U.S. Army ceremonial Fife and Drum Corps marches away from the Capitol at the start of the parade following President Obama's second inauguration. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images)

The Obamas, the Bidens and U.S. Army Major General Michael J. Linnington attend the presidential review of the troops at the U.S. Capitol during inauguration ceremonies on Jan. 21. (Linda Davidson/Pool/Reuters)

President Barack Obama is surrounded by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Sen. Lamar Alexander, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker John Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi while signing a proclamation to commemorate the inauguration. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

President Barack Obama greets people following the ceremonial swearing-in at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 21. (Evan Vucci-Pool/Reuters)

Spectators scream in excitement during the second inauguration of President Obama. (Lucian Perkins/For The Washington Post)

A woman smiles on the National Mall during the ceremonial swearing-in ceremonies on Jan. 21. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

Singer Beyonce performs the national anthem during the public ceremonial inauguration. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson sings "My Country Tis of Thee" during inauguration ceremonies on Jan. 21. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

President Barack Obama recites his oath of office as first lady Michelle Obama looks on during swearing-in ceremonies in front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 21. Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administers the oath of office to President Barack Obama as first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha look on during ceremonies at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 21. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Vice President Joe Biden is sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as wife Jill Biden and son Beau Biden look on. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

From left, Andrea Waters, Martin Luther King III, Rev. Al Sharpton, Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z pose before the start of the inauguration ceremony. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

School children attend the 57th Presidential Inauguration on Jan. 21. (Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images)

Students from New York City's PS 22 Elementary School Chorus perform prior to the start of the 57th Presidential Inauguration Ceremony at the United States Capitol. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

President Barack Obama takes the official oath of office from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts at the White House on Jan. 20. (Brendan Smialowski/Pool/Reuters)

President Barack Obama takes the oath of office from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts as first lady Michelle Obama holds the bible and their daughters Malia and Sasha look on in the Blue Room of the White House. (Larry Downing/Reuters)

Special coverage from The Fold: Reflecting on the 2013 presidential inauguration.

How are you marking Inauguration Day? What are your hopes for the next four years? Let us know in the comments.

Confetti rains down at the stroke of midnight in New York City's Times Square. (Monika Graff/Getty Images)

Confetti falls on revellers in New York City's Times Square. (Gary Hershorn/Reuters)

Dancers participate in the Junkanoo Parade, celebrated in Nassau, Bahamas during the early hours of New Year's Day. (Richard Ellis/Getty Images)

More than two million people assembled along Copacabana Beach in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro to witness the 20-minute display. (Pilar Olivares/Reuters)

Fireworks explode across the London Eye and the city's iconic Big Ben. (Paul Hackett/Reuters)

An Up Helly Aa viking from the Shetland Islands walks in the annual torchlight procession in Edinburgh, Scotland. (David Moir/Reuters)

People gather on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. (Migues Medina/AFP/Getty Images)

Fireworks light the sky in Dakar, Senegal. (Mamadou Toure Behan/AFP/Getty Images)

Fireworks explode over the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. (Tobias Schwarz/Reuters)

Fireworks explode beside Vienna's Giant Ferris Wheel in Austria. (Lisi Niesner/Reuters)

Fireworks illuminate the ancient Parthenon in Athens. (Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images)

The Dome of the Rock, Islam's third-holiest place, is seen as fireworks light the skies of Jerusalem. (Ahmed Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images)

Pakistani girls pose during a fireworks display at Clifton Beach in Karachi. (Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images)

People wait before Yangon, Myanmar's first public New Year's countdown. (Ye Aung Thu/AFP/Getty Images)

Fireworks are launched over the main business road in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Bay Ismoyo/AFP/Getty Images)

Tens of thousands of people watched an eight-minute fireworks display above Marina Bay in Singapore. (Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images)

Visitors watch a light show at the financial square on the Bund in Shanghai. (Reuters)

Revellers celebrate outside the Summer Palace in Beijing. (Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images)

Fireworks explode over Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. (Antony Dickson/AFP/Getty Images)

North Koreans take pictures as fireworks bring in the new year in Pyongyang. (Reuters/Kyoto)

People release balloons during the annual ceremony produced by the Prince Park Tower in Tokyo. (Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images)

Spectator boats look on as New Year's Eve fireworks erupt over Australia's Sydney Harbour Bridge. (Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images)

Look back at 2012 with the best of the “best of” lists for the year:

