60-Second Civics: Episode 4164, A Framework for Presidential Power: The Power of the Presidency, Part 2 Justice Robert Jackson's concurring opinion in Youngstown Sheet and Tube v. Sawyer (1952) sets forth a framework that is widely used to assess presidential power.
60-Second Civics: Episode 2, A Framework for Presidential Power: The Power of the Presidency, Part 2 Today we kick off a brief series on the power of the presidency.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4163, Presidential Powers: The Power of the Presidency, Part 1 Today we kick off a brief series on the power of the presidency.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4162, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 43: Referendum and Recall On today's podcast we learn about two political processes that directly involve the people: referendums and recall elections.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4161, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 42: Ballot Initiatives There are two types of ballot initiatives: direct and indirect. Learn the difference on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4160, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 41: Gerrymandering The term "gerrymandering" is named after a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention, Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts. His political party drew a partisan electoral district designed to give them victory. A newspaper editor pinned the blame on Gerry, naming the salamander-shaped district "gerrymander."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4159, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 40: One Person, One Vote The principle of "one person, one vote" means that each congressional district in a state must have a roughly equal population as those in other states. This applies only the House, however. The Senate is based on equal representation, with each state receiving two senators.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4158, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 39: The Popular Vote and the Electoral Vote The Electoral College was devised as a compromise by the Framers of the Constitution at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. This complicated system, where the winner of the popular vote in most states get all the electoral votes of the state, means that the winner of the popular vote does not always win the presidency.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4157, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 38: How the Electoral College Works The Electoral College might seem like a complicated method of choosing a president, but on this episode of 60-Second Civics, we'll explain how it works.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4156, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 37: Why We Have the Electoral College Although the Framers of the Constitution considered having the president be directly elected by the people, they instead created the Electoral College.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4155, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 36: The Importance of a Peaceful Transition of Power Why does it matter that we have a peaceful transition of power in a democracy? We'll hear from David Levine, an Elections Integrity Fellow from the bipartisan Alliance for Securing Democracy. This is the final episode in our series on election security with David Levine. Thank you, David, for helping us better understand our electoral system!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4154, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 35: Verifying the Vote with David Levine What do elections officials do on the day after the election? We'll find out from David Levine, an Elections Integrity Fellow from the bipartisan Alliance for Securing Democracy.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4153, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 34: How the Votes are Counted with David Levine Happy Election Day! On today's podcast, David Levine, an Elections Integrity Fellow from the bipartisan Alliance for Securing Democracy, explains what elections officials do on Election Day.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4152, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 33: How Voting Works with David Levine Today we are joined once again by David Levine, an Elections Integrity Fellow from the bipartisan Alliance for Securing Democracy. David explains how voting actually works in the United States.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4151, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 32: Election Security with David Levine Today we are joined by a very special guest, David Levine, who is an Elections Integrity Fellow from the bipartisan Alliance for Securing Democracy. David talks about election security, elections officials, signature verification, and what to do if there are any problems casting your vote.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4150, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 31: Voting, Registration, and Participation The states make many decisions regarding voting rights, and most states require citizens to register before voting. Although voter turnout has surged in the days leading up to the 2020 presidential election, in recent years there has been a steady decline in voter turnout for elections.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4149, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 30: International Context of Twenty-sixth Amendment Most Western democracies lowered the voting age to eighteen in the 1970s. Some have even lowered it to sixteen. But a few still retain a minimum voting age of twenty-one.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4148, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 29: Shootings Gave Twenty-sixth Amendment Renewed Urgency Two incidents in 1970 galvanized the movement to lower the voting age to eighteen: the Kent State and Jackson State shootings of anti-war demonstrators.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4147, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 28: "Old Enough to Fight, Old Enough to Vote" "Old enough to fight, old enough to vote" originated during World War II. The argument has resonance with the Declaration of Independence, which says, "the just powers of government are derived from the consent of the governed.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4146, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 27: Cultural Context of the Twenty-sixth Amendment The countercultural movement of the 1960s and the Vietnam War provided the cultural context to the movement to lower the voting age to 18.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4145, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 26: Oregon v. Mitchell The Oregon v. Mitchell Supreme Court case in 1970 gave added motivation for supporters of lowering the voting age to push for a constitutional amendment to reduce the national voting age to 18.