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 4586, Dr. Carla Hayden's Advice to Young Women Considering Public Service: Women's History Month, Part 31
March 31, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteToday, 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 4585, Dr. Carla Hayden on Becoming the Librarian of Congress: Women's History Month, Pt 30
March 30, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteDr. 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 4584, Dr. Carla Hayden on Resources from the Library of Congress: Women's History Month, Pt 29
March 29, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteOn 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 4583, Advice to Young People Considering Public Service: Women's History Month, Part 28
March 28, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteToday 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 4582, Judge Mae D'Agostino on Barriers to Women Entering the Legal Profession: Women's History Month, Part 27
March 27, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteOn 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 4581, Judge Mae D'Agostino on Serving as a U.S. District Court Judge: Women's History Month, Part 26
March 26, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteOn this 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 4580, The Equal Rights Amendment: Women's History Month, Part 25
March 25, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteThe Equal Rights Amendment was first proposed in 1923. Its ratification is still in limbo, with several states having rescinded their original ratification. It says, andquot;Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.andquot; Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4579, The Nineteenth Amendment: Women's History Month, Part 24
March 24, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteAfter 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 4578, The Woman Suffrage Procession of 1913: Women's History Month, Part 23
March 23, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteOne 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 4577, Mary Church Terrell: Women's History Month, Part 22
March 22, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteMary Church Terrell was an African American educator, women's rights campaigner, and civil rights activist. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4576, Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin: Women's History Month, Part 21
March 21, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteMarie 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 4575, Ida Tarbell: Women's History Month, Part 20
March 20, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteIda 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 4574, Ida B. Wells: Women's History Month, Part 19
March 19, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteIda 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 4573, Susan B. Anthony: Women's History Month, Part 18
March 18, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteAfter her trial for having voted in an 1872 election, Susan B. Anthony explained to the judge the implications of her conviction: andquot;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.andquot; Today, women in Rochester, New York, cover her grave with andquot;I Votedandquot; stickers. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4572, Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Women's History Month, Part 17
March 17, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteElizabeth 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 4571, The Seneca Falls Convention: Women's History Month, Part 16
March 16, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteIn 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 4570, The Forten Sisters: Women's History Month, Part 15
March 15, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteMargaretta, 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 4569, Lucretia Mott: Women's History Month, Part 14
March 14, 2022 07:00 - 1 minuteLucretia 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 4568, Sarah and Angelina Grimke: Women's History Month, Part 13
March 13, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteSarah 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 andquot;promiscuