60-Second Civics Podcast
961 episodes - English - Latest episode: 17 days ago - ★★★★ - 75 ratings60-Second Civics is a daily podcast that provides a quick and convenient way for listeners to learn about our nation's government, the Constitution, and our history. The podcast explores themes related to civics and government, the constitutional issues behind the headlines, and the people and ideas that formed our nation's history and government.
60-Second Civics is produced by the Center for Civic Education. The show's content is primarily derived from the Center's education for democracy curricula, including We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, Project Citizen, Foundations of Democracy, and Elements of Democracy.
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Episodes
60-Second Civics: Episode 5167, Self-Evident Truths: We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident, Part 2
July 03, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteThat andquot;all Men are created equalandquot; and andquot;endowed by their Creator with Certain unalienable Rightsandquot; was self-evident to Americans at the time of the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Why was this? Learn more about the foundations of our self-evident truths. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5166, Independence Day: We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident, Part 1
July 02, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteIndependence Day is a time to remember and appreciate our heritage of a democratic form of government and to reflect on our country's fundamental principles. Over the few episodes, 60-Second Civics will examine some of the fundamental ideas about government that are contained in the Declaration of Independence, which was issued on July 4, 1776. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5165, The Equal Rights Amendment: Women's Rights, Part 5
July 01, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteWhat is the Equal Rights Amendment and how would its ratification change American life? In this episode, Dr. Lisa Tetrault, associate professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University, explains the Equal Rights Amendment. This is the fifth episode in our 60-Second Civics series on women's rights as part of the Center for Civic Education's Civil Discourse: An American Legacy Project. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5164, The Abortion Debate and Fundamental Rights: Women's Rights, Part 4
June 28, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteHow does abortion relate to fundamental rights as viewed by both sides of the abortion debate? Dr. Lisa Tetrault, associate professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University, explains how fundamental rights relate to the modern abortion debate. This is the fourth episode in our 60-Second Civics series on women's rights as part of the Center for Civic Education's Civil Discourse: An American Legacy Project. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5162, The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments: Women's Rights, Part 2
June 26, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteWhat was the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and how does it relate to the Declaration of Independence? In this episode, Dr. Lisa Tetrault, associate professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University, explains the historical significance of the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5161, The Seneca Falls Convention: Women's Rights, Part 1
June 25, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteThis is the first episode in our series on women's rights as part of our Civil Discourse and American Legacy Project. Dr. Lisa Tetrault, associate professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University, explains the significance of the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5160, Political Parties in the 1960s: The Evolution of Political Parties, Part 5
June 24, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteHow did American political parties evolve in the 1960s? Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains how both the Democratic and Republican political parties evolved due to the social changes of the 1960s. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5159, Political Parties During the Civil War Era: The Evolution of Political Parties, Part 4
June 21, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteHow did the modern two-party system begin to form? Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains the demise of the Whigs and the rise of today's dominant political parties in this episode of 60-Second Civics. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5158, Political Parties in Jacksonian Democracy: The Evolution of Political Parties, Part 3
June 20, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteWhat caused the rise of electioneering in the United States? Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains how the Federalist party split and examines the rise of Jacksonian democracy. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5157, The Evolution of Political Parties: The Evolution of Political Parties, Part 2
June 19, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteHow did political parties come about in the early American republic? Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains how the Federalists and the Democratic Republicans came to be the first two political parties in the United States. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5156, The Functions of Political Parties: The Evolution of Political Parties, Part 1
June 18, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteWhat are the functions of political parties? Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains four functions of political parties in this episode of 60-Second Civics. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5155, Ratifying the Constitution: Principles of the Constitution, Part 5
June 17, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteWhat was the process of ratifying or rejecting the proposed plan of government after the 1787 convention? In this episode Dr. Lester Brooks, American history professor emeritus from Anne Arundel Community College, explains the process for ratifying the Constitution and the role played by the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5154, Forms of Government: Principles of the Constitution, Part 4
June 14, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteIn this video, Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains how the Framers of the Constitution thought about fundamental principles embodied in the Constitution. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5153, Major Issues of the Philadelphia Convention, Representative Government: Principles of the Constitution, Part 3
June 13, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteIn this episode, Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains a critical issue at the Philadelphia Convention: how the states would be represented in government. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5152, Major Issues of the Philadelphia Convention, Separation of Power: Principles of the Constitution, Part 2
June 12, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteDr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains how separation of powers was a major issue at the Philadelphia Convention, which drafted the new Constitution for the United States. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5151, The Need for a New Constitution: Principles of the Constitution, Part 1
June 11, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteDr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, describes some of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and explains why the Framers intended to amend it. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5150, Promoting a Healthy Democracy: Building Your Skills as a Citizen, Part 5
June 10, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteOf all the duties of citizens, perhaps none is more important than doing your part to ensure the healthy functioning of American constitutional democracy. What can you do to support the survival of our constitutional democracy? Find out today! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5149, Effective Participation: Building Your Skills as a Citizen, Part 4
June 07, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteA fundamental aspect of citizenship is participating in the civic affairs of the community and the nation. However, participation alone is not enough. It's important to participate in an informed, thoughtful, and effective manner. How do you do this? Find out in this episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5148, Respecting Individual Worth and Human Dignity: Building Your Skills as a Citizen, Part 3
June 06, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteOne key to fulfilling your responsibilities as an American citizen is to respect the value and human dignity of all people. This means treating other people with respect. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5147, Assuming the Responsibilities of a Citizen: Building Your Skills as a Citizen, Part 2
June 05, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteBeing a citizen of the United States means fulfilling certain personal, political, and economic responsibilities. Learn what these include and how you can take on these responsibilities in this episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5146, Becoming an Independent Member of Society: Building Your Skills as a Citizen, Part 1
June 04, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteToday we launch a special series on the five civic dispositions of the National Assessment for Educational Progress Civics Framework. The first civic disposition stresses the importance of becoming an independent member of society. Listen for more! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5145, Challenging the System: Active Citizenship, Part 5
June 03, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteThe American system of government is built on popular sovereignty. However, there have been times in our nation's history when the government did not pursue the common good. Part of being an active citizen is knowing when and how to challenge the system. Here are some principles that can help you. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5144, Serving Your Country: Active Citizenship, Part 4
May 31, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteWhen you serve your country, you are promoting the common good; that is, the good of everyone in the United States. There are several ways to serve your country. Listen to learn a few! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5143, Political Participation: Active Citizenship, Part 3
May 30, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteElections have consequences. If you want a say in the political future of our nation, it is up to you to get involved. Luckily, there are many ways to accomplish this. Listen to learn how! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5142, Being an Active Citizen: Active Citizenship, Part 2
May 29, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteActive citizenship means getting involved in the life of your community and nation so that you can help determine the country's future. But how do you do this? Find out more today! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5141, Being an Informed Citizen: Active Citizenship, Part 1
May 28, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteMost American citizens 18 years of age and older have the right to vote and choose our representatives who make our laws. But it is your obligation to cast an informed and responsible vote. Listen for more! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5140, When Isn't a Warrant Warranted? The Right to Privacy, Part 12
May 24, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteDuring the 1960s the Supreme Court held that searches conducted without warrants are inherently unreasonable. By the 1970s the Court had recognized a number of exceptions to the warrant requirement. We cover a few examples of those exceptions in today's podcast. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5139, Probable Cause: How Do Warrants Work? The Right to Privacy, Part 11
May 23, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteThe Fourth Amendment protects people and their personal effects against unreasonable searches and seizures. It also requires applications for warrants to be supported by probable cause and requires a judge to decide whether probable cause exists. How do officials obtain warrants? We'll explain in today's episode. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5138, Unreasonable Searches and Seizures: The Right to Privacy, Part 10
May 22, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteThe Fourth Amendment to the Constitution protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, but it seeks to strike a balance between the need for order and each individual's rights. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5137, Fourth Amendment and Technology: The Right to Privacy, Part 9
May 21, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteThere have been vast technological changes since the ratification of the Fourth Amendment in 1791, and the courts have been asked to interpret the significance of ever-changing technology and surveillance techniques. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5135, The Fourth Amendment: The Right to Privacy, Part 7
May 17, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteThe Fourth Amendment grew directly out of the American colonial experience. It protects against unreasonable searches and seizures by government officials. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5134, Protection Against Unreasonable Search and Seizure: The Right to Privacy, Part 6
May 16, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteThe protection against unreasonable search and seizure was in part a reaction against the general warrants issued by the British that so enraged American colonists in the prelude to the Revolution. The Fourth Amendment and state constitutions protect against unreasonable searches and seizures. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5133, John Adams and James Otis: The Right to Privacy, Part 5
May 15, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteJohn Adams claimed that James Otis's speech against general warrants was the first act of colonial resistance to British policies. Despite his fame, Otis's career would be ended by a violent attack by a British customs official. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5132, James Otis Speaks Against General Warrants: The Right to Privacy, Part 4
May 14, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteGeneral warrants were unpopular in the American colonies, where they were used to search for evidence of smuggling. In a five-hour speech in February 1761, James Otis spoke out against them, saying that they would andquot;totally annihilateandquot; the British common-law tradition that andquot;A man's house is his castle.andquot; Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5130, The Problem with General Warrants: The Right to Privacy, Part 2