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4144, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 25: Vietnam and the Twenty-sixth Amendment The Vietnam War motivated the states to take up the ratification process for the Twenty-sixth Amendment with a sense of urgency.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4143, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 24: The Twenty-sixth Amendment The Twenty-sixth Amendment mandates that federal and state legislatures not interfere with the right to vote of citizens eighteen years of age or older in federal, state, and local elections.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4142, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 23: Shelby County v. Holder On today's podcast we learn how Shelby County v. Holder changed the Voting Rights Act.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4141, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 22: The Voting Rights Act of 1965 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a step in the right direction, but it did not protect voting rights. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits discrimination based on race, eliminates literacy tests, poll taxes, and discriminatory voter registration practices. It also requires voting materials and assistance in appropriate languages in places with significant numbers of voters who do not speak English.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4140, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 21: Prelude to the Voting Rights Act Both the the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and the Civil Rights Act of 1960 were meant to eliminate interference with the right to vote. Both of the acts paved the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4139, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 20: Removing Obstacles to Native American Voting Native Americans were often deprived of their right to vote until Congress took action.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4138, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 19: Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 In several states, Native Americans are viewed as an increasingly important voting bloc. Only in 1924 did the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 extend the right to Native Americans, but the states continued to block Native access to the polls until at least 1965.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4137, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 18: Native American Citizenship and Voting The Framers considered Native Americans to be members of their tribes, not citizens of the United States, and were not allowed to vote.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4136, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 17: The Nineteenth Amendment As the United States entered World War I, pressure to recognize the right of women to vote increased. After the war, women launched a national campaign that included huge parades, demonstrations, picketing, and civil disobedience in Washington, D.C. The Nineteenth Amendment was finally adopted in 1920.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4135, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 16: The Slow March of Women's Suffrage Women in the United States gained the right to vote only in small increments. Plenty of excuses were offered for not recognizing the right of women to vote.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4134, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 15: State Voting Rights for Women In 1869 Wyoming, while still a territory, gave women the right to vote. By 1918 more than half the states had enfranchised women.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4133, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 14: Equal Voting Rights for Women The road to winning the right to vote for women was long, and suffragists faced many setbacks.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4132, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 13: Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments During the middle years of the nineteenth century the struggle for freedom and equality for African Americans was closely linked to the campaign for woman suffrage. Many abolitionists worked for woman suffrage, just as many women worked to end slavery.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4131, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 12: Literacy Tests Literacy tests were designed to disenfranchise African American voters. They did not disappear entirely until 1970.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4130, 60-Second Civics, Episode 4130: October 11, 2020 Poll taxes were meant to keep the poor and minorities from voting. The Twenty-Fourth Amendment ended poll taxes in 1964.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4129, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 10: Civil Rights Act of 1866 Until discriminatory laws and Supreme Court rulings took effect, millions of African Americans were added to the voting rolls, and some were elected to public office.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4128, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 9: The Fifteenth Amendment In theory, the Fifteenth Amendment granted the right to vote to African American men. But discriminatory laws, physical intimidation, and economic reprisals kept African Americans from exercising that right.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4127, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 8: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Mexican American men faced discrimination and violence in Texas when they tried to exercise their right to vote.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4126, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 7: Dorr Rebellion Rhode Island was the only state after 1840 that did not have universal enfranchisement of white men. So, Thomas Wilson Dorr convened a "People's Convention" to draft a new state constitution that allowed all white men to vote. This led to a brief civil war in the state.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4125, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 6: Voting Reform in the Early 1800s Voting reform took place slowly after 1790, with the property requirement slowly being phased out.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4124, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 5: Property Requirements Suffrage in the original thirteen states expanded greatly after 1790 and many of the original states eliminated property requirements gradually over the nineteenth century, but they often required payment of taxes and had residency requirements.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4123, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 4: Voting and Property Thomas Paine, with his characteristically sharp wit, pointed out some problems with the property requirement for voting.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4122, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 3: Enfranchisement and Disenfranchisement Who was allowed to vote during the early years of the American republic? It depended on where you lived.