x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Civics 101

How do landmark Supreme Court decisions affect our lives? What does the 2nd Amendment really say? Why does the Senate have so much power? Civics 101 is the podcast about how our democracy works…or is supposed to work, anyway.

government

All Episodes

00:31:11

Extra Credit: How to Argue Against Disinformation;...

Civics 101 ·

2024/02/20

When the cats are away...well...you know. In this special episode, Executive Producer Rebecca Lavoie and Senior Producer Christina Phillips follow up on some recent discussions sparked by our newsletter Extra Credit. How do you have a legitimate discussion with someone who has the facts wrong? And what's going on with all of these different trials involving former President Donald Trump?Click here to read Nick's essay on responding to someone who's wrong. Click here to subscribe to our

en

00:28:19

What Are Presidential Pardons?

Civics 101 ·

2024/02/13

The president has the power to release someone from prison, restore their voting rights, or stop a federal criminal investigation with little more than the wave of a hand. How did the president get this power, and are there any limitations? What would it mean for a president to pardon themselves? Brian Kalt, constitutional law professor at Michigan State University, helps answer these questions.

en

00:47:29

How Should We Govern the Algorithm?

Civics 101 ·

2024/02/06

Machine learning is being used in police precincts, schools, courts and elsewhere across the country to help us make decisions. Using data about us, algorithms can do almost instantly what it would take human beings both time and money to do. Cheaper, faster, more efficient and potentially more accurate -- but should we be doing it? How should we be using it? And what about our privacy and our rights?Aziz Huq, Frank and Bernice J. Greenberg Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School,

en

00:22:09

What is Federalist 10?

Civics 101 ·

2024/01/30

Federalist 10 was one of the Federalist Papers, a collection of 85 essays that were published in New York to encourage ratification of the newly drafted Constitution. This essay is taught in classrooms across the country and often referred to as the most important. So what's it about?Taking us through the ideas of faction, republicanism, and Madison's inability to predict Facebook are Jeffrey Rosen, President of the National Constitution Center, Alison LaCroix, Professor of Law at the University of

en

00:23:09

Election 2024: What Is Happening?

Civics 101 ·

2024/01/23

Primaries, caucuses, conventions, court cases -- oh, it's a lot. Hannah and Nick have the most important dates and some crucial context for your calendar this election year. Buckle up, 2024 is already underway.Check out our recommended listening for more helpful info!Primaries and CaucusesConventionsStranglehold: Make Room (for context on New Hampshire and its hold on the first in the nation Primary)By the way, it isn't too late to snag a Civics 101 baseball hat! Donate now and show the world you

en

00:22:12

How much do government employees get paid?

Civics 101 ·

2024/01/16

Government salaries vary an awful lot; from $100 a year to $11.5 million. So who makes what? Today we divide the issue of taxpayer-funded salaries in two. How much officials make, and then how much they really make. Why do so many politicians make money once they leave office? How much can you get from speaking at events? And how do lobbyists affect not only policy, but their career trajectory? Our guest is Anna Massoglia from Open Secrets, the "nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S

en

00:57:00

Rumors and Lies, the American Version

Civics 101 ·

2024/01/09

In this double feature of two of our favorite episodes we cover misinformation, disinformation and propaganda -- three tricky truth-benders that come at you from every angle in American life. Our guides include Samantha Lai of the Brookings Institute, Peter Adams of the News Literacy Project, John Maxwell Hamilton (professor and author of Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda and Jennifer Mercieca, professor and author of Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical

en

00:19:49

Expulsion from Congress

Civics 101 ·

2024/01/02

Expulsion from Congress is extremely rare. Nevertheless, NY Congressman George Santos was expelled on December 1, 2023. So how did that happen?Today on Civics 101 we are guided by Carlos Algara, who lays out the history of expulsion in both chambers, the process, the Ethics Committee, censure, and how Congress fills an empty seat after somebody is expelled.

en

00:40:56

Can we fix school lunch?

Civics 101 ·

2023/12/26

Between the corporate interests, the politics, the infrastructure and the shaming, what can the grown ups in the room actually do to make the school cafeteria a safer, healthier place where kids want to be? Ross Wilson of the Shah Foundation, Jessica Terrell of the Left Overs podcast and Crystal FitzSimons of the Food Research and Action Center try to answer that.

en

00:33:08

The Politics of School Lunch

Civics 101 ·

2023/12/19

Federal and state dollars pay for so much of what goes into the American public school education of our kids, but it isn't so straight forward when it comes to keeping them fed on school grounds. What movements and laws lead to American school kids accessing lunch? What does it cost, and who has to pay? Jessica Terrell, journalist and host of Left Over podcast and Crystal FitzSimons, Director of School and Out-of-School Time Programs at the Food Research and Action Center are our guides to the first

en

00:23:25

Does Santa Break The Law?