May 10, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteGeneral warrants allowed British officials to search people, businesses, homes, and property indiscriminately. British officials in the American colonies used such warrants to collect taxes, to recover stolen goods including -- enslaved people -- and to prosecute smugglers. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5129, Historical Origins of the Right to Privacy: The Right to Privacy, Part 1
May 09, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteAmericans inherited from British history the principle that andquot;a man's home is his castle.andquot; This idea can be traced to the opinion of Sir Edward Coke in Semayne's Case in 1604. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5128, andquot;Our Country's Aim Will Remain True Towards Justiceandquot;: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 6
May 08, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteIn light of the recent rise in violence toward Asian Americans, Justice Nakayama of the Hawai'i Supreme Court emphasizes that, andquot;we must encourage everybody to learn, understand and deeply appreciate and embrace the rule of law in our country.andquot; Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5127, What Does a Civic and Constitutional Education Mean to You?: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 5
May 07, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteIn today's podcast, we ask Justice Nakayama: What does a civic and constitutional education mean to you? And, why have you dedicated so many years to ensuring greater access to civics for more Americans? Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5126, Learning About Your Role As an American: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 4
May 06, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteA well-informed citizenry is the cornerstone of our democracy, which is why Justice Nakayama believes it's essential for all Americans to learn about their roles and responsibilities as citizens. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5125, Why Should Young People Consider Public Service?: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 3
May 03, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteandquot;When you are a public servant, it is important to realize that you are indeed serving the public. I think about that all the time, and I consider it a higher calling.andquot; In our episode, Justice Nakayama shares her perspective on the value of public service. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5124, One of the First Women on the Hawai'i Supreme Court: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 2
May 02, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteToday, we ask Justice Nakayama: What is it like to be one of the first women to serve on the Hawai'i Supreme Court and one of the few Asian American women serving as a state supreme court justice? While Justice Nakayama shares times in which she faced discrimination, she nonetheless believes that "being on the Supreme Court is an honor and a privilege." Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5123, How Did You Become a Justice on the Hawai'i Supreme Court?: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 1
May 01, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteThis episode is a rebroadcast from our interview series with then Associate Justice of the Hawai'i Supreme Court, Paula Nakayama. Justice Nakayama served on the Hawaii Supreme Court from 1993 until 2023. In our first episode, Justice Nakayama shares how a lot of hard work and a little luck helped her achieve one of the highest positions in the legal profession. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5122, Equality and the American Mind: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 20
April 30, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteWhere did the idea of universal human equality, a common American idea, come from? Religious movements in colonial America helped spread the idea of universal moral human equality, including equality among social classes. Listen to today's podcast for more! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5121, Stoicism, Christianity, and Moral Equality: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 19
April 29, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteIn a recent episode, we discussed the origins of Americans' sense of political equality, but America's Founders also possessed a strong sense of moral equality. Indeed, the idea of the moral equality of human beings has ancient origins. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5120, Americans' Sense of Political Equality: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 18
April 26, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteThe Declaration of Independence states that all men, meaning all people, are created equal. But where did this idea come from? Ideas of natural political equality were developed in seventeenth-century England and exported to its colonies across the North Atlantic. Learn more in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5119, andquot;All Men Are Created Equal:andquot; The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 17
April 25, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteThe Declaration of Independence states that among the andquot;truthsandquot; that Americans hold to be andquot;self-evidentandquot; is that andquot;all Men are created equal.andquot; But what did Thomas Jefferson mean by this statement? Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5118, The American Creed: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 16
April 24, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteThomas Jefferson said that his purpose in writing the Declaration of Independence was to express a shared understanding of andquot;the American mind.andquot; Over the course of a few days in June 1776, Jefferson laid out the most fundamental principles and central political beliefs of the American Revolution and of the people the Revolution created. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5117, Why Americans Held These Truths to Be Self-evident: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Govt. in the Colonies, Part 15
April 23, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteWhy did the writers of the Declaration of Independence andquot;hold these Truths to be self-evident?andquot; Among other things, these Americans were deeply influenced by the teachings of Christianity and English republicanism. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 5116, The Meaning of Self-Evident Truths: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Govt. in the Colonies, Part 14
April 22, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteThe second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence begins like this: andquot;We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.andquot; But what does andquot;We hold these truths to be self-evidentandquot; mean? We explain more in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4864, The Intolerable Acts: The Road to Independence, Part 12
April 19, 2024 07:00 - 1 minuteFollowing the Boston Tea Party, the British government responded with what colonists called the Intolerable Acts, a series of Punitive Acts that, among other things, closed Boston Harbor to all trade.??Listen to today???s episode to learn more! Center for Civic Education