60-Second Civics: Episode 3964, The Rise of Political Parties The Framers of the Constitution were opposed to the idea of political parties. Find out why on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3962, The Creation of the Judicial Branch Article III of the Constitution provided for a U.S. Supreme Court and said that Congress could establish lower courts as needed.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3961, Washington's Cabinet George Washington, the nation's first president, could not run the executive branch alone. To help Washington fulfill his responsibilities, Congress created three departments: the Department of State, the Department of War, and the Department of the Treasury.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3960, The Nation's First President George Washington had a strong sense of civic responsibility and felt that it was his duty to serve his country.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3959, Compromise on a Bill of Rights The Federalists and Anti-Federalists disagreed over whether a bill of rights is needed for the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3958, Would the National Government Have Too Much Power? During the debates over ratification of the Constitution, Federalists and Anti-Federalists disagreed over whether the national government would have too much power.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3957, Would the Constitution Maintain Republican Government? One area of contention between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists was over the question of whether the Constitution would maintain republican government. The Federalists argued that it would; the Anti-Federalists argued that it would not.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3956, Three Basic Disagreements over Ratification The debates between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists over ratification of the Constitution lasted for ten months. It was an intense and sometimes bitter political struggle.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3955, Meet the Anti-Federalists The Anti-Federalists feared that flaws they saw in the Constitution would be a threat to their natural rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3954, Meet the Federalists The Federalists were the people who supported ratifying the Constitution. They had a few advantages over the Anti-Federalists.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3953, James Madison's Plan for Ratification The Framers knew that they had to get the Constitution approved, so they relied on social contract theory. The people would have to ratify the Constitution in special conventions in each state. The Constitution would be in effect after it had been ratified by the conventions of nine of the thirteen states.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3952, James Madison's Plan for Ratification James Madison wanted the Constitution to be ratified, and he knew it might not be if Congress or state legislatures were asked to approve it. So, he came up with a plan.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3951, The Balance of Power Today, the federal government has far more power over the state governments than most of the Framers of the Constitution could have imagined.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3950, The Supremacy Clause The Framers of the Constitution agreed that the powers of the federal government were to be greater than the powers of the state governments. This is clearly stated in the supremacy clause of Article VI of the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3949, Constitutional Limits on the Power of Government A constitutional government means that the powers of government are limited. The U.S. Constitution limits the powers of both the federal and state governments.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3948, Federalism in Practice As citizens of the United States, the people delegate certain powers to the national government. As citizens of the various states, the people delegate certain powers to their state governments. The people have kept certain rights or powers and have not delegated them to any government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3947, Federalism Federalism is the practice of dividing and sharing the powers of government between a central government and regional governments such as state governments.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3946, The People Are Sovereign Today's podcast explains one of the fundamental ideas behind American government: popular sovereignty.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3945, Unitary and Confederal Systems In a unitary system of government, a central government controls the state and local governments. In a confederation, the states are independent and have control of anything that affects their citizens and territory.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3944, The Supremacy Clause What is the supreme law of the land? And what happens with the U.S. Constitution conflicts with a state law? Find out on today's 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3943, Original and Appellate Jurisdiction Do you know the difference between original an appellate jurisdiction? Find out on today's 60-Second Civics podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3942, The Judicial Branch Article III of the Constitution establishes the judicial branch. A national judiciary was needed to decide disputes between state governments and between citizens of two or more states; it was also needed for disputes between the national government and a state or a citizen.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3941, Origin of the Electoral College The Electoral College was created because the Framers of the Constitution were concerned that the people would not know enough about the candidates to make good choices. They were also concerned that the people might not always have the wisdom to select the best person for president.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3940, The Framers Debate How to Select a President The Framers of the Constitution wanted a president who would be like George Washington, in fact, the expected Washington to be the first president. Washington was patriotic, honest, devoted to the public good, and not interested in using power for his own advantage. But they knew that no president would be a saint, so they discussed how to select future presidents who would be as qualified as Washington.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3939, Impeachment The process of impeachment is an important way to limit the power of the president and other federal officials and prevent the abuse of power. The House of Representative has the power to impeach the president and other federal officials. The Senate then holds a trial. Conviction and removal from office requires a two-thirds majority vote of the Senate.