The Best & Worst of Everything in 2012: A Mega, Meta Mashup | PandoDaily
The Photos That Mattered in 2012 | Foreign Policy
The Top 10 Political Quotes of 2012 | The Washington Post
Biggest U.S. News Events of 2012 | Reuters
10 Biggest Health Breakthroughs of 2012 | The Toronto Star
Tech Trends of 2012 | The Washington Post
2012′s Biggest Winners and Losers in Tech | Mashable
The 10 Most Criminally Underseen Movies of 2012 | NextMovie
Top 10 TV of 2012 | Salon
The Top 100 Tracks of 2012 | Pitchfork
YouTube’s 10 Most Popular Videos of 2012 | VentureBeat
The Overlooked Books of 2012 | Slate
Top 50 Looks of 2012 | Vogue Paris
The 10 Best Ocean Stories of 2012 | Smithsonian.com
Top 5 Surprising Scientific Milestones of 2012 | Smithsonian.com
12 Biggest Travel Stories of 2012 – and Their Impact | International Business Times

Hillary Clinton
U.S. Secretary of State

In April 2012, two guys launched an unusual Tumblr: TextsFromHillary. The pop culture memes featuring a serious, sunglasses-adorned Hillary Clinton went viral, and within just a few days, Clinton herself called up the founders to participate in the fun.

From meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi to helping negotiate a Middle East ceasefire, advocating for the empowerment of women and dancing the night away in Columbia, Clinton’s popularity in 2012 reached an all-time high.

Gabby Douglas
Gold-medal Gymnast

Sixteen-year old Gabby Douglas says she was “prepared for anything” going into the 2012 London Olympics. The petite 4’11” gymnast, nicknamed the “Flying Squirrel,” became the first African-American woman to capture the sport’s most prestigious title and returned to the U.S. as an international star.

Since helping Team U.S.A. take home the gold medal, she has appeared in Vanity Fair, flipped across the Video Music Awards stage  and visited the White House with her teammates. To finish out the year, she’s sitting down with Barbara Walters as one of her “10 Most Fascinating People of 2012.”

Sandra Fluke
Attorney and Women’s Health Activist

Congressional Republicans snubbed Georgetown law school student Sandra Fluke, refusing to let her testify at House hearings. After Fluke spoke at a  Democratic forum on the cost of birth control for women at her university, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh called Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute,” turning her into an instant celebrity.

The president of Georgetown University and President Obama, among others, came to her defense, and she was invited to speak at the Democratic National Convention. Fluke, now an attorney, campaigned actively for Democratic candidates and has continued her advocacy efforts.

Malala Yousafzai
Girls’ Education Activist

By the time she was 11 years old, Malala Yousafzai dreamed of becoming a doctor. But in her village in Pakistan, Taliban extremists have tried to stop girls from attending school. In 2009, she wrote a blog for BBC detailing her life under Taliban rule.

In October, the Taliban retaliated, shooting the 14-year-old in the head and neck. She survived the shooting, sparking a global “I am Malala” campaign in support of education for children around the globe. United Nations Secretary Ban Ki-Moon designated Nov. 10  “Malala Day.” And a number of prominent people are supporting an effort to nominate Malala for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Marissa Mayer
Yahoo! CEO

Yahoo surprised the business world in July when it wooed Marissa Mayer from Google to become its chief executive officer. She is the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company and joins a small club of influential women tech leaders.

As Google’s first female engineer, she played an integral role in the design of Google Search, Google News, Google Maps, and other key features. Now investors and the tech world are watching closely as she develops her turnaround plans for Yahoo. She also moved into the center of the mommy work-life debate when she announced she was pregnant, returned to work quickly and declared her baby “easy.”

Angela Merkel
Chancellor of Germany

Angela Merkel, a physical chemist by trade, is the first woman to be Chancellor of Germany. In the past year, she’s navigated the unruly European debt crisis as the head of the 27-member European Union while managing to earn the approval of two out of three Germans at home.

She was also a leading voice on the Russian government’s human-rights record and an outspoken supporter of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Through it all, she’s earned the title of the “‘good shepherd’ in turbulent times,”  said Josef Joffe, publisher-editor of German weekly Die Zeit.

Pussy Riot
Russian Feminist Punk Band

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich were arrested last February when their punk band protested against the rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin in front of Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Since then, the women have become an international cause, sparking feminist movements across Russia, Ukraine, and the world. In August, the women were sentenced to two years imprisonment for hooliganism; in November, Samutsevich was released. “Life behind bars is a waste of time,” she said. “Authorities should realize that prison will not stop the protest.”

