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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

00:31:07

Can the president legally hide their health status?

Civics 101 ·

2025/09/23

The American public has long been on the lookout for unsteadiness in the leader of the free world. It's important to us (or, historically, has been) that the president seems, well, well. If not robust. Of course, the president is a human, and as such is not immune to malady. So why do we care so much about the president's health? Are they under obligation, legal or otherwise, to keep us in the loop? What happens when they don't?Our guide today is clinical ethicist Joel Wu.CLICK HERE: Visit our

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00:24:52

The Grievances in the Declaration (part 1)

Civics 101 ·

2025/09/16

"He" has done bad things. Twenty seven of them. And these things were so bad that the colonists used them to demonstrate that they had no choice but to become an independent nation. King George III was, in their eyes, a despot. So what did he do?Today we talk about grievances 1-12 in the Declaration of Independence. We will cover the rest, as well as modern-day parallels, in a few weeks. Our guest is Craig Gallagher, professor at Colby-Sawyer College.To hear about the entire Declaration of

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00:40:37

Why does the government fund things, and what happens...

Civics 101 ·

2025/09/09

Congress appropriates funds, the executive branch ensures those funds are spent and spent wisely. That is how it works. It is not, however, how it is working right now. The Trump Administration has, in recent months, repeatedly and often successfully frozen the funds that Congress assigned to certain departments and agencies. Jobs have been lost, research shelved, life-saving care ended, budgets and plans thrown into disarray.So why and how has this happened? Why were we funding education, science,

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00:50:30

Civics Trivia: Taxes, terrifying birds, and The West...

Civics 101 ·

2025/09/02

It's another edition of Civics 101 Trivia! This time, it's also the swan song for one of our own.Senior Producer Christina Phillips, our mastermind of minutiae and all things related to taxes, joins us to convene a final round of her trademark trivia.Here is the link to the FOIA documents about the government's involvement in Hollywood productions. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To

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00:28:44

Is same-sex marriage in legal peril?

Civics 101 ·

2025/08/26

In 2015, the Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land. However, for the first time in over five years, Kim Davis (an opponent of same-sex marriage) petitioned for a writ of certiorari to overturn Obergefell. Is there a possibility the court will revisit its finding? How does this decision compare to other recently overturned decisions like Roe v Wade? And is even talking about this a problem in itself??Talking us through the situation and possible scenarios is Danaya Wright,

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00:32:28

Obergefell v Hodges, 2015

Civics 101 ·

2025/08/26

This is the decision that said the fundamental right to marry is protected under the 14th Amendment. How did it come about? What was the status of marriage before June of 2015? And why is the government so involved in the marriage business anyways?This episode features the voices of Melissa Wasser from the Project on Government Oversight and Jim Obergefell, the named party in Obergefell v Hodges.CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our

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00:25:20

What happens when enough states want to change the...

Civics 101 ·

2025/08/19

Our Constitution provides for its own changes -- the framers knew that, while they worked hard, the law of the land was neither perfect nor should it be entirely immutable. So they included Article V, which allows either Congress OR the states to amend the Constitution if enough people agree. We've never had a constitutional convention of the states before, but that doesn't mean we won't. There's currently a movement trying to make it happen -- we dig into the why and how of this totally legal but

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00:31:46

How can the president take over a city's police...

Civics 101 ·

2025/08/15

On Monday, August 11th, Trump announced a takeover of Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan police. He also deployed National Guard troops and federal agents to the streets, all in the name of cracking down on crime. We called on political scientist and historian Dan Cassino to help us understand what happened, why it's legal and what could happen next.CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To

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00:31:31

What's it like being a scientist facing federal...

Civics 101 ·

2025/08/12

It’s a weird time to be an environmental scientist. The proposed cuts to federal science funding in the United States are profound, and if they come to pass, it’s not clear what American science will look like on the other side. But for many researchers, science is much more than a career: it’s a community, lifestyle, and sometimes even a family business. This episode was produced by our fellow NHPR podcast Outside/In. You can check out photos and more related to this episode right here. CLICK

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00:55:42

Cinema Civics: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Civics 101 ·

2025/08/05

When Mr. Smith Goes to Washington came out in 1939, it infuriated politicians, the press, and fascist nations. At the same time, it delighted audiences and informed them on the legislative process decades before Schoolhouse Rock. Today we talk about the film, as well as corruption, earnestness, our families, lost causes, and hope.Listen to our episode of Hannah's visit to the Lincoln Memorial here. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our

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00:24:24

The Supreme Court rulings that aren't rulings

Civics 101 ·

2025/07/29

"The shadow docket," refers to orders from the Supreme Court that are (often) unsigned, inscrutable, and handed down in the middle of the night. Professor Stephen Vladeck takes us through this increasingly common phenomenon.Note: This episode was originally produced in 2022. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How

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00:35:54

Is it possible for a president to serve a third term?