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3938, The President Shares Power with Congress The Constitution limits the powers of the executive branch by making it share most of its powers with Congress. For example, the president has the power to nominate people for important jobs in government, but only with the advice and consent of the Senate.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3937, The Powers of the Executive Branch Article II of the Constitution lays out the powers of the executive branch of government. It is much shorter than Article I and is written in more general terms. The Framers of the Constitution wanted an executive branch with enough power to carry out its responsibilities yet not strong enough to overwhelm the other branches.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3936, Checks on the Lawmaking Powers of Congress In this back-to-the basics episode of 60-Second Civics, we learn how a bill becomes a law, and how that law can become null and void if the Supreme Court decides that it violates the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3934, General Powers of Congress Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution includes two general statements of power of Congress: the general welfare clause and the necessary and proper clause.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3933, Enumerated Powers of Congress Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution includes seventeen enumerated powers of Congress, including the right to impose and collect taxes and duties, borrow money, and declare war.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3932, Describing the Powers of Congress The Framers of the Constitution didn't want Congress to have too much power. So, they gave Congress specific powers, called the enumerated powers of the Constitution, and they placed limitations on those powers. They also gave Congress some general powers to deal with unexpected situations.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3931, The Problem With General Language in the Constitution Learn about the debate at the Philadelphia Convention over what powers to give Congress.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3930, A Strong Government, But Not Too Strong The American experience with the British government had caused many of the Framers of the U.S. Constitution to be suspicious of a central government and executive power. The Framers wanted the national governmet to be strong enough to protect the rights of the people, but not so strong that it would endanger those rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3929, Weak Congress under the Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation, which was the framework for the first government of the United States, proved that it was not up to the challenges of its time. Congress was very weak, and could not control the actions of state governments.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3928, Slavery Compromises Delayed Conflict North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia would not have supported the Constitution without compromised that protected slavery in the South. This would have dire consequences for the country.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3927, Compromise on Tariffs and Slavery The Constitution contained many compromises between Northern and Southern delegates in order to convince Southern delegates to support the system of government created by the document. Examples include allowing the slave trade to continue until at least 1808, the the three-fifths clause, and the fugitive slave clause.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3926, The Conflict Over Slavery at the Philadelphia Convention Delegates from three Southern states at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 said they refused to be part of a union of states that denied them the right to own and import enslaved people. Delegates who opposed slavery faced a dilemma: include all thirteen states in the union or abolish slavery.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3925, Conflict Over Tariffs at the Philadelphia Convention There was a conflict at the Philadelphia Convention over the issue of tariffs. The North was in favor of giving the national government the ability to levy tariffs in order to protect Northern industries, especially from British producers. The South feared that giving the national government this power would hurt Southern agriculture and the South's ability to buy manufactured goods from Europe.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3924, Economic Differences Between the North and South Even during the founding period, the economies of the North and South were vastly different. This would cause problems in the years to come.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3923, One Person, One Vote in State Legislatures Because of the Great Compromise, reached during the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, each state has equal representation in the Senate regardless of population and proportional representation in the House of Representatives. However, the Supreme Court has ruled that both houses of state legislatures must follow the principle of "one person, one vote," meaning that representation in each house must be in proportion to the population.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3922, The Compromise That Passed by One Vote The Great Compromise, reached by the large and small states at the Philadelphia Convention, provided for equal representation of states in the Senate and proportional representation in the House. The Great Compromise cleared the way for the completion of the Constitution. Nevertheless, it passed by only one vote.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3921, The Great Compromise With the Great Compromise, the large states and the small states at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 agreed to proportional representation and the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate, among other agreements. This ended the stalemate the had bedeviled the convention.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3920, The New Jersey Plan At the Philadelphia Convention, a stalemate occurred between the large states, which favored proportional represention, and the small states, which favored equal representation. The small states proposed the New Jersey plan, which favored a weak national government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3919, Controversy Over the Virginia Plan The principle of proportional representation was the most controversial aspect of James Madison's Virginia Plan. Under his proposed system, both houses of Congress would feature proportional representation. The small states objected, and by the middle of June 1787 asked for time to come up with an alternative to the Virginia Plan.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3918, The Virginia Plan The Virginia Plan was drafted by James Madison before the start of the Philadelphia Convention. Coming to the convention with a well-considered plan was a good idea. The Virginia Plan's idea for a system of federalism and legislative, executive and judicial branches made it into the Constitution. But Madison's plan for proportional representation in both houses of Congress did not.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3917, The Conflict over Representation There was a big disagreement at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 over representation in Congress. Large states argued that representatives in Congress should be determined by population. Small states, seeing their power slip away, objected, saying that equal representation in Congress was the way to go. Would they be able to compromise?
