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PODCAST

Civics on the Rocks

A history teacher and an engineer walk into a bar…ouch! Except there isn’t a bar. But there are dad jokes. And whiskey. Two guys who know a few things, have been around a few blocks, and a few cocktails, discuss politics, science, history, technology, and the planet Earth. They also warp through rabbit holes in both the Federation and the Galactic Empire, and toast the ashes of the Twelve Colonies. And did I mention dad jokes? Yeah. Grab a drink, pull up a chair, and join us for Civics on the

history politics

All Episodes

11:52

Untethered Tangent on Driverless Cars

Civics on the Rocks ·

2026/03/16

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11:38

Untethered Tangent on Unlawful Orders

Civics on the Rocks ·

2026/01/19

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93:35

Is All Fair In Love and War?

Civics on the Rocks ·

2026/01/12

In this episode, we tackle war crimes. Please note that we record episodes in the month before they are posted—just in case you are wondering why we aren’t talking about one big event in particular.REFERENCES People have desecrated corpses throughout history: Breed, Allen G. “Desecration of the Dead is as Old as War Itself.” January 13, 2012. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/nation-world/2012/01/14/desecration-dead-old-war-itself/15184013007/ Like a flag of

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21:15

Untethered Tangent on Lead Bricks

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/12/22

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67:43

Everything You Wanted to Know About Federalism But...

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/12/08

Steve, Mack, and Anne dig into the power dynamics of these United States.REFERENCES What about Washington, D.C.? Duignan, Brian. “What State Is Washington, D.C. In?” June 13, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/what-state-is-washington-dc-in Federalism is… Legal Information Institute. “Federalism.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/federalism We should start with the Tenth Amendment: Constitution Annotated. “Tenth Amendment.”

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6:22

Untethered Tangent on the Budget Process

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/10/20

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10:50

Untethered Tangent on Term Limits and Qualifications

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/09/15

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80:01

Should the Justice Department be Independent?

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/09/01

Mack, Steve, and Anne debate Constitutional law and look to fix the problems of our country in our first episode of season 3.References What is independent? Merriam-Webster. “Independent.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/independent What is justice? https://youtu.be/wEBlaMOmKV4?si=difVAzt3cTdBuLvG So, we have three branches: USA.gov. “Branches of the U.S. Government.” https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government The power of the executive is vested in one person: Legal Information

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07:18

Untethered Tangent on Schoolhouse Rock

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/08/18

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06:28

We're Two!

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/08/04

To celebrate two years of Civics on the Rocks, we’re going on vacation! We’re not going to have a full episode this month. Instead, you get this silliness. Enjoy!

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01:09:33

Pardon Me?

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/07/07

Mack and Steve show no forgiveness as they discuss one of the president’s broadest powers.REFERENCES Who does have the power? The President: Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S2.C1.3.1 Overview of Pardon Power.” Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S2-C1-3-1/ALDE_00013316/ It depends on each state and each state constitution, but each state governor has it: ACLU. “What’s at Stake.” https://www.aclu.org/issues/smart-justice/parole-and-release/clemency-and-pardons A

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14:06

Untethered Tangent on The Undead

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/06/16

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02:49

Untethered Tangent on a Parade

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/05/19

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01:21:55

How Do You Regulate A Militia Well?

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/05/05

Steve and Mack get into the legalities of militias, and they may not be what you think. They’re definitely more complicated.REFERENCES A bunch of farmers that run home to get their guns to come to the common defense against the Redcoats: American Battlefield Trust. “Lexington and Concord.” https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/lexington-and-concord Even though we have selective service: Selective Service System. “About Selective Service.” https://www.sss.gov/about/ We haven’t

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19:25

Untethered Tangent on a Tornado

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/04/21

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01:27:16

Is It Supposed to Rain This Weekend?

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/04/07

We’re not just chatting about the weather. I mean, we are…but there is also social commentary and a bit of moral outrage. This episode is longer than most because we left in more of the silliness. It felt called for.REFERENCES A warning for a tornado outbreak: National Weather Service. “Summary of Significant Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Outbreak of March 14–15, 2025.” https://www.weather.gov/pah/Mar14-15_2025Severe Footage of 18-wheelers getting blown off the road around Amarillo: The Weather

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15:52

Untethered Tangent on Corporations

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/01/20

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01:21:42

What’s the Civil Service?

Civics on the Rocks ·

2025/01/06

Mack and Steve discuss the government worker bees who don’t serve at the pleasure of thepresident, and how the new administration wants to change that under the auspices of 2025. Also, there may be a UFO flap. Stay tuned! REFERENCES What’s the civil service? Page, Edward C. & Bridges, Edward. “Civil Service.” Updated December 15, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/civil-service Let’s talk about the Pendleton Act: National Archives. “Pendleton Act (1883).” Reviewed February 8,

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08:30

Untethered Tangents on Court Packing

Civics on the Rocks ·

2024/12/16

Just in case you were wondering, yes, Mack has tried to tell you about this twice and it has been cut twice. Cheers!

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01:15:32

Is it Jerry-Mandering or Gary-Mandering?

Civics on the Rocks ·

2024/07/08

You’ve heard the term before, but did you realize how bad the situation really is? Buckle up, kids, this is a bumpy one.References Well? Steve is archaically correct. According to Merriam-Webster gerrymandering was originally pronounced with a hard g, but it now most commonly pronounced with a soft one. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gerrymandering Who was Elbridge Gerry? Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. “Gov. Elbridge Gerry.” Original source: 1978. National Governors Association

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28 results

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