Monica Lewinsky surrounded by photographers as she gets into a car on her way to the FBI Headquarters. (Credit: Jeffrey Markowitz/Sygma via Getty Images)

Rachel B. Doyle is a senior editor at History.com.&nbsp;

Rachel B. Doyle

Rachel B. Doyle is a senior editor at History.com.&nbsp;

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HISTORY

America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian—the U.S. president—would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

The U.S. government, with its three branches of government and a system of checks and balances, is responsible for governing the 50 states and all districts and territories of the United States.

U.S. Government and Politics

The 1990s is often remembered as a decade of relative peace and prosperity: The Soviet Union fell, ending the decades-long Cold War, and the rise of the Internet ushered in a radical new era of communication, business and entertainment. However, the decade was not without violence and tragedy, including the Bosnian genocide, the Rodney King beating and subsequent L.A. Riots, and the bombing of the World Trade Center. The Columbine High School shooting marked a solemn chapter in gun violence, and the devastatingly deadly Oklahoma City bombing by a domestic terrorist followed lethal standoffs between federal agents and armed civilians at Ruby Ridge, Idaho and Waco, Texas.

Rachel B. Doyle

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‘Linda Tripp Offered Me the Blue Dress’: Revelations from the Man Who Uncovered the Clinton‑Lewinsky Scandal