60-Second Civics: Episode 3916, Basic Principles of the U.S. Constitution The Framers of the Constitution agreed agreed that certain basic ideas about government should be included in the new constitution they were writing.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3915, Secrecy at the Philadelphia Convention The Framers of the Constitution feared that if their discussions were made public, the delegates would not express their opinions freely.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3914, Gaining the Cooperation of Small States The Philadelphia Convention was held in the summer of 1787 to amend the Articles of Confederation, but delegates quickly decided to scrap the Articles altogether and write a new constitution. But they had to walk a delicate tightrope: the small states and the large states united against against each other, afraid of losing their power.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3913, The Framers Agree to Write a New Constitution At the Philadelphia Convention, the Framers of the Constitution created several rules to ensure civil discourse during what were sometimes contentious discussions. For example, when a delegate was speaking, other members could not pass notes, hold conversations with each other, or read a book, pamphlet, or paper.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3912, Who Did Not Attend the Philadelphia Convention? Why did the entire state or Rhode Island refuse to send a delegation to the Philadelphia Convention? And why didn't Thomas Jefferson and John Adams attend? Find out on this episode of 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3911, Benjamin Franklin and Gouverneur Morris Benjamin Franklin and Gouverneur Morris played important roles at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Franklin was by then 81 years old. As the senior statesman, he encouraged the delegates to cooperate with each other. Gouverneur Morris helped write the Constitution and prepared the document's final draft.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3910, James Madison and George Washington James Madison is known as the "father of the Constitution" for creating the Virginia Plan, which was the basis for discussion at the Constitutional Convention about the structure of government. George Washington was probably the most respected man in the United States. He attended the convention to show Americans that he had not lost faith in republican government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3909, The Philadelphia Convention By 1787, it was obvious that the Articles of Confederation would need to be reformed. So, Congress called for a meeting in Philadelphia to improve the Articles. Instead, the delegates drafted a new Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3908, Shays' Rebellion Many Revolutionary War veterans had never been paid their wages. They had problems paying their debts in the late 1780s, and some lost their homes and farms and were sent to prison. This caused a rebellion and a crisis for the early republic.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3907, Financial Problems Foreshadow Shays' Rebellion The United States suffered through serious economic turmoil in 1786. Businesses failed, trade suffered, and many people were in debt. A dramatic series of events that became known as Shays' Rebellion finally convinced many Americans that it was time for a change.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3906, Property Rights Under Threat in the Early Republic Some people in the states during the early years of the American republic had formed factions to promote their own interests at the expense of the common good. They made laws to benefit themselves while ignoring the property rights of the political minority.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3905, Problems Caused by a Weak National Government under the Articles of Confederation The weak national government under the Articles of Confederation led to severe problems during the early days of the republic. For example, Congress could not regulate trade between the states, so states taxed goods moving between them. This led to a slowdown in business and people lost their jobs.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3904, Treatment of Loyalists Caused Problems with the British Despite a treaty with Great Britain that promised fair treatment of the Loyalists, state governments did not always respect the treaty, in some cases refusing to return property they had taken away from the Loyalists.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3903, No Power to Tax Under the Articles of Confederation The United States experienced several problems as a result of the weak national government under the Articles of Confederation.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3902, Accomplishments under the Articles of Confederation Learn about some of the accomplishments of the national government under the Articles of Confederation.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3901, How the Articles of Confederation Organized the National Government Learn about the organization of the new national government under the Articles of Confederation.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3899, The Need for a National Government The American Founders believed that a national government was needed to unify the states and to conduct the Revolutionary War against British rule. Congress adopted the Articles of Conferation in 1777.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3898, Rights Protected in State Bills of Rights After the Declaration of Independence, the states wrote their own constitutions, which normally included a bill of rights. Although the rights protected by state bills of rights varied, all included rights for people accused of a crime. Some included the idea that civic virtue was essential to preserving freedom.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3896, State Bills of Rights After the Declaration of Independence, states began to adopt their own state constitutions, which contained a declaration of rights or bill of rights that listed the basic rights of citizens.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3895, What Made the Massachusetts Constitution Different? Learn about the influence of the Massachusetts constitution on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3894, The Massachusetts Constitution Massachusetts was the last of the original thireen states to write its constitution, but it was a model for the U.S. Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3892, More Basic Principles of State Constitutions After the American Revolution, voting was not extended to everyone, although a larger percentage of people were allowed to vote in the United States than in Great Britain. Government was organized in similar ways in most states.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3891, Basic Principles of State Constitutions The American Founders included several basic ideas about government in their state constitutions, including natural rights, higher law, social contract, and popular sovereignty.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3890, State Constitutions after the Revolution Each state after independence created its own state government. The ideas that states included in their constitutions included natural rights and higher law, social contract, popular sovereignty, representation, separation of powers, checks and balances, and legislative supremacy.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3889, The End of the Revolutionary War At long last the Revolutionary War ended with the British surrender at Yorktown and the formal peace treaty, known as the Treaty of Paris, signed two years later.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3888, Eliza Lucas Pinckney Eliza Lucas Pinckney supported the American Revolution, but paid a terrible price: the British took over her mansion, burned her crops, and killed her farm animals. By the end of the war, she was economically ruined.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3887, Setbacks for the American cause The Revolutionary War was not going well for the Americans in 1778-1780, with British victories in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Congress did not have the authority to raise money directly, and troops went without adequate clothing, food, and pay. It was a bleak time for the American Revolution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3886, French Support Helps Turn the Tide of the War French aid was vital to keeping the American cause going during the Revolutionary War. Diplomats Silas Deane and Benjamin Franklin played important roles in securing that aid for the new nation.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3885, Valley Forge During the winter at Valley Forge, American soldiers suffered from a lack of adequate food and shelter. Martha Washington and the daughter of Benjamin Franklin, Sarah Franklin Bache, rallied support for the troops, supplying them with 2,200 shirts and 400 pairs of stockings. Foreign volunteers, such as Baron von Steuben the Marquis de Lafayette, provided their support.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3884, The Battle of Saratoga The American cause suffered a series of setbacks in 1777 until the decisive American victory at the Battle of Saratoga. But a long, hard winter lay ahead at Valley Forge.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3883, The Battles of Trenton and Princeton George Washington knew he had to rally Americans to support the Revolution after a series of defeats. On Christmas Day, 1776, Washington led the Continental Army across the ice-choked Delaware River in a bold attack against Hessian mercenaries at Trenton, New Jersey.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3882, Victory or Defeat? Victory in the American Revolution was not a sure thing. Early defeats threatened to stop the revolution in its tracks. In the face of these setbacks, Washington saw the need to convince Americans to support the Revolution with a series of bold raids.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3881, Our Nation's First Constitution The Articles of Confederation was our nation's first constitution, but it had its problems.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3880, The Shot Heard 'Round the World It was the "shot hear 'round the world." On April 19, 1775, skirmishes between American colonists and British soldiers broke out in the towns of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. News of the American rebellion and its demand for independence spread all over the world. The American Revolution would inspire other nations to declare their independence from colonial masters.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3879, Loyalists during the American Revolution About 15 to 20 percent of the American population were Loyalists during the American Revolution, maintaining their allegiance to the British Crown. Many Loyalists were landowners, wealthy merchants, or officials of the king, but Loyalists came from all walks of life.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3878, A Country Divided by Revolution Historians estimate that Loyalists composed 15 to 20 percent of the American population, Patriots composed 40 to 45 percent, and the rest were undecided.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3876, Justification for Revolution in the Declaration of Independence On this episode of 60-Second Civics, learn about how ideas from natural rights philosophy were used to justify the American Revolution in the Declaration of Independence.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3875, Natural Rights and the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson used ideas from natural rights philosophy in the Declaration of Independence.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3874, The Second Paragraph of the Declaration of Independence The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence contains some of the most fundamental principles and values of natural rights philosophy underlying the American political system.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3873, How the Declaration of Independence Is Organized The Declaration of Independence is divided into four important parts. Learn what these parts are on today's 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3872, A New Nation The Declaration of Independence, passed by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, announced the final, momentous step in the colonists' resistance to the British government by rejecting the authority of the Crown.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3871, Writing the Declaration of Independence The Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence was Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and a young Virginian named Thomas Jefferson.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3870, A State of Rebellion The Second Continental Congress decided to resist the British a few weeks after the battles of Lexington and Concord. They asked a committee to write a document explaining why they felt it was time to declare independence.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3869, The Revolutionary War Begins Revolution loomed as the First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in 1774. Congress banned trade with Britain and ordered the arrest of some of the leading colonists of Massachusetts. Fighting broke out in 1775 when British troops marched to the towns of Lexington and Concord.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3868, The Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party Learn about two revolutionary events in the colonies: the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party