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4121, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 2: Voting in the Colonies What legacy of Greek and Roman democracy did the colonists inherit? Find out on today's episode.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4120, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 1: The Expansion of Suffrage How did the right to vote gradually expand in the United States? Find out on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4118, The Prohibition Era Begins The Eighteenth Amendment launched an era known as Prohibition and the birth of a new industry.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4117, The Prohibition Era Begins The Eighteenth Amendment launched an era known as Prohibition and the birth of a new industry.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4116, The Prohibition Era The Prohibition era began just as World War I was drawing to a close. Not every American soldier was happy about returning to a dry country.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4115, The Eighteenth Amendment The Eighteenth Amendment, which was ratified in January 1919, inaugurated the era of Prohibition by outlawing the "manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors" in the United States.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4114, International Abolition of Slavery The international movement to abolish the slave trade and the practice of slavery began in Britain and elsewhere in Europe in the eighteenth century.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4113, Northern Reaction to the Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation, signed by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, only applied to the Confederacy and did not actually free most slaves in the South, but it did have a powerful symbolic effect and increased diplomatic support for the Union.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4112, The Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation had two parts. The first stated that enslaved people in any of the Confederate states that did not return to the Union by January 1863 would be freed. The second part freed all enslaved people held in the rebellious states, at least in theory.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4111, Abolitionists, Free Soilers, and Emancipation At the outset of the Civil War, public opinion in the North was generally unfavorable to immediate abolition.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4110, "If Slavery Is Not Wrong, Nothing Is Wrong" Abraham Lincoln's attitude to the slavery issue was complex. We'll learn why on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4109, The Corwin Amendment The Corwin Amendment was created in order to avoid the Civil War. It would have outlawed future amendments that abolished slavery. However, the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter began the Civil War, and the amendment was never ratified. Instead, in 1864 Abraham Lincoln began lobby for passage an amendment to abolish slavery.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4108, Abolition Movements in the United States A social culture of reform in pre-Civil War America was the fertile soil in which a variety of movements against slavery grew.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4106, Slavery Contradicted America's Founding Principles Slavery was in flat contradiction to the founding principles and animating spirit of the American republic born on July 4, 1776.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4105, Economic Context of the Civil War When the Civil War erupted in 1861, differences between the economies of North and South were directly relevant to the slavery issue.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4104, The Constitution on Slavery On today's podcast, we learn about three compromises on slavery that were added to the Constitution to get the support of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4102, The Civil War Amendments Today we begin a brief series examining the Civil War Amendments. These are the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4101, Freedom of the Press around the World Starting in the nineteenth century, the people of many nations began demanding the liberal freedoms associated with democracy.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4099, Freedom of the Press and New Forms of Communication Americans hold a deep respect for freedom of the press and free expression.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4098, The Growing Power of Media Americans have been avidly consuming news since the founding period, but news outlets haven't always been tremendously profitable.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4097, The Importance of Freedom of the Press in the Early Republic Freedom of the press has been important to Americans since the early republic.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4096, Prior Restraint How easy is it for the government to keep the news media from publishing sensitive government information? Find out on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4095, The Alien and Sedition Acts The Alien and Sedition Acts were passed under the administration of Federalist president John Adams. They outraged Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson, and contributed to Jefferson's victory in the presidential election of 1800.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4094, The Alien and Sedition Acts The Alien and Sedition Acts were passed under the administration of Federalist president John Adams. They outraged Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson, and contributed to Jefferson's victory in the presidential election of 1800.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4092, The Zenger Case Under British colonial rule in America, criticizing the government was known as seditious libel, and it was illegal. But in the case of John Peter Zenger, the jury was on his side.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4090, A Just and a Lasting Peace In Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln urged the nation to heal its wounds. He also expressed his hope that the nation may achieve a "just and lasting peace."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4089, Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln's elegant words in the Gettysburg Address signify his enduring legacy to the people of America.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4088, Abraham Lincoln and America's Founding Principles Abraham Lincoln believed that the Constitution was meant to fulfill the ideas of equality, liberty, and government by consent of the people contained in the Declaration of Independence.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4087, The Thirteenth Amendment Abraham Lincoln was opposed to slavery, but did not live to see the Thirteenth Amendment ratified.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4085, Abraham Lincoln on Slavery Although rightly remembered as the president who issued the Emancipation Proclamation and won the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln did not intend to abolish slavery at the outset of the war.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4084, Lincoln Takes Strong Action against the Rebellion During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus in order to better fight the rebellion. But not everything went Lincoln's way.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4083, Suspending the Writ of Habeas Corpus During the Civil War Chief Justice Roger B. Taney rules against Abraham Lincoln's aggressive use of war powers
