Do political parties help or harm America? Have our political parties always been this contentious? What purposes do political parties serve? This series of interviews with Dr. Lester Brooks, professor of history at Anne Arundel Community College, explores how conservatism has been present and evolving in our American history over time.
Each episode below contains a video, quiz, and script. In addition to use in this civil discourse module, 60-Second Civics makes a great warmup activity for your classroom any day!
Want to go deeper? Search political parties or any other relevant topic for use in your instruction from the full library of 60-Second Civics podcasts: https://civiced.org/60-second-civics
Functions of Political Parties: Political Parties and Conservatism in American History, Part 1
Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains the basic functions of political parties in the American political system.
Origins of political parties: Political Parties and Conservatism in American History, Part 2
Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, speaks about the origins of political parties in the United States, which began with the very first American presidential administration: that of George Washington.
Political Parties in Jacksonian Democracy: Political Parties and Conservatism in American History, Part 3
Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains how a crisis helped spur the creation of a new political party during the Andrew Jackson administration.
Political Parties During the Civil War Era: Political Parties and Conservatism in American History, Part 4
Do you know how the modern Republican party formed? In this interview, Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains how the runup to the Civil War defined today's Republican and Democratic parties.
Political Parties in the 1960s: Political Parties and Conservatism in American History, Part 5
How did today's dynamic between conservatives and liberals begin to take shape in the twentieth century? In this video, Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains how today's modern political landscape began to take shape as a reaction to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal policies and the civil rights movement and other changes of the 1960s.
Beyond the Legacy: Political Parties and Conservatism in American History, Part 6
In this in-depth video, Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, describes historical challenges with the development of factions and the two-party system of the United States.
Political Parties and Conservatism in American History Playlist
We hope you've enjoyed the Political Parties and Conservatism in American History series from 60-Second Civics. Feel free to check out our Vimeo showcase for a playable list of all episodes in the series.