Aung San Suu Kyi
Peace Activist

The daughter of the founder of the modern Burmese army — the man who negotiated Burma’s independence from the British Empire in 1947 — Aung San Suu Kyi grew up surrounded by political activism. But it was her own non-violent political fight for democracy that led to her off-and-on house arrest from 1988-2010. Suu Kyi could have left but would not have been able to return. She decided to stay.

2012 was a big year for the courageous leader. In June, she delivered her Nobel lecture, 21 years after receiving the Nobel Peace prize. In September, Suu Kyi received the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’ highest honor. She has been instrumental in urging the U.S. to ease outdated sanctions to help bring stability to her homeland political career.

Taylor Swift
Country-Pop Star

You might have heard that Taylor Swift was nominated for this year’s Record of the Year Grammy. You might have heard that in March 2012, Michelle Obama presented her with The Big Help award for her philanthropic efforts, or that Ethel Kennedy is slated to recognize Swift in December for her various advocacies. But no matter how you know her, Swift has defined herself in 2012 as a force to be reckoned with.

Only a few years ago, Swift was a teenager writing sweet country ballads in Nashville. Today, she has thrown all of her energy behind her grittiest album to date, Red. Her rockstar presence has been compared to Leonard Cohen and Bruce Springsteen, in that Swift brings “intricate craft” to her lyrics like few, if any, of her pop peers today.

Dr. Jim Spears examines Sarah Ittner, a New York-based actor who does not have health coverage, at the Actors Fund’s Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic on March 23, 2011 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

After a series of bruising congressional, legal, and presidential campaign battles, the Affordable Care Act is here to stay. How will you be impacted? We’ve answered some of the questions we hear most often, and in the comments below, let us know if you have more questions.

1. Who will be helped most by Obamacare?

Of the 48 million uninsured U.S. residents, about 30 million will get coverage as a result of Obamacare. If your employer doesn’t offer health insurance or you can’t afford to buy your own insurance, you may qualify for an insurance subsidy in the form of a tax credit.

Obamacare also expands benefits to those who already have insurance, through such provisions as bans on lifetime caps on coverage and on co-pay for contraceptives. It also allows parents to keep their children on their plans until age 26. And it says insurers cannot refuse coverage to anyone because of a pre-existing condition.

This interactive can help you see how you would be impacted. The law’s most basic function is to immediately reduce the uninsured population:

By changing the way health-care providers get paid, the law is able to provide health insurance to 30 million more Americans while not speeding up the rate of health-care-cost growth. (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services)

2. So that means almost 20 million U.S. residents still won’t get insurance? Is that fair?

Immigrants who are in the country illegally do not qualify. Neither do prisoners, whose health-care needs are already covered. Other groups exempt from participation include Indian tribes and religious organizations like the Amish and Mennonites.

Also about 6 million eligible Americans are expected not to sign up, either because of confusion or skepticism. Sarah Kliff has a sobering take on that problem.

President Barack Obama's victory rally in Chicago, Nov. 7. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)

President Barack Obama won a second term in the White House after a strong showing in the battleground states.

Ohio, a crucial state for Republican Mitt Romney, tipped the balance in Obama’s favor late Tuesday night. Florida voters were as divided as most observers expected and the result remained too close to call Wednesday afternoon.

There had been talk of a change in the balance of power in Congress, but Republicans maintained their majority in the House of Representatives, as did Senate Democrats.

High-profile Senate victories came in Virginia, where Democrat Tim Kaine defeated George Allen, and in Massachusetts, where Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren defeated incumbent Scott Brown. Missouri’s incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill fought off Republican Rep. Todd Aiken, who made news this summer for controversial rape comments. Another Senate candidate whose rape-related comments caused a backlash was Indiana Republican Richard Mourdock, who lost to Rep. Joe Donnelly.

And Wisconsin voters made history by electing the first openly gay senator: Tammy Baldwin. Her win helped set a record for the number of women in the U.S. Senate.

Beyond the presidential and congressional races, several ballot measures attracted national attention this year. Residents of Maryland and Maine voted to legalize same-sex marriage. It marked the first time voters decided by referendum to give same-sex couples the right to marry. Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize recreational marijuana, setting up a possible battle with the federal government.