Civics 101 ·

2025/07/22

Is there a way President Trump (or any president) can serve a third (or fourth) term in office? Maybe there is. Most people assume the 22nd Amendment limits a president to two terms, period. What happens when the president, or legal scholars, challenge that assumption? Joining us to talk about that is Bruce Peabody of Fairleigh Dickinson University. WIN A NEW CAR OR 25K IN CASH DURING NHPR'S SUMMER RAFFLE! GET YOUR TICKETS HERE.CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to

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00:36:38

A country with no kings

Civics 101 ·

2025/07/15

As subjects of the British king, the very idea of criticizing monarchy -- or King George III himself -- was a dangerous one. So how did we become a country where "no kings" is a guiding principle? Something we take for granted? Holly Brewer is our guide to the resistance, risk and eventual revolution that transformed a British colony into a democratic country that would have no king. WIN A NEW CAR OR 25K IN CASH DURING NHPR'S SUMMER RAFFLE! GET YOUR TICKETS HERE.CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see

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00:28:34

How are tariffs affecting American businesses?

Civics 101 ·

2025/07/14

Today on Civics 101, we answer listener questions about tariffs. And then, we look at how they've affected one American Industry. It's not a game, but these companies do make them, and they've been hit hard by President Trump's ever-changing tariff policies. NOTE - This episode was republished because of a technical issue . Click here to check out our 2024 episode on how tariffs work. WIN A NEW CAR OR 25K IN CASH DURING NHPR'S SUMMER RAFFLE! GET YOUR TICKETS HERE.CLICK HERE: Visit our website to

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00:50:30

Civics lessons from Karen Read's retrial

Civics 101 ·

2025/07/11

The team delves into some of the many civics lessons the public got while watching Karen Read’s retrial, which ended with her acquittal on all major charges in June. Topics include the First Amendment, judicial discretion, courtroom tactics, and more. Our expert for this episode is Colin Miller, blogger, podcaster, and professor at University of South Carolina School of Law. Read Vanity Fair's extensive reporting on this case.WIN A NEW CAR OR 25K IN CASH DURING NHPR'S SUMMER RAFFLE! GET YOUR

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00:50:30

Cinematic Civics: Independence Day

Civics 101 ·

2025/07/04

Is there a civics lesson in the 1996 film Independence Day? We think so. Join the Civics 101 team for a conversation about the film, its politics, and what it says about the United States and its place in the world. There's even a fire-jumping dog!WIN A NEW CAR OR 25K IN CASH DURING NHPR'S SUMMER RAFFLE! GET YOUR TICKETS HERE.CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book

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00:26:38

What does the Senate Parliamentarian do?

Civics 101 ·

2025/06/30

The Senate Parliamentarian is many things. A nonpartisan referee, an appointed official, and at some times one of the most powerful people in our government. This week, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough found several provisions in the currently debated budget appropriations bill violated something called the "Byrd Rule." Today we explore this complicated and often-unseen role with Sarah Binder, professor at George Washington University, and a person who spent over thirty years in the

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00:27:05

How political “framing” shapes our thoughts

Civics 101 ·

2025/06/24

We know why we feel the way we do about certain political issues, don't we? Don't we??It turns out that politicians, political strategists, and the media are working every day to alter what we think about something before we know we're thinking about it. And the way this is done is through "framing."So what is framing? How long have people been doing it? And most importantly, how can we push back against it? Taking us through the Frame Wars is Dr. Jennifer Mercieca, professor of communication and

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00:50:30

Cinema Civics: The Manchurian Candidate

Civics 101 ·

2025/06/17

The Civics 101 team delves into the 1962 film The Manchurian Candidate, a political satire and thriller that is more than relevant in today’s political climate. Note: this episode contains spoilers for the film.CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more!To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring

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00:32:05

How is the Alien Enemies Act being used right now?

Civics 101 ·

2025/06/10

Now that we have explored what the Alien Enemies Act is, we dive in to how it's being used to shape deportation policy under President Donald Trump. Note: We recommend listening to the prior episode first! Staying in your podcast feed? It's the episode right before this one, called "What is the Alien Enemies Act." CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO THE SHOW AND CHECK OUT OUR NEW TOTE BAG!CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free

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