60-Second Civics: Episode 4082, The Prize Cases The Prize Cases posed a constitutional test of Abraham Lincoln's use of war powers during an emergency.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4081, Congress Approves Lincoln's Actions Critics accused Abraham Lincoln of trampling on the Constitution, but he thought his actions were needed to save both the Union and the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4080, Lincoln Takes Immediate Action Against the Confederacy Abraham Lincoln acted swiftly when the Civil War began, but some people thought he had gone too far.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4078, Abraham Lincoln Elected President Abraham Lincoln lost his campaign for the Senate, but won the presidency two years later.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4077, Abraham Lincoln Opposes the Kansas-Nebraska Act The Kansas-Nebraska Act brought Abraham Lincoln back into politics and pushed the country closer to civil war.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4076, Abraham Lincoln Begins His Political Career Despite having less than one year of formal education, Abraham Lincoln became a lawyer and launched his political career.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4072, George Mason at the Virginia Ratification Convention George Mason made one fateful error at the Virginia Ratification Convention.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4071, George Mason Refuses to Sign the Constitution George Mason refused to sign the Constitution because it did not contain a bill of rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4070, George Mason Proposes the Bill of Rights When George Mason proposed that a bill of rights be added to the Constitution, not a single state delegation to the Philadelphia Convention voted in favor of Mason's motion. As a result, Mason refused to sign the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4069, Bernard Bailyn on Slavery in the Founding Period Should we hold America's founders to account for not outlawing slavery? We'll learn about one historian's views on the subject on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4068, The New York Manumission Society Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and William Livingston were outspoken opponents of slavery and were founding members of the New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4067, Slavery in the North Slavery was not confined to the South. Even in the late 1790s, one in five New York City households kept domestic slaves.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4066, Providence Punishes National Sins by National Calamities George Mason's aversion to slavery and his vigorous condemnation of the institution remained a constant throughout his life. Even so, Mason never freed the people he enslaved.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4064, Jefferson and Madison on Slavery Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Mason and other Founders agonized over slavery and what to do to bring about its end.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4061, Important Principles in the Virginia Declaration of Rights The Virginia Declaration of Rights laid out a number of important principles of American government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4060, The Virginia Declaration of Rights Among the important principles set forth in the Virginia Declaration of rights is that all power is derived from the people and that government officials are their trustees and servants.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4059, The Most Influential Constitutional Document in American History George Mason was the primary author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and its "Constitution and Form of Government." The Virginia Declaration of Rights influenced the Declaration of Independence, state constitutions, and the Bill of Rights
60-Second Civics: Episode 4058, The Fairfax Resolves George Mason, America's "forgotten founder," wrote the famous Fairfax Resolves in 1774, which were intended, as George Washington explained, to "defend our Constitutional Rights" and to set forth our fundamental principles.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4057, George Mason's Early Life Like many of America's founders, George Mason had many good attributes. Nevertheless, his legacy is tarnished by the fact that was a slaveholder, as were George Washington, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4056, George Mason, the Reluctant Statesman Most Americans know very little about George Mason, who was instrumental in getting the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution by the First Congress in 1791.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4055, George Mason, America's Forgotten Founder George Mason was a highly influential Virginian who had a "profound understanding of republican government," and yet he remains largely unknown to the American public. Find out about America's "Forgotten Founder" over the next several episodes of 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4054, George Washington's Rules of Civility Before he reached the age of sixteen, George Washington wrote down one hundred and ten "Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4053, George Washington's Views on Slavery George Washington owned slaves and took steps to return slaves who escaped. Nevertheless, he came to reject slavery, both for the human suffering it caused and on principle.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4052, George Washington Warns Against Party and Faction George Washington believed in the virtues of nonpartisan government, in which patriotic citizens of different views would be willing to serve together.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4051, How George Washington Established the Authority of the Presidency George Washington's vigorous policies established the president as an energetic leader, not a ceremonial figurehead.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4050, George Washington Relied on the Advice of Others As president, George Washington understood his own limitations and was not reluctant to rely upon the counsel of others.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4049, George Washington as President As president, George Washington demonstrated the value of a strong executive in the hands of a trustworthy person.