After a bruising campaign, the focus shifted to what a second Obama term would look like. In a pre-election interview with an Iowa newspaper, Obama discussed the impending showdown on the federal deficit. He also mentioned comprehensive immigration reform as a second-term priority.

A top concern was whether the president would be able to unify the country and work more effectively with a still-divided Congress. Unity was a theme in Obama’s victory speech.

“We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future,” he said. “Tonight, despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about our future.”

Check out the photos and video below for more from Election Day 2012. Visit our fan page for additional election analysis.

Residents of Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood wait near the private home of President Barack Obama on Nov. 7. (Jason Reed/Reuters)

People watch President Barack Obama's victory speech broadcast live in New York's Times Square on Nov. 7. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

Ajay Narayan cheers as a television network calls the race for Obama during the Nevada state Democrats' election night party at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. (SAM MORRIS / REUTERS)

Simone du Sablon, left, hugs Angela Holloway at the Marriott in downtown Raleigh, N.C., after hearing that President Obama won the election. (Ted Richardson / For The Washington Post)

Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, stand with Paul and Janna Ryan after Romney conceded defeat to President Barack Obama on Nov. 7. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images)

Revelers celebrate on H Street NW after President Obama won a second term. (Lucian Perkins / For The Washington Post)

U.S. President Barack Obama celebrates with his family at their election night victory rally. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

Romney supporters react to the announcement of the re-election of President Barack Obama in Utah on Nov. 6. (George Frey/Reuters)

The Washington Post’s Dan Balz, Karen Tumulty and Chris Cillizza break down what the next four years in Washington, D.C. will look like.

Mitt Romney speaks at a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa on November 4. (Reuters/Jim Young)

By Chris CillizzaThe Washington Post

The 2012 presidential election is a national race, but both President Obama and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney are focusing on eight swing states in the final days of the campaign.

Those eight states — Florida, Virginia, New Hampshire, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nevada and Colorado — have received the lion’s share of the two candidates’ time and money and for good reason: polling suggests that they are all tied or close to it in the race’s final days.

What Obama and Romney are currently involved in is an elaborate math problem — trying to come up with a combination of states that adds up to the 270 electoral votes needed to be elected president. (There are 538 total electoral votes in the 50 states — each state gets an electoral vote for each member of Congress and two for its senators — and a majority wins the race for either Obama or Romney.)

In the Washington Post’s ratings of the electoral map, President Obama has 186 electoral votes solidly in his camp and another 51 leaning his way for a total of 237, as of Nov. 5. Mitt Romney has 170 electoral votes solidly on his side and another 36 leaning that way for a total of 206. The eight states in the “toss up” category have a total of 95 electoral votes, more than enough to put either man over the top if he can win a majority of them.

Source: Getty

 

The race is likely to come down to Ohio, where both Romney and Obama are spending large amounts of time in the final days of the campaign. The state went for George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004 but for Obama by 262,000 votes (out of more than 5.6 million cast) in 2008. Independent polling has shown President Obama with a steady lead over Romney in the state for months — an advantage attributed to the fact that the state’s economy is in better shape than the national financial picture and that the auto bailout directed by the Obama Administration is decidedly popular in the Buckeye State. No Republican has been elected president without winning Ohio and it’s hard to see how Romney’s math adds up without it in this election.

Source: Reuters

 

Viewed broadly, the election largely remains a referendum on the state of the economy, and more specifically, on the policies President Obama has put in place to deal with the financial challenges the country has faced over the past few years. Obama has spent the last 18 months arguing that he inherited an extremely difficult situation, and while not every policy has worked, he has done the best he could to pull the country out of an economic ditch. The Romney counter-argument is that the last four years have demonstrated that the president simply does not know how to get the economy churning again and that Romney’s own unique blend of experience in the private and public sectors is the right fit for these hard times.

Polling suggests voters are deeply divided on whose economic argument they believe. That split reflects a deeper division in the country on virtually every issue up to and including the favorability ratings of the two presidential candidates. The fissure between right and left — and the shrinking number of people who call themselves moderates — suggests that whoever wins the presidential election (and whatever party wins the fight for control of the U.S. Senate) will face a nation at odds politically with itself. And that division comes at a time of real and significant policy challenges — the mounting debt crisis being the most menacing — that will test the resolve of politicians and the people they represent.

The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza navigates the states and races to watch on Election Day.

Chinese paramilitary police march past a sign saying "Serve the Party and the People." (MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

By William WanThe Washington Post

On November 8, China began a once-a-decade change of top leaders that will determine the future direction for years to come.

The new top leader who was chosen to replace President Hu Jintao is Xi Jinping, the son of one of the early founders of China’s Communist Party.  Li Keqiang, a man with a spotty record, will replace China’s current Premier Wen Jiabao.

Widespread speculation has been percolating about how reform-minded the new crop of leaders will be and how they might tackle the problems that have piled up in China’s economy and society. Besides governing China’s 1.3 billion people and the world’s second biggest economy, the new leaders will have to figure out how to deal with problems like a growing gap between the ultra-rich and its poor, increasing environmental destruction and widespread corruption.

Many especially believe China’s economy, a juggernaut for many decades that is beginning to slow, must be fixed and that the new leaders recognize this. But it is much less clear how much appetite they may have for political reform. But whatever ideas they bring, their ultimate goal will be to keep the Communist Party firmly in control of the country.

China doesn’t have a long history of leadership transition. In fact, since the Communists founded the modern republic in 1949, there has only been one transition without violence or crisis, which happened in 2002.

The current process of choosing new leaders is kept secret. But many people within the party describe it as a bargaining process in which competing alliances negotiate with each other to try to get their preferred folks into the top jobs. The two people believed to be most heavily involved in this horse-trading are also the two most powerful men in the system: Current President Hu Jintao and former President Jiang Zemin.

The competition is less about different ideas about how China should be run (although that is a factor) and more about rival cliques of friends and allies they are both trying to help get into positions of power. Because they don’t really have a say in choosing the next leaders, most people on the street in China aren’t paying that much attention to the transition.

But the government cares deeply, almost to the point of paranoia. Officials were afraid something could happen that could embarrass the party in the weeks leading up to the congress. So they banned certain books from being displayed, increased surveillance and house arrests of activists they consider troublemakers, blocked the New York Times website from China and even temporarily banned foreign news channels like CNN from being played in some gyms, forcing people to watch state-run TV while working out.

Let us know in the comments below what you think the leadership change will mean for the people of China and the rest of the world.

 

THE KEY PLAYERS

Jiang Zemin, 86

China's former President Jiang Zemin in a November 8, 2002 file picture (REUTERS/Andrew Wong)

The former top leader of China before Hu Jintao, from 1989 to 2002, the most pro-U.S. leader in the party. Rumors about his health problem last year led to speculation he had died. But far from dead, Jiang has been asserting his power behind the scenes leading up to the transition to get his allies into new positions of power.

 

Hu Jintao, 69

Hu Jintao in Beijing, in a November 15, 2002 file picture (REUTERS/Andrew Wong)

The current president of China who is supposed to hand over the top spot to his successor Xi Jinping at the party congress in November. One key unanswered question is whether he also will give up his crucial post as head of China’s military or hold onto it for two more years as past leaders have.

 

Xi Jinping, 59

China's Xi Jinping in a March 15, 2008 file picture (REUTERS/Andrew Wong)

Expected to become China’s next president. Xi is one of China’s most prominent “princelings,” a group of officials who are descended from the Communist party’s early founders and senior leaders. Xi’s father was famous for drawing people’s attention to possible political reform in the future at a time when China was facing serious social and economic crisis.

 

Wen Jiabao, 70

Wen Jiabao in a May 13, 2012 file photo (REUTERS/Petar Kujundzic)

The current premier of China. Wen has portrayed himself as a populist and a reformer. But he has been criticized for failing in promoting real reform in China. A recent New York Times report on the huge wealth his family has amassed may undercut his influence in the coming leadership transition.

 

Li Keqiang, 57

Li Keqiang in a May 3, 2012 file photo (REUTERS/Yves Herman)

The man expected to succeed Wen Jiabao as premier. Li is regarded as one of Hu’s close allies. Some believed he had a shot at becoming the next president of China, but was blocked by Jiang and his allies and promised the second most prominent position instead. Unlike previous premiers who had engineering diplomas, Li will be the first coming in with law and economics degrees.

 

Bo Xilai, 63

Bo Xilai in a December 7, 2003 file photo (REUTERS/Jason Lee)

Like Xi Jinping, Bo is a princeling descended from early Communist founders. He was a strong competitor for a seat on the all-powerful standing committee which rules China until a scandal involving his wife, his top lieutenant and a murdered British businessman caused him to be purged from the party. He will soon face criminal charges and his scandal has shaken much of the leadership and made the negotiations between the party’s different factions much more complicated heading into the leadership transition.