Civics 101 ·

2023/12/12

Today we answer this question from a listener, "Is Santa a criminal?"We get to the bottom of the myriad actions of the jolly old elf, and whether he could reasonably be tried for civil and criminal violations, including but not limited to trespassing, breaking and entering, voyeurism, stalking, surveillance, burglary, tax evasion, bad labor practices, emotional distress, and (in one instance) involuntary manslaughter.Taking us through this complex web of charges is Colin Miller, professor at

en

00:24:22

What is a Federal Holiday?

Civics 101 ·

2023/12/05

How does something go from an annual tradition to a mandated day off? Who decides to make a holiday official? Our guides to the holiday season are Jeff Bensch, author of History of American Holidays, and JerriAnne Boggis, Executive Director of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire.

en

00:27:14

Term Limits for Congress?

Civics 101 ·

2023/11/28

Term limits for legislators, both in Congress and at the state level, are extremely popular among voters, and have been, since their heyday in the 1990s. And while we don't currently have term limits on members of Congress, they do exist in 16 states. What can we learn from the state legislatures that already have them? Do they deliver on their promises? We talk with Carlos Algara, assistant professor of political science at Claremont Graduate University, where he studies political parties,

en

00:23:14

What is the Order of Succession?

Civics 101 ·

2023/11/21

America's first congress debated it in the 1790s, and it's been debated about ever since. Who should step into the president's shoes if the offices of President and Vice President are simultaneously vacant? Today we talk about the many different Presidential Acts of Succession that we've had in the US, as well as designated survivors, the "football," and the recurring question of the constitutionality of such acts.Click here to listen to our episode on the Executive Branch, should you want to learn

en

00:29:09

SCOTUS Watchlist

Civics 101 ·

2023/11/14

The Supreme Court chooses what it wants to offer opinions on, and those opinions redefine the way law works in this nation, trickling down to your world works for you. So what did they pick this time around? This is our watchlist for the most significant cases before the court this year.

en

00:21:02

What powers does the Speaker of the House have?

Civics 101 ·

2023/11/07

In light of the recent kerfuffle regarding the many elections for a new Speaker of the House, we decided it was time to break down the powers and history of the second-most powerful job in DC. Dan Cassino of Farleigh Dickinson University tells us all about the Speaker; from fundraising to the rules committee to the steering committee to a self-proclaimed Beelzebub to what the repeated failed elections for a Speaker portends for Congress.Click here to listen to our episode on How A Bill (Really)

en

00:22:46

The After School Satan Club

Civics 101 ·

2023/10/31

The tale of what happens when The Satanic Temple comes to Hellertown, PA. From dear teacher friend Jason Stern comes this lesson in First Amendment rights. It all started when the Saucon Valley School District got word that the After School Satan Club was coming to town.

en

01:04:35

Heather Cox Richardson on the State of America

Civics 101 ·

2023/10/24

Heather Cox Richardson became a household name with her daily newsletter, Letters from an American, in which she does something simple and essential: provide her readers with the historical context for today's politics. She recently wrote a book called Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America. Hannah sat down with Heather as part of the live series Writers on a New England Stage at the Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH, to talk about the book and everything else Heather is thinking about right

en

00:31:44

The National Weather Service

Civics 101 ·

2023/10/17

Most Americans can look down at their phone and see a prediction of the future. How is that even possible?Well, we'll tell you. Today it's all about the weather; from early predictive methods and almanacs to the National Weather Service's modern-day practices of collecting, analyzing, and sharing a staggering amount of data. First we talked with Kris Harper, a professor of history and philosophy at the University of Copenhagen, and then with Felicia Bowser, a meteorologist at the National Weather

en

00:29:28

Separation of Church and State

Civics 101 ·

2023/10/10

What did Jefferson mean when he wrote about a "wall of separation" between the church and the state? How have we interpreted the pair of clauses in the 1st Amendment regarding religion? And finally, what is the current relationship between church and state when it comes to the Supreme Court, religious schools, taxes, and growing religious nationalism?Today we talk to Katherine Stewart, author of The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism and Morgan Marietta, Chair of

en

344 results

Similar Podcasts

The Fly

Georgetown"s Institute of Politics and...

THE CONSTITUTION STUDY

Paul Engel

The DSR Daily

The DSR Network

The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Institute

Fora do Baralho

Rádio Observador