60-Second Civics Podcast
972 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★ - 76 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 4314, A Rough Start for the Bill of Rights: Rights, Part 13
April 13, 2021 07:00The Bill of Rights was not initially received with enthusiasm. It caused bitter disagreements among both Federalists and Anti-Federalists. It had little effect on the lives of most Americans, whose day-to-day existence was impacted more by their state government rather than the national government. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4313, How the Constitution Protects Rights: Rights, Part 12
April 12, 2021 07:00In addition to those rights protected in the first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, the body of the U.S. Constitution and subsequent amendments also protect many rights. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4312, Rights and the Third Amendment: Rights, Part 11
April 11, 2021 07:00The Third Amendment was written in response to the Quartering Act of 1765, which was a British law authorizing colonial governors to requisition certain buildings, including parts of people's homes, for housing British troops. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4311, Rights and the Second Amendment: Rights, Part 10
April 10, 2021 07:00Today we explain how the Second Amendment has been interpreted by the courts. The Second Amendment is a good example of both positive and negative rights in the Bill of Rights. Positive rights require government to act in specified ways, whereas negative rights restrict government action. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4310, Positive vs. Negative Rights: Rights, Part 9
April 09, 2021 07:00Positive rights require government to act in specified ways, but negative rights restrict government action. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4309, Economic and Political Rights
April 08, 2021 07:00Economic rights are associated with ownership. Examples include choosing the work one wants to do, acquiring and disposing of property, entering into contracts. Political rights address political participation, such as voting and supporting particular candidates for office. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4308, Personal Rights: Rights, Part 7
April 07, 2021 07:00The idea that humans are autonomous, self-governing individuals with fundamental rights is central to natural rights philosophy. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4307, What Are Rights?: Rights, Part 6
April 06, 2021 07:00Rights may be held by individuals, classes or categories of individuals, or institutions. The emphasis on the rights of individuals is reflected in natural rights philosophy, exemplified in the Declaration of Independence. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4306, All States Have Bills of Rights: Rights, Part 5
April 05, 2021 07:00Each state adopted a constitution after the Declaration of Independence was issued. Today, the constitutions of all fifty states, as well as the U.S. Constitution, contain bills or declarations of rights. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4305, Limits on Government in the Virginia Declaration of Rights: Rights, Part 4
April 04, 2021 07:00The Virginia Declaration of Rights described how representative government should be organized, limited the power of government, and informed the creation of our Bill of Rights. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4304, The Virginia Declaration of Rights: Rights, Part 3
April 03, 2021 07:00Virginia was the first state to include a bill of rights in its constitution. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4303, Why Have a Bill of Rights?: Rights, Part 2
April 02, 2021 07:00The English Bill of Rights of 1689 was passed by Parliament, which means that Parliament can change it at any time. The American Bill of Rights, in contrast, is part of the U.S. Constitution, which is much more difficult to change, as are states' bills of rights. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4302, The Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights
April 01, 2021 07:00The struggle between the rights of the people and the power of government to deny those rights is one of the great themes of human history. This episode of 60-Second Civics explores two documents that limited the power of government in English history: the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights. These documents significantly influenced American conceptions of the limitations on the power of government. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4301, Dr. Carla Hayden's Advice to Young Women Considering Public Service: Women's History Month, Part 31
March 31, 2021 07:00Today, we close our Women's History Month Series with our final interview with Dr. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress. Dr. Hayden shares her mother's advice on the benefits of public service. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4300, Dr. Carla Hayden on Becoming the Librarian of Congress: Women's History Month, Part 30
March 30, 2021 07:00Dr. Carla Hayden is the first woman and African American Librarian of Congress. On today's podcast, Dr. Hayden explains why she considers herself to be an "accidental librarian" and what being a librarian means to her. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4299, Dr. Carla Hayden on Resources from the Library of Congress: Women's History Month, Part 29
March 29, 2021 07:00On today's episode, we had the honor of speaking with Dr. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, who explains the resources available at the Library of Congress. Dr. Hayden is the first woman and African American Librarian of Congress. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4298, Judge Mae D'Agostino's Advice to Young People Considering Public Service: Women's History Month, Part 28
March 28, 2021 07:00Today on 60-Second Civics, Judge Mae D'Agostino provides her advice to young people considering a career in public service. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4297, Judge Mae D'Agostino on Barriers to Women Entering the Legal Profession: Women's History Month, Part 27
March 27, 2021 07:00On today's podcast, Judge Mae D'Agostino, a judge in the Northern District of New York, speaks about her belief that "more opportunities will be opening up for women in the years and months ahead" in the federal judiciary and what steps women entering the legal profession can take to better assure success in their legal career. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4296, Judge Mae D'Agostino on Serving as a U.S. District Court Judge: Women's History Month, Part 26