Zhang Jie contributed to the timeline and key players section.

Tell us what you think about the leadership change in China. How will the new leaders respond to the increasing calls from the middle class for reforms?

Hurricane Sandy devastated New York and New Jersey, resulting in massive flooding, power outages and scattered fires. It left large swaths of the Northeast in darkness and at least 93 people dead from Connecticut to North Carolina. The Washington Post has a detailed story on the storm. The worst of Hurricane Sandy is over, but heavy snow is still falling in some areas and flooding will continue to be a problem, according to The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang.

People gather around the remains of burned homes after Superstorm Sandy on October 31, 2012. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Waves break in front of a destroyed amusement park on October 31 in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

President Barack Obama hugs North Point Marina owner Donna Vanzant as he tours damage done by Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey on October 31. (Larry Downing/Reuters)

 

An aerial view of the storm damage over the Atlantic Coast is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy on October 31 in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. (Doug Mills/Reuters)

 

A woman buys a flashlight in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in New York October 30, 2012. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters)

 

Manager Devin Vilardi wears a headlamp while doing paperwork at Professor Thom’s bar in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in New York October 30, 2012. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

 

A man stands near a homemade road block October 30, 2012 in Little Ferry, New Jersey. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

 

Residents look over the remains of burned homes in the Rockaways section of New York on October 30. (Keith Bedford/Reuters)

 

Homes devastated by fire and the effects of Hurricane Sandy are seen at the Breezy Point section of the Queens borough of New York October 30, 2012. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

 

Emergency personnel rescue residents from flood waters brought on by Hurricane Sandy in Little Ferry, New Jersey, October 30, 2012. (REUTERS/Adam Hunger)

 

Ray Cilli and his dog Woubie are rescued from flood waters brought on by Hurricane Sandy in Little Ferry, New Jersey, October 30, 2012. (REUTERS/Adam Hunger)

 

Floodwaters from Hurricane Sandy rush into the Port Authority Trans-Hudson's (PATH) Hoboken, New Jersey station. (REUTERS/NY/NJ Port Authority/Twitter)

 

New York City firefighters use a saw to remove a partially collapsed door due to Hurricane Sandy on October 29. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

 

Pedestrians walk past a submerged taxi in Brooklyn as Hurricane Sandy makes landfall in the northeastern United States. (Gary He/Reuters)

 

Firefighters work in front of a partially collapsed four-storey apartment building in Manhattan. The building's facade collapsed after high winds hit New York City on October 29. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

 

A partially collapsed crane hangs from a high-rise building in Manhattan as Hurricane Sandy makes its approach in New York October 29. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

 

A sailboat smashes on the rocks after breaking free from its mooring on City Island October 29 in New York. (Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)

 

Waves crash over Winthrop Shore Drive as Hurricane Sandy comes up the coast on October 29 in Winthrop, Massachusetts. (Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

 

People walk by sand bags in front of a building in Times Square as Hurricane Sandy begins to affect the area on October 29 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

 

A marina floods onto the road as Hurricane Sandy hits Ocean City, Maryland, on October 29. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

 

Angelique Hionis cleans up after flooding occurred at Bubba's Seafood Restaurant and Crabhouse due to the effects of wind and rain from winds of Hurricane Sandy in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on October 29. (Rich-Joseph Facun/Reuters)

 

People walk past sandbags on a flooded street as Hurricane Sandy moves closer to the area on October 29 in the Red Hook section of the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

 

Waves crash over Eric Mongirdas as the storm surge caused by Hurricane Sandy pummels the coastline in Milford, Connecticut on October 29. (Michelle McLoughlin/Reuters)

 

A man walks down a flooded street ahead of Hurricane Sandy on October 29 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's emergency declaration shut down the city's casinos and 30,000 residents were ordered to evacuate. The storm, which threatens 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S., is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

 

Don Riepe stands inside his home in Broad Channel as Hurricane Sandy begins to affect the area on October 29 in the Queens borough of New York City. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the closure of all New York City's bus, subway and commuter rail service as of Sunday evening. (Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

 

In this handout satellite image provided by NASA, Hurricane Sandy, pictured late Monday morning, churns off the east coast in the Atlantic Ocean. Sandy, which has already claimed over 50 lives in the Caribbean is predicted to bring heavy winds and floodwaters to the mid-Atlantic region. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images)