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4048, George Washington, the Reluctant President Far from being eager for power as president, George Washington likened his feelings on once again taking up the burdens of public service to "those of a culprit who is going to the place of his execution."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4047, A Strong Executive George Washington did not participate in the public debates over ratification, although his support was widely known and had a strong influence.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4046, Washington's Support for Civilian Control of Government George Washington strongly supported the principle that the military is subordinate to civilian government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4045, Washington's Support for Civilian Control of Government George Washington strongly supported the principle that the military is subordinate to civilian government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4044, The Newburgh Conspiracy Late in the Revolutionary War, a group of officers planned to march on Congress, demanding their pay. George Washington deftly confronted the officers and thwarted their plans.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4043, George Washington the Soldier George Washington was a courageous and decisive soldier before and during the American Revolution. After independence was secured in 1783, Washington appeared before Congress and publicly resigned his military position, reinforcing the idea of civilian control of American government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4042, George Washington's Early Life Today we begin a short series on George Washington, who was perhaps the most influential leader in the creation of the American nation.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4041, James Madison and the Bill of Rights Although originally opposed to a Bill of Rights, James Madison became its strongest proponent
60-Second Civics: Episode 4040, Madison Supports Freedom of Religion in Virginia James Madison was a strong advocate for religious freedom and opposed the establishment of the Anglican church as a state-supported religion in Virginia.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4039, James Madison as a Champion for Religious Freedom James Madison was a champion of religious freedom, believing that official religions were wrong because such a policy discriminated against the non-favored religions.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4038, James Madison's Fears About Slavery James Madison was a slaveholder. Nevertheless, he denounced slavery as harmful for both enslaved people and those who held slaves.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4037, James Madison on Slavery James Madison remained persistent critic of slavery throughout his public career. Nevertheless, benefited from slave labor all his life.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4036, James Madison's Evolving Opinion of Political Parties James Madison was originally opposed to political parties, which he called factions, but changed his views. Learn how he later justified political parties on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4035, Mr. Madison's Party James Madison was originally opposed to political parties. That all changed when he decided to organize opposition to Alexander Hamilton's plans for the country.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4034, James Madison on Partisan Politics James Madison was not a huge fan of political parties. Find out why on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4033, If Men Were Angels, No Government Would Be Needed Acknowledging that if "men were angels" no government would be needed, James Madison argued that any government "administered by men over men" must be so constituted so as to control itself as well as the governed.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4032, James Madison's Federalist Essays James Madison's Federalist essays rank among the best political thought ever produced.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4031, James Madison's Federalist Essays James Madison's Federalist essays rank among the best political thought ever produced.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4030, James Madison, the Convention's Most Active Delegate James Madison played a very active role in the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, which drafted the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4029, James Madison's Views Did Not Always Prevail Despite being known as the Father of the Constitution, James Madison's views did not always prevail at the Philadelphia Convention.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4028, James Madison Drafts the Virginia Plan James Madison's Virginia Plan determined in large measure the direction the Philadelphia Convention would take.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4027, James Madison, Scholar and Politician Despite the fact that James Madison was a small, slightly built and shy man with a quiet voice, he make a big impression on the Philadelpha Convention of 1787, later becoming known as the "Father of the Constitution."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4026, James Madison's Early Career After college, James Madison had difficulty choosing a career, but he was drawn into the growing colonial resistance to the imperial policies of Great Britain.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4025, James Madison, Father of the Constitution James Madison was the fourth president of the United States. He combined the intellectual knowledge and creativity of the scholar with the practical savvy of the politician.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4024, Participation in Government Participation in government is in our self-interest. The amount of time spent participating will probably depend on how well we think our elected officials are doing.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4023, Social and Political Action There are two general ways that citizens can address problems in the community through participation in civic life: through social action and through political action.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4022, Civic Life Civic life is the public life of citizens. It is concerned with our own interests as well as the common interests of our community and nation.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4021, Civic Participation Civic participation means taking part in formal political processes and taking part in community activities outside of government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4020, Citizenship as an Office of Government Some people say that the office of citizen is the highest office of government because citizens are the source of government's authority.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4019, Civil Disobedience When laws or governmental actions conflict with a citizen's views of what is right and wrong, the citizen faces a difficult decision.