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 4016, Personal, Political, and Economic Rights
June 19, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteThere are three categories of rights that are important to democracy and to American citizens: personal rights, political rights, and economic rights. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4015, Legal Permanent Residents
June 18, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteLegal permanent residents enjoy most of the rights of citizens. An adult permanent resident may apply for citizenship after living in the United States legally for five years. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4014, Citizenship
June 17, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteIn the United States, there are no degrees or classes of citizenship. In this country, citizenship does not depend on a person's race, gender, or ethnic origin. Every citizen is a full member of the political community. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4013, The Spread of American Ideas
June 16, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteDuring the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the American ideal of self-government spread around the world. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4012, Constitutional Powers to Deal With Other Countries
June 15, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteEach branch of the U.S. government has certain powers that come from the Constitution. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4011, The United Nations
June 14, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteIn the aftermath of World War II, fifty nations gathered together in San Francisco to create the United Nations. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4010, How Nations Interact
June 13, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteToday, the nations of the world are increasingly dependent on each other. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4009, International Law
June 12, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteInternational law consists of those rules that regulate how countries behave toward one another. It is usually made by treaties that nation-states make among themselves. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4008, The Indispensable Foundation of Individual Freedom
June 11, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteDue process of law involves two government responsibilities: (1) to protect the rights of an individual who may have broken the law, and (2) to protect everyone else from people who break the law and endanger the lives, liberty, or property of others. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4007, Due Process in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments
June 10, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteThe Fifth Amendment says, "No Person shall ... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." This applies to the federal government. The Fourteenth Amendment includes actions by the states. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4006, Due Process of Law
June 09, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteThe due process clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments are intended to guarantee that government will use fair procedures when gathering information and making decisions that affect our rights to life, liberty, and property. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4005, The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
June 08, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteIn August of 1963, thousands of Americans marched in Washington, D.C. in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, which segregation in public places, such as restaurants and hotels. When African Americans won these civil rights after years of struggle, other groups began to call for equal protection. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4004, The Civil Rights Movement
June 07, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteThe civil rights movement began in the 1950s, seeking change to unjust laws and practices that treated African Americans unfairly and unequally. People marched in the streets, wrote letters to Congress asking for stronger laws, and held boycotts. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4003, Brown v. Board of Education
June 06, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteIn the 1954 case of Brown v. Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court said that placing African American children in schools separate from white children denied them the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4002, Plessy v. Ferguson
June 05, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteThe 1896 Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Ferguson allowed states to practice segregation for almost sixty years. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4001, Unfair Treatment of African Americans
June 04, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 Byte"No State shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." But even with the constitutional protections of the Fourteenth Amendment after the Civil War, African Americans were treated unfairly. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4000, Voting in the States
June 03, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteThe states, although limited by the Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act, still make some decisions regarding voting rights. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3999, Voting Age Lowered to Eighteen
June 02, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteDuring the Vietnam War, thousands of Americans were drafted to fight in souteast Asia, but many of these same troops had no right to vote because they were younger than 21. This all changed with the Twenty-sixth Amendment. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3998, Native Americans Gain the Right to Vote
June 01, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteBecause Native Americans were not initially recognized as American citizens, they did not have the right to vote. This changed only in 1924 with the Indian Citizenship Act. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3997, Women's Struggle for the Right to Vote
May 31, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteGaining the right to vote for women was a long, slow process. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3996, The Long Struggle for Voting Rights for African Americans
May 30, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteEven after the Civil War Amendments were passed, the rights of African Americans to full citizenship, including voting rights, was often denied. Learn about the long struggle for voting rights for African Americans on today's podcast. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3995, The Right to Vote Denied to African Americans
May 29, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteSome states after the Civil War passed laws that made it impossible for African Americans to vote, these laws included literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and poll taxes. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3994, Civil War Amendments
May 28, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteThe Civil War Amendments are the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution. They abolished slavery, granted full citizenship to African Americans, and guaranteed the right to vote to men regardless of their "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Despite these constitutional guarantees, it would be a long time before African Americans were able to fully exercise the rights of citizenship. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3993, Dorr Rebellion
May 27, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteThe little-known Dorr Rebellion took place in Rhode Island in 1841-42. Thomas Wilson Dorr convened a so-called "People's Convention" that drafted a new state constitution enfranchising all white men, rather than just those white men who owed property. The insurrection was quickly put down. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3992, The Right to Vote Severely Restricted in the Early Republic