60-Second Civics: Episode 3867, The Sons and Daughters of Liberty The Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty organized resistance in the colonies to the Stamp Act, the Tea Act and other British laws designed to exercise control over the American colonies.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3866, Committees of Correspondence How do you organize a resistance movement in the pre-internet days? You write letters. Learn about the committees of correspondence on today's 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3865, No Taxation Without Representation! The laws passed by Parliament to raise revenue and assert control over the American colonies were viewed differently by the colonists and by the British. King George III felt that the colonists were acting like ungrateful children. The colonists felt that tax laws should be passed only by their colonial legislatures.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3864, The Boston Tea Party What's the big deal about tea, anyway? In 1773, a tax on this favorite beverage of the American colonists led to an act of rebellion known today as the Boston Tea Party.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3863, The Stamp Act and the Quartering Act The British Parliament imposed a number of laws in the 1760s and 1770s to raise revenue and assert their control over the colonies. These were seen as heavy-handed by the colonists, and sparked resentment and resistance.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3862, The Sugar Act The unpopular Sugar Act of 1764 was meant to stop the smuggling of goods into and out of the American colonies. Many people resisted the new law, fanning the flames of rebellion.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3861, Britain Tightens Its Grip on the Colonies After the French and Indian War, the British turned to the American colonies to pay its war debts. This and other measures were not popular with the colonists and increased tensions between Britain and the colonies
60-Second Civics: Episode 3860, Salutary Neglect For many years, Great Britain had a hands-off approach to governing the American colonies. The colonists became used to ruling themselves. All this changed in the mid-1700s, however, when the British began to show a new interest in the colonies as a source of revenue.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3859, Government in the American Colonies In each of the American colonies, the powers of the colonial governments were divided among three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3858, Government of the Thirteen Colonies In creating colonial governments, the American colonists tried to protect themselves from abuse of power by the British government and their colonial governments.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3857, Government of the Thirteen Colonies In creating colonial governments, the American colonists tried to protect themselves from abuse of power by the British government and their colonial governments.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3856, The English Bill of Rights The English Bill of Rights gave certain rights to Parliament that further limited the powers of the monarch. American colonists would later bring these ideas about limited government with them to the new world.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3855, The Petition of Right After the creation of Parliament, the royalty, nobility, and the common people struggled for power. In 1628, King Charles I was forced to sign the Petition of Right, which strengthened the idea that English subjects had certain rights that government could not violate.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3854, Parliament Important changes in English government during the middle ages caused the establishment of two important principles: separation of powers and representative government, which were embodied by Parliament, with its House of Lords and House of Commons.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3853, Impact of the Magna Carta The Magna Carta confirmed certain traditional rights of the nobility. It is an early example of government by contract. This concept influenced the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3852, The Magna Carta The Magna Carta contains two important ideas that influenced the American Founders: (1) government is based on a contract between the ruler and people to be ruled and (2) both government and the governed must obey the law.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3851, Sharing of Power in the Feudal System Even under the feudal system of England, monarchs began to share power with the nobility, who then shared power with their vassals. The vassals owed the nobility allegiance and military service. For the system to work, it depended on a series of agreements or contracts. Each side had rights and responsibilities. This principle of government based on contract would later contribute to the American political system.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3850, William the Conqueror and the Feudal System in England William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066 and introduced a system for governing called feudalism. In this episode of 60-Second Civics, we explore how English society was arranged under the feudal system and the roles of the royalty, nobility, and the common people.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3849, English Law and the American Colonies Concepts of English law, such as common law and the rights of Englishmen, applied to the American colonists. This and The American colonists' experiences with British government greatly influenced what they thought about limited government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3848, The Rights of Englishmen American colonists had the rights of Englishmen, at least in theory. These included the right to a trial by jury, security from unlawful entry into one's home, and no taxation without consent.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3847, Checking the Power of Congress The American Constitution gives the executive and judicial branches ways to check and control the power of Congress to make laws.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3846, Checks and Balances According to the U.S. Constitution, Congress is the legislative branch of government. It makes the laws. Congress is divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate. Each chamber has a role in making laws. The powers of American government are balanced among the three branches. Each branch checks the powers of the others. This is known as checks and balances.