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4018, Responsibilities of Citizens With the rights of citizens of the United States come certain responsibilities, which can be grouped into two categories: personal responsibilities and civic responsibilities.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4017, Some Rights Can Be Limited The rights of Americans are protected by the federal and state constitutions and bills of rights. However, it is reasonable and fair to place limits on most rights; they are not absolute.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4016, Personal, Political, and Economic Rights There are three categories of rights that are important to democracy and to American citizens: personal rights, political rights, and economic rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4015, Legal Permanent Residents Legal permanent residents enjoy most of the rights of citizens. An adult permanent resident may apply for citizenship after living in the United States legally for five years.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4014, Citizenship In the United States, there are no degrees or classes of citizenship. In this country, citizenship does not depend on a person's race, gender, or ethnic origin. Every citizen is a full member of the political community.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4013, The Spread of American Ideas During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the American ideal of self-government spread around the world.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4012, Constitutional Powers to Deal With Other Countries Each branch of the U.S. government has certain powers that come from the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4011, The United Nations In the aftermath of World War II, fifty nations gathered together in San Francisco to create the United Nations.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4009, International Law International law consists of those rules that regulate how countries behave toward one another. It is usually made by treaties that nation-states make among themselves.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4008, The Indispensable Foundation of Individual Freedom Due process of law involves two government responsibilities: (1) to protect the rights of an individual who may have broken the law, and (2) to protect everyone else from people who break the law and endanger the lives, liberty, or property of others.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4007, Due Process in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments The Fifth Amendment says, "No Person shall ... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." This applies to the federal government. The Fourteenth Amendment includes actions by the states.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4006, Due Process of Law The due process clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments are intended to guarantee that government will use fair procedures when gathering information and making decisions that affect our rights to life, liberty, and property.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4005, The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom In August of 1963, thousands of Americans marched in Washington, D.C. in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, which segregation in public places, such as restaurants and hotels. When African Americans won these civil rights after years of struggle, other groups began to call for equal protection.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4004, The Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement began in the 1950s, seeking change to unjust laws and practices that treated African Americans unfairly and unequally. People marched in the streets, wrote letters to Congress asking for stronger laws, and held boycotts.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4003, Brown v. Board of Education In the 1954 case of Brown v. Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court said that placing African American children in schools separate from white children denied them the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4002, Plessy v. Ferguson The 1896 Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Ferguson allowed states to practice segregation for almost sixty years.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4001, Unfair Treatment of African Americans "No State shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." But even with the constitutional protections of the Fourteenth Amendment after the Civil War, African Americans were treated unfairly.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4000, Voting in the States The states, although limited by the Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act, still make some decisions regarding voting rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3999, Voting Age Lowered to Eighteen During the Vietnam War, thousands of Americans were drafted to fight in souteast Asia, but many of these same troops had no right to vote because they were younger than 21. This all changed with the Twenty-sixth Amendment.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3998, Native Americans Gain the Right to Vote Because Native Americans were not initially recognized as American citizens, they did not have the right to vote. This changed only in 1924 with the Indian Citizenship Act.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3996, The Long Struggle for Voting Rights for African Americans Even after the Civil War Amendments were passed, the rights of African Americans to full citizenship, including voting rights, was often denied. Learn about the long struggle for voting rights for African Americans on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3995, The Right to Vote Denied to African Americans Some states after the Civil War passed laws that made it impossible for African Americans to vote, these laws included literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and poll taxes.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3994, Civil War Amendments The Civil War Amendments are the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution. They abolished slavery, granted full citizenship to African Americans, and guaranteed the right to vote to men regardless of their "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Despite these constitutional guarantees, it would be a long time before African Americans were able to fully exercise the rights of citizenship.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3993, Dorr Rebellion The little-known Dorr Rebellion took place in Rhode Island in 1841-42. Thomas Wilson Dorr convened a so-called "People's Convention" that drafted a new state constitution enfranchising all white men, rather than just those white men who owed property. The insurrection was quickly put down.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3992, The Right to Vote Severely Restricted in the Early Republic In the early years of the American republic, only a narrow group of people were allowed to vote. Restrictions on voting would reduce, but it would take nearly two centuries before suffrage for all adults was achieved.