May 26, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteIn the early years of the American republic, only a narrow group of people were allowed to vote. Restrictions on voting would reduce, but it would take nearly two centuries before suffrage for all adults was achieved. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3991, Religion in Public Education
May 25, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteOn today's 60-Second Civics, we explore an always-controversial topic in American public life: whether religious teaching should be supported in public schools. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3990, Limits to Free Exercise of Religion
May 24, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteEven though it is one of the most cherished liberties enjoyed by Americans, your freedom to practice your religious beliefs can be limited. For example, government can require that children be vaccinated against specific contagious diseases before being admitted to public school, even if that violates the religious beliefs of the children's parents. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3989, Conflicts about Freedom of Religion
May 23, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteAmericans disagree about what the establishment and free exercise clauses of the Constitution mean. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3988, Freedom of Religion
May 22, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteFreedom of religion is an important part of the First Amendment to the Constitution. On today's podcast we learn about two parts of religious freedom: the establishment clause and the free exercise clause. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3987, Tinker v. Des Moines
May 21, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteDuring the Vietnam War, several high school students war black armbands to protest the war. They were suspended from school and took their case to court, ending in a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. How did the Court rule? Find out on today's 60-Second Civics. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3986, Limits to Freedom of Expression
May 20, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteMany people believe that freedom of expression is necessary for the protection of all our individual freedoms, but there are some cases when free expression can be limited. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3985, How Freedom of Expression Benefits Democracy
May 19, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteFreedom of expression, which is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, has many benefits, including increasing the chances of getting accurate information and having the ability to influence public opinion by persuasion without resorting to violence. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3984, Two Benefits of Freedom of Expression
May 18, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteFreedom of expression has many benefits. The Founders of the United States believed that the right to hold and express one's beliefs was essential if citizens were to participate in the affairs of government. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3983, Freedom of Expression
May 17, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteThe First Amendment to our Constitution protects our freedom of expression. It says, "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3982, How Supreme Court Justices Decide Cases
May 16, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteJustices of the U.S. Supreme Court consider a number of factors when deciding cases. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3981, Modernism or Instrumentalism
May 15, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteThe modernism or instrumentalism method of interpreting the Constitution asks Supreme Court justices to take into consideration today's social values and needs when deciding constitutional issues. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3980, Fundamental Principles
May 14, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteOne method available to Supreme Court justices to interpret the Constitution is to refer to the fundamental principles that our Constitution is based on. These principles include natural rights philosophy, constitutionalism, republican government, and limited government. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3979, Original Intent
May 13, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteOne method of constitutional interpretation is to examine the intention the Framers of the Constitution had when writing the document. This method is often called original intent or original history. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3978, Textualism, Literalism, or Strict Construction
May 12, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteAdvocates for using the plain meaning of the words of the Constitution to resolve differences about interpretation of the document say that this method keeps the Supreme Court neutral and makes the law certain and predictable. Detractors say that even the Framers disagreed about what the words in the Constitution meant. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3977, Four Methods of Constitutional Interpretation
May 11, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteThere are four basic methods the Supreme Court uses to interpret the Constitution. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3976, Marshall's Reasoning in the Marbury Case
May 10, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteOn today's podcast, we learn how Chief Justice John Marshall justified the Supreme Court's power of judicial review over acts of Congress. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3975, Marbury v. Madison
May 09, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteWilliam Marbury thought he had a right to a job given to him by John Adams. The Supreme Court agreed. But then it did something that would firmly establish its power of judicial review. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3974, Judicial Review over State Governments
May 08, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteToday's podcast describes judicial review and gives an example of how it works. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3973, Who Interprets the Constitution?
May 07, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteToday's episode covers a big topic, the power to decide what the Constitution means and whether laws and actions of government violate the Constitution. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3972, Advantages of Political Parties
May 06, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteTired of partisan bickering? On today's podcast, we learn about three ways that political parties are useful to our nation. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3971, The Revolution of 1800
May 05, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteDespite the bitterness of the presidential contest between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, the election of 1800 marked a milestone in the history of democratic rule. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3970, The Alien and Sedition Acts
May 04, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteBy the election of 1796, there was serious hostility between the Federalists and the Republicans. The Alien and Sedition Acts outraged the Republicans. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3969, John Jay's Unpopular Treaty
May 03, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteJohn Jay negotiated a treaty with the British that was deeply unpopular with Americans. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3968, Americans Take Sides in the War Between France and Great Britain
May 02, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteIn 1793, war broke out between France and Great Britain, raising the level of tension between the Federalists, who sought closer ties with the British, and the Republicans, who sought closer ties with the French. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 3967, The Bank of the United States
May 01, 2020 07:00 - 1 minute - 1 ByteAlexander Hamilton advised President George Washington that the necessary and proper clause of the Constitution gave government the power to create a Bank of the United States. Thomas Jefferson disagreed. Eventually, Washington decided in favor of Hamilton. Center for Civic Education