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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3763, Charters of Human Rights The Bill of Rights is still relevant. And international recognition of rights have expanded over the years since 1791.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3761, Judicial review by an independent judiciary is among the principal achievements of American constitutionalism abroad. The Bill of Rights and Judicial Review
60-Second Civics: Episode 3759, American Federalism American federalism was an innovation that has been a model for systems of government throughout the world.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3756, Presidential Government Today we explore the differences between America's presidential system and the parliamentary system used by countries such as the United Kingdom.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3754, Influence of the Declaration of Independence Many nations were influenced by the American Declaration of Independence. Learn how on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3753, Vaclav Havel Vaclav Havel was originally known as a writer and dissident. He later was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Learn what he had to say about American democracy in today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3742, 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3737, Nonviolent Direct Action Nonviolent direct action was a tactic used by the American civil rights movement and by Indians in their struggle for independence from Great Britain.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3730, Making It Easier to Vote According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 21 states now allow some form of electronic voting.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3723, Service Organizations and NGOs You've heard of Kiwanis, Jaycees, and Lions Clubs, but what do these organizations do? Find out on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3722, Religious and Social Organizations Learn how religious and social organizations contribute to civic life on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3718, Responsibilities Shared by Citizens and Noncitizens Everyone who lives in the United States, both citizens and noncitizens, have certain responsibilities.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3717, Noncitizen Voting Should legal permanent residents be allowed to vote? On this podcast, we look at both sides of the issue.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3712, Controversy Surrounding Dual Citizenship On today's podcast, we explore arguments for and against dual national citizenship.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3708, Vacillating Policy Toward Indian Tribes The United States vacillated between respecting Native American sovereignty and seeking to dismantle tribal governments.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3705, Citizenship and the Founders One of the primary goals of Framers like James Madison was that Americans felt loyalty to the United States, not just their individual states.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3704, Citizenship in Early America Americans originally thought of themselves as citizens only of their states, not of the United States as whole.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3702, Alexis de Tocqueville Today we learn how Alexis de Tocqueville thought Americans had reconciled self-interest with civic participation.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3699, Civic Virtue and Self-Interest The Founders stressed the importance of religion and education in reconciling the need for both civic virtue and self-interest.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3698, Natural Rights Philosophy and Citizenship Today we explore how natural rights philosophy influenced America's Founders.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3697, Citizenship and the Common Good Early on, Americans experienced their interdependence and their need to work for the common good.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3692, Jury Verdicts and Representation In England, verdicts in criminal cases had to be unanimous. That changed when English law was adapted by Americans.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3683, Protecting Rights Before Trial The Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments protect people accused of crimes between arrest and trial.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3678, James Madison and Self-Incrimination James Madison originally wanted the protections of the self-incrimination clause to be more expansive.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3673, Alternatives to the Exclusionary Rule Today we explore three suggestions for dealing with police misconduct that avoids losing valuable evidence in court.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3670, The Exclusionary Rule The 1914 Supreme Court case Weeks v. United States established the very important "exclusionary rule" that determines how evidence is used in court.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3669, Exceptions to the Warrant Requirement Though required in most cases, there are specific circumstances in which a warrant is not necessary.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3668, Probable Cause Probable cause, which must be proven to obtain a warrant, is required to meet a specific set of criteria.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3667, Unreasonable Searches and Seizures A protection against unreasonable searches and seizures is necessary for a free society.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3666, Fourth Amendment and Technology New advances in technology are constantly changing the way we understand our right to privacy.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3665, Privacy The Fourth Amendment does not make specific claims about privacy, but America has evolved to uphold certain standards.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3663, Search and Seizure John Adams and the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 helped shape the right to privacy we know today.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3662, John Adams and James Otis John Adams helped lawyer James Otis rise to public prominence and become a figure of the American Revolution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3661, James Otis Fights General Warrants In 1761, Colonial lawyer James Otis attempted to fight parliament's request for a new general warrant.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3660, General Warrants and the American Revolution The British government's use of general warrants on the American colonies was part of the spark leading to the American Revolution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3659, General Warrants in the Colonies Though general warrants were illegal under British common law, that didn't stop Parliament from implementing them in the colonies.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3658, A Man's Home Is His Castle The English common law observance of the right to privacy in one's home created the phrase "a man's home is his castle."
60-Second Civics: Episode 3657, Freedom of Association and American Citizenship Scholar Alexis de Tocqueville had many keen observations about the implications of the right to assemble on American society.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3656, Discrimination and Government Interference If an organization meets certain criteria, it must follow government anti-discrimination laws.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3655, The Right to Associate The right to associate, while not explicitly stated in the Constitution, has evolved through court precedence.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3654, Time, Place, and Manner Restrictions Court precedence has determined that the right to assemble may be limited if certain time, place, and manner conditions are met.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3653, Civil Rights Movements and Assembly The civil rights movement of the mid-twentieth century is an example of a group successfully petitioning the government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3652, Women and the Right to Petition Throughout United States history, women have petitioned the government for a variety of purposes.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3651, Silencing Critics Several times in the past, the government has silenced petitioners. The treatment of Bonus Army is one example of this.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3650, The Gag Rule and Slavery In the 1800's, the American political system enacted something known as a "gag rule" in order to maintain slavery in the United States.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3647, The Importance of the Rights to Assemble and Petition The right to petition was a fundamental building block of the early United States.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3646, The Rights to Petition and Associate The right to associate, while not mentioned in the First Amendment, has evolved through Supreme Court cases.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3645, Freedom of Assembly The right of a group to assemble is protected by the First Amendment and helps create governmental change.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3644, The Rights to Assemble, Petition, and Associate These elements of the First Amendment allow citizens to hold the government accountable for their policies.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3642, More Limitations on the Power to Restrict Speech In order for the government to fairly regulate free speech, they must observe certain ethical guidelines.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3641, Limitations on the Power to Restrict Speech Though the government can regulate certain kinds of speech, there are limitations on just how far those regulations can go.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3639, More Exceptions to Free Speech These continued restrictions to free speech include obscenity laws, as well as time, place, and manner restrictions.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3638, Exceptions to Free Speech Libel, defamation, and incitement to crime are all forms of speech not protected by the First Amendment.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3637, Limitations to Free Speech The freedom of speech does have its limits, and many feel certain restrictions are necessary.
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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.