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3991, Religion in Public Education On today's 60-Second Civics, we explore an always-controversial topic in American public life: whether religious teaching should be supported in public schools.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3990, Limits to Free Exercise of Religion Even though it is one of the most cherished liberties enjoyed by Americans, your freedom to practice your religious beliefs can be limited. For example, government can require that children be vaccinated against specific contagious diseases before being admitted to public school, even if that violates the religious beliefs of the children's parents.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3989, Conflicts about Freedom of Religion Americans disagree about what the establishment and free exercise clauses of the Constitution mean.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3988, Freedom of Religion Freedom of religion is an important part of the First Amendment to the Constitution. On today's podcast we learn about two parts of religious freedom: the establishment clause and the free exercise clause.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3987, Tinker v. Des Moines During the Vietnam War, several high school students war black armbands to protest the war. They were suspended from school and took their case to court, ending in a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. How did the Court rule? Find out on today's 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3986, Limits to Freedom of Expression Many people believe that freedom of expression is necessary for the protection of all our individual freedoms, but there are some cases when free expression can be limited.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3985, How Freedom of Expression Benefits Democracy Freedom of expression, which is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, has many benefits, including increasing the chances of getting accurate information and having the ability to influence public opinion by persuasion without resorting to violence.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3984, Two Benefits of Freedom of Expression Freedom of expression has many benefits. The Founders of the United States believed that the right to hold and express one's beliefs was essential if citizens were to participate in the affairs of government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3983, Freedom of Expression The First Amendment to our Constitution protects our freedom of expression. It says, "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
60-Second Civics: Episode 3982, How Supreme Court Justices Decide Cases Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court consider a number of factors when deciding cases.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3981, Modernism or Instrumentalism The modernism or instrumentalism method of interpreting the Constitution asks Supreme Court justices to take into consideration today's social values and needs when deciding constitutional issues.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3980, Fundamental Principles One method available to Supreme Court justices to interpret the Constitution is to refer to the fundamental principles that our Constitution is based on. These principles include natural rights philosophy, constitutionalism, republican government, and limited government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3979, Original Intent One method of constitutional interpretation is to examine the intention the Framers of the Constitution had when writing the document. This method is often called original intent or original history.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3978, Textualism, Literalism, or Strict Construction Advocates for using the plain meaning of the words of the Constitution to resolve differences about interpretation of the document say that this method keeps the Supreme Court neutral and makes the law certain and predictable. Detractors say that even the Framers disagreed about what the words in the Constitution meant.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3977, Four Methods of Constitutional Interpretation There are four basic methods the Supreme Court uses to interpret the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3976, Marshall's Reasoning in the Marbury Case On today's podcast, we learn how Chief Justice John Marshall justified the Supreme Court's power of judicial review over acts of Congress.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3975, Marbury v. Madison William Marbury thought he had a right to a job given to him by John Adams. The Supreme Court agreed. But then it did something that would firmly establish its power of judicial review.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3973, Who Interprets the Constitution? Today's episode covers a big topic, the power to decide what the Constitution means and whether laws and actions of government violate the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3972, Advantages of Political Parties Tired of partisan bickering? On today's podcast, we learn about three ways that political parties are useful to our nation.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3971, The Revolution of 1800 Despite the bitterness of the presidential contest between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, the election of 1800 marked a milestone in the history of democratic rule.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3970, The Alien and Sedition Acts By the election of 1796, there was serious hostility between the Federalists and the Republicans. The Alien and Sedition Acts outraged the Republicans.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3968, Americans Take Sides in the War Between France and Great Britain In 1793, war broke out between France and Great Britain, raising the level of tension between the Federalists, who sought closer ties with the British, and the Republicans, who sought closer ties with the French.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3967, The Bank of the United States Alexander Hamilton advised President George Washington that the necessary and proper clause of the Constitution gave government the power to create a Bank of the United States. Thomas Jefferson disagreed. Eventually, Washington decided in favor of Hamilton.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3966, Hamilton's Idea for a National Bank As secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton wanted to strengthen the nation's economy.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3965, Hamilton vs. Jefferson The views of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson about the powers of the federal government were often in conflict.
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This site is brought to you by the Center for Civic Education. The Center's mission is to promote an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy. The Center has reached more than 30 million students and their teachers since 1965. Learn more.