March 26, 2021 07:00On today's podcast, we welcome a very special guest: Judge Mae D'Agostino, a judge in the Northern District of New York. Judge D'Agostino speaks about how she came to serve in her position, and what it is like to be the first woman sitting as a judge in many of the courthouses she has presided over. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4295, The Equal Rights Amendment: Women's History Month, Part 25
March 25, 2021 07:00The Equal Rights Amendment was first proposed in 1923. Its ratification is still in limbo, with several states having rescinded their original ratification. It says, "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4294, The Nineteenth Amendment: Women's History Month, Part 24
March 24, 2021 07:00After decades of struggle, the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920, recognizing the right of women to vote throughout the country, but not all women would be able to realize this right. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4293, The Woman Suffrage Procession of 1913: Women's History Month, Part 23
March 23, 2021 07:00One day before the presidential inauguration of Woodrow Wilson, roughly 8,000 women's rights activists marched from the U.S. Capitol to the Treasury Department to demand the right to vote. Although marred by violence and racism, the aims of the marchers would be realized 7 years later with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4292, Mary Church Terrell: Women's History Month, Part 22
March 22, 2021 07:00Mary Church Terrell was an African American educator, women's rights campaigner, and civil rights activist. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4291, Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin: Women's History Month, Part 21
March 21, 2021 07:00Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin was a Native American activist, attorney, and advocate of women's right to vote. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4290, Ida Tarbell: Women's History Month, Part 20
March 20, 2021 07:00Ida Tarbell was a pioneering investigative journalist of the Progressive Era. Her 19-part series on Standard Oil Company would ultimately lead to the breakup of the company. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4289, Ida B. Wells: Women's History Month, Part 19
March 19, 2021 07:00Ida B. Wells refused to march at the back of a women's suffrage parade. She refused to leave a first-class train car and sit in the section reserved for African Americans. And most importantly she refused to be silenced and courageously reported on lynchings of African Americans, risking her life and facing down numerous threats. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4288, Susan B. Anthony: Women's History Month, Part 18
March 18, 2021 07:00After her trial for having voted in an 1872 election, Susan B. Anthony explained to the judge the implications of her conviction: "My natural rights, my civil rights, my political rights, are all alike ignored. Robbed of the fundamental privilege of citizenship, I am degraded from the status of a citizen to that of a subject." Today, women in Rochester, New York, cover her grave with "I Voted" stickers. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4287, Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Women's History Month, Part 17
March 17, 2021 07:00Elizabeth Cady Stanton is remembered for her persuasive oratorical skills, the power of her writing, her tireless advocacy of the right to vote for women and reform of laws that kept men and women on an unequal footing. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4286, The Seneca Falls Convention: Women's History Month, Part 16
March 16, 2021 07:00In 1848, about 300 activists met in Seneca Falls, New York, for the first convention in the United States devoted to women's rights. They discussed Elizabeth Cady Stanton's proposed Declaration of Sentiments, which mirrored the language of the Declaration of Independence. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4285, The Forten Sisters: Women's History Month, Part 15
March 15, 2021 07:00Margaretta, Harriet, and Sarah Forten were three powerful African American campaigners for the abolition and women's rights movements. Harriet and Sarah married members of another prominent abolitionist family, the Purvises. Harriet and her husband Robert were involved in the Underground Railroad, and their home served as a refuge for people who had escaped slavery and as a meeting place for abolitionists. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4284, Lucretia Mott: Women's History Month, Part 14
March 14, 2021 08:00Lucretia Mott was one of the most well-known, active, and influential women's rights and anti-slavery activists in nineteenth-century America. She was a persuasive speaker at a time when public speaking by women was frowned upon. Not allowed to actively participate in the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London in 1840 because of their gender, Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton resolved to organize the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, the first women's rights convention in the nation. Cente...
60-Second Civics: Episode 4283, Sarah and Angelina Grimke: Women's History Month, Part 13
March 13, 2021 08:00Sarah and Angelina Grimke were among the first women to speak out in public in opposition to slavery. They were condemned for speaking out in public to "promiscuous" audiences; that is, audiences composed of both men and women. This prompted them to speak out more forcefully for equal rights for women. They lived long enough to see slavery abolished and the right of African American men to vote recognized, but universal women's suffrage would not be achieved until 1920, although Jim Crow laws...
60-Second Civics: Episode 4282, Beginning of the Women's Movement: Women's History Month, Part 12
March 12, 2021 08:00The movement for equal rights for women in the United States had its beginnings in the movement to abolish slavery. In both movements, women would encounter vociferous and sometimes violent opposition. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4281, Fanny Wright: Women's History Month, Part 11
March 11, 2021 08:00Fanny Wright was radical by the standards of her time. She was a writer and social activist who campaigned for equal rights for women, free and secular public education for both boys and girls, and the abolition of slavery, among other social and political issues. Wright was a fierce advocate of equality. She was friends with Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette, conversing with them about political philosophy, and she admired the American experiment with self-government. Cen...