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3845, Three Branches of Government Article I of the Constitution establishes Congress as the legislative branch of government, Article II establishes the executive branch, and Article III establishes the judicial branch.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3844, Divided and Balanced Power Alexander Hamilton said, "Give all power to the many, they will oppress the few. Give all power to the few, they will oppress the many." Constitutional governments are designed to protect the people from abuses of government power.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3843, Constitutional Governments Limit Power In constitutional governments, the constitution limits the power of government and those who hold office. The American Constitution limits government in several ways.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3842, A Constitution Is a Higher Law A constitution is a higher law, which means that all the people, including government officials, must obey the law.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3841, What Constitutional Government Means Just because a nation has a constitution does not mean that it has a constitutional government. A constitutional government limits the powers of those who run the government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3840, A Basic Introduction to Constitutions A constitution is a legal framework for government that tells how a government is organized and run, but constitutions do not have to be written.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3839, Lessons from the Roman Republic The American Founders promoted civic virtue and other ideals of the Roman Republic throughout the colonies. The American Founders believed in republican government, a government where the people elected their representatives who served the people in pursuit of the common good. By the time of the Revolution, Americans thought that the British government was guilty of serving selfish interests at the expense of the common good.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3838, Civic Virtue in the American Colonies The American Founders believed that civic virtue was required in order for republican government to work. Civic virtue means putting the common good before one's own personal interests. These values were passed on to young Americans in the founding period and beyond in school and through lessons passed down through parents and the clergy.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3837, James Madison on Civic Virtue James Madison, one of the principal writers of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, understood the importance of civic virtue to good government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3836, Civic Virtue Makes Republican Government Possible The American Founders learned from ancient Rome that republican government was possible only because of the high degree of civic virtue of Roman citizens. They believed that civic virtue was important to make American government work well, too.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3835, The American Cincinnatus George Washington was referred to as "our Cincinnatus" by Americans because he exemplified the civic virtue displayed by the Roman general.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3834, Cincinnatus and Civic Virtue The American Founders believed that the Roman leader Cincinnatus represented a model of civic virtue that should be emulated by Americans.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3833, A Republic, Not a Direct Democracy James Madison said that members of government should be elected by a large number of the people rather than by a small number or a favored group. He favored a republican form of government, also known as a representative democracy, rather than a direct democracy.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3832, Republican Government vs. Direct Democracy James Madison, often called the "Father of the Constitution," adapted the idea of republican government from ancient Rome to the reality of American life.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3831, Would Republican Government Work in the Colonies? From their study of the history of the Roman Republic, the American Founders worried that republican government might not work in the colonies. From the Roman example, the Founders observed that republican government works best in small communities, where people know and care for each other and the common good.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3830, More Advantages of Representative Government, Continued America's Founders favored republican government, where the people govern through elected representatives, over direct democracy, where people make all the laws themselves.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3829, Advantages of Representative Government The American Founders thought a republican form of government was the best form of government they could create for the United States.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3828, Republican Government The American Founders read a great deal about the Roman Republic and learned lessons from history about how Rome organized its government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3827, The Social Contract John Locke's social contract theory came from his idea that in a state of nature, people had to find a way to protect each person's rights. They therefore banded together under an agreement, called the social contract. This would create a government that would have the power to make and enforce laws.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3826, John Locke and the State of Nature The writings of the English philosopher John Locke were very influential among America's Founders. Locke developed his ideas about government by imagining life in a state of nature, which is a state in which no laws or government exist at all. In a state of nature, all people have certain inalienable rights, but these rights were constantly in danger of being taken away, so people would naturally band together and form a civil society and later a government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3825, John Locke and the State of Nature The writings of the English philosopher John Locke were very influential among America's Founders. Locke developed his ideas about government by imagining life in a state of nature, which is a state in which no laws or government exist at all. In a state of nature, all people have certain inalienable rights, but these rights were constantly in danger of being taken away, so people would naturally band together and form a civil society and later a government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3824, John Locke and America's Founders America's Founders were influenced by the English philosopher John Locke, who arrived at his ideas by imagining what life might be like if people were living in a state of nature.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3823, Founders and Framers The American Founders learned about government from reading history and philosophy and from their own experience of self-government as colonists within the British Empire. The term "Framers" refers to the people who wrote the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3822, American Colonists Valued Their Freedom American colonists considered themselves to be a self-sufficient, virtuous, and hardworking people. They valued their freedoms, and sought to protect them in their founding documents, such as the Massachusetts Body of Liberties of 1641.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3821, Who Was Allowed to Vote in Colonial America? Not everyone in colonial America enjoyed the same opportunities to gain wealth or to become leaders. Native Americans, African Americans, white men without property, and women were typically not allowed to vote or hold office.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3820, Class Differences in the American Colonies The differences between the rich and the poor in the American colonies were less important than they were in Europe. Poor Americans could become wealthy, and a person did not have to be wealthy to hold a position in government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3819, American Colonists Most American colonists were descendants of British or Irish settlers, but compared to most European nations of the time, the colonists were quite diverse.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3818, Slavery in the American Colonies Enslaved Africans were originally brought to the American colonies in 1619. As many as 7 million slaves were brought against their will into the American colonies during the eighteenth century.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3815, Cities and Farms in Colonial America Boston, New York, and Philadelphia were the largest cities in the American colonies during the eighteenth century, but most American colonists did not live in cities.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3814, A Large Country The British colonies in North America were large in land area compared to the nations of Europe at the time.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3813, Early America Along the eastern seacoast, where the British colonists settled, the native people lived in well-organized tribes known as the Eastern Woodland tribes.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3812, Evaluating Our Commitment to Fundamental Principles Each generation must examine and evaluate the nation's fundamental principles. The American Founders themselves were vigorous critics of the wisdom that they had inherited and the principles in which they believed.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3811, Frequent Recurrence to Fundamental Principles Learn about George Mason's idea of "frequent recurrence to fundamental principles" in today's 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3810, The Revolutions of 1989 The victory of Solidarity over Polish communism inspired similar victories, known as the Revolutions of 1989, in neighboring Soviet satellites in Central and Eastern Europe.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3809, Ideas Do Matter The British economist John Maynard Keynes once remarked that "in the long run it is ideas and not men who rule the world."
60-Second Civics: Episode 3808, Frequent Recurrence to Fundamental Principles The United States began as a test to see if certain ideas about government, many never before tried on such a scale or in such a way, would work.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3807, Technology and Globalization Technology has had the greatest effect on globalization. Technological innovations provide consumers, investors, and businesses with virtually instant access to important information for making decisions.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3806, Farther, Faster, Cheaper, and Deeper New York Times foreign affairs columnist Thomas Friedman described the current wave of globalization as "farther, faster, cheaper, and deeper."
60-Second Civics: Episode 3805, Growth of World Trade Globalization sprang into public consciousness in the late twentieth century. It refers to the global economy and the effects of worldwide economic interdependence on cultures, social relations, and politics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3804, Influence Begins With Knowledge The United States was traditionally isolationist until World War II and the Cold War. Despite the worldwide involvement of the United States, many Americans are not well-informed about other countries, world affairs, or how the United States is perceived in other parts of the world.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3803, Your Power Over International Affairs You can make a difference in world affairs. Find out how in today's episode of 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3801, International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, issues advisory opinions at the request of the United Nations. However, the United States accepts the jurisdiction and decisions of the court only on a case-by-case basis.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3800, Political Divisions Hamper the UN Security Council The United Nations was founded with the assumption that the five permanent members of the Security Council would come together in the face of threats to international order. This hope soon proved illusory, however.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3799, America's Prominent Role in the United Nations The United States has a prominent role in the United Nations. The headquarters of the U.N. are in New York, and the U.S. is a permanent member of the security council.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3798, Origins of the United Nations The United Nations grew from discussions among the Allies during World War II about the need for an international organization to prevent future aggression.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3797, The United Nations The League of Nations failed, largely because the United states refused to join, but the United States abandoned its previous isolationism and agreed to join 50 other countries to form the United Nations in 1945.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3796, The Amistad Case In 1839, African captives seized control of the Amistad from their Spanish slaveholders and their ship was taken to a port in Connecticut. The Supreme Court would decide whether they would be returned to the Spanish or freed. Learn what happened in the Amistad case in this episode of 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3795, Limitations of International Law On today's podcast, we learn that there are severe limitations to the effectiveness of international law.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3794, Changing Perceptions of International Law International law has been traditionally thought of as applying to relationships between nations, but individuals have at least some status under international law.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3792, The President's Authority Over Diplomacy The president has a great deal of constitutional authority over diplomacy, including the authority to receive ambassadors, thereby establishing diplomatic relations.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3791, Historical Wrangling over the President's War Powers The debate over the president's war powers goes back to Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton and the Barbary Wars, which began in 1801.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3790, Treaty-Making Power and the States Treaties made by the federal government are the supreme law of the land. As such, they limit the powers of states.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3789, The Origin of Treaty-Making Powers Two-thirds of the Senate must approve any treaty negotiated by the president. But originally, the Framers of the Constitution assumed that treaty-making power would reside in the Senate, not the executive.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3788, The Shared Power to Make Treaties Treaty-making is a shared power. Treaties are negotiated by the president with the assistance of the State Department. The Senate has the power to ratify treaties, and funds for their implementation are provided by Congress.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3787, Letters of Marque and Reprisal Letters of marque and reprisal were historically used by Congress to allow private raids on merchant ships of enemy nations.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3786, The Warmaking Powers of Congress The Framers of the Constitution debated which branch of government should have the power to make war. They ultimately decided that Congress should have the power to declare war, but that the president would be commander in chief.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3784, Powers of Congress to Deal with Other Nations Congress has important powers to regulate trade with foreign nations. Learn how in this episode.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3783, Is Isolationism a Realistic Option? The United States has been actively involved with the rest of the world throughout its history.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3782, A Strained Alliance with France Despite French help during the American Revolution, Americans in the early republic were deeply divided over whether to support France in its war against Great Britain.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3781, International Involvement in the Early Republic Americans have been involved in international affairs since the earliest days of the republic.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3779, The Constitutional Convention as a Model of Civil Discourse Civil discourse means reasoned discussion of political topics rather than emotional display. It's a skill practiced by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention that can be used today to bridge the partisan divide.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3778, Civil Discourse America is a land of vigorous debate, but this can sometimes degenerate into personal attacks and deliberate falsehoods. Learn about the value of civil discourse on today's 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3777, The Role of Government Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that Americans mistrust government and turn to it only when they have to. Nevertheless, since World War II Americans increasingly looked to government to provide a social safety net.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3776, Opportunities and Perils in the Information Age Better technology does not mean that Americans are better informed. Find out why on this episode of 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3775, Electronic Communications and Participation Americans have more ways than ever to monitor and participate in government, from court hearings, to debates on legislation on the floor of the House of Representatives, to city council meetings.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3774, A Nation of Immigrants Americans' ancestors came from nearly every nation on earth, but we vigorously debate immigration policy and the effects immigrants have on American culture.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3773, E Pluribus Unum E Pluribus Unum means "Out of Many, One." The United States has tried to attain this goal by balancing a diverse society with a common civic culture and constitutional ideals.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3772, Demographic Change The American people have changed since 1860. Population centers have moved south and west and life expectancy has increased. But scientists have recently noticed a disturbing new trend.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3771, Changing America The United States is changing. The Census Bureau expects that by 2050, the population of the country will be more ethnically diverse than ever.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3770, Two United Nations Covenants Two important United Nations covenants protect human rights, but the United States has never fully ratified either of them.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3769, The UN Declaration of Human Rights and Its Limitations The UN Declaration of Human Rights contains aspirational goals, including the rights to an adequate standard of living, healthcare, housing, and education.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3768, Extended Rights in the Universal Declaration The Universal Declaration of Human Rights strengthens or elaborates rights that are expressed more generally in such fundamental American documents as the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3767, American Influence on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Several guarantees in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights echo seminal American documents, such as equal protection of the laws and freedom of religion, speech, assembly, and assocation.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3766, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was influenced by our Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3765, Universal Human Rights The Depression and the widespread violations of human rights during World War II provided a new urgency to protecting human rights through domestic legislation and international agreements.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3764, The Rights and Duties of the People The Japanese Constitution of 1946 includes both the rights of the people and certain duties that might surprise you.
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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.