60-Second Civics: Episode 4280, Mercy Otis Warren: Women's History Month, Part 10
March 10, 2021 08:00Mercy Otis Warren was a playwright, poet, historian, and Anti-Federalist political commentator during the American Revolution. She was a talented writer, admired for her skill and her dedication to the principles of natural rights behind the Revolution. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4279, Margaret Todd Whetten: Women's History Month, Part 9
March 09, 2021 08:00Margaret Todd Whetten and her daughters provided food, clothing, and support to American prisoners in New York City, despite being called by one British jailer the "damndest rebels in New York." They provided a safe refuge for American spies in their home, saving them from capture and certain hanging. As as result, her house became known as the "rebel headquarters." Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4278, Women During the Revolutionary War: Women's History Month, Part 8
March 08, 2021 08:00Women served the American cause in many ways during the Revolutionary War, even as combatants. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4277, The Daughters of Liberty: Women's History Month, Part 7
March 07, 2021 08:00At the start of the American Revolution, women patriots organized into a group known as the Daughters of Liberty. Like their male counterparts, the Sons of Liberty, women took action, such as boycotts, to protest British policies. For example, they replace imported British tea with "liberty tea," made from leaves, herbs, fruits, and flowers, like goldenrod. Without women's adherence to the boycotts, they would not have been effective. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4276, Native American Women in the Colonial Era: Women's History Month, Part 6
March 06, 2021 08:00Europeans were surprised that Native American women had so much power and influence, particularly within the Haudenosaunee nations. In those nations, women held political power within the tribes, appointing and removing chiefs at their discretion. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4275, Nanye'hi: Women's History Month, Part 5
March 05, 2021 08:00Despite being known as the "War Woman of Chota," Nanye'hi, also known as Nancy Ward, was a Cherokee woman who would work for much of her life to ensure peace between the Cherokees and the Americans, while attempting to prevent the further seizure of Cherokee land. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4274, Elizabeth Freeman: Women's History Month, Part 4
March 04, 2021 08:00Elizabeth Freeman, also known as Mum Bett, escaped slavery in a way that was unusual: she took her case to court. She approached lawyer Theodore Sedgwick with this question: "I heard that paper read yesterday that says 'all men are born equal,' and that every man has a right to freedom ... won't the law give me my freedom?" Appealing to her natural rights and her rights under the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, she sued for her freedom and won. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4273, Ona Judge: Women's History Month, Part 3
March 03, 2021 08:00Ona Judge escaped George and Martha Washington's household, where she was an enslaved housemaid, and made her way to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she eluded George Washington's determined attempts to capture her. She made a new life for herself in New Hampshire, marrying and having three children. Her side of her remarkable story survives because she gave interviews to at least two abolitionist newspapers. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4272, Coverture and the Colonial Era: Women's History Month, Part 2
March 02, 2021 08:00A married woman living during the American colonial era would have lived under the legal doctrine called "coverture," where her legal identity was subsumed under that of her husband. William Blackstone wrote, "By marriage, the husband and wife are one person in the law: that is, the very being or legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage, or at least is incorporated and consolidated into that of the husband: under whose wing, protection, and cover, she performs every thing...
60-Second Civics: Episode 4271, The Struggle for Equality: Women's History Month, Part 1
March 01, 2021 08:00It's Women's History Month! All this month, 60-Second Civics will explain the struggle for equal rights for women and how our Constitution and laws evolved to make our nation a more representative democracy. In this episode, we briefly trace the struggle of women for equal voting rights in the United States. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4270, Mass Incarceration: Black History Month, Part 28
February 28, 2021 08:00According to today's guest, Hernandez Stroud, counsel for the Justice Program of the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law, mass incarceration has "decimated the lives of black and brown people and communities." Learn more about the problem of mass incarceration and how it began on today's extra-long bonus episode of the 60-Second Civics podcast. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4269, Brown v. Board of Education: Black History Month, Part 27
February 27, 2021 08:00On today's extra-long episode, special guest Hernandez Stroud, counsel for the Justice Program of the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law, explains the historical context of the two Brown v. Board of Education decisions. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4268, Thurgood Marshall: Black History Month, Part 26
February 26, 2021 08:00Thurgood Marshall was the first African American justice appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Learn about his remarkable life as told by Hernandez Stroud, counsel for the Justice Program of the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4267, Highlander Folk School: Black History Month, Part 25
February 25, 2021 08:00The Highlander Folk School in Tennessee trained many civil rights activists in the 1950s. It established the Citizenship Training Program, also known as Citizenship Schools, which educated hundreds of African Americans in the South about their voting rights and how to take political action in the 1950s and 1960s. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4266, The Civil Rights Movement: Black History Month, Part 24
February 24, 2021 08:00The civil rights movement, which was led by African Americans, involved men and women of many backgrounds and ethnicities who took to the streets to end segregation and to press for civil, political, and economic rights for African Americans. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4265, Rosa Parks: Black History Month, Part 23
February 23, 2021 08:00Rosa Parks is best known for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, but she fought against injustice her entire life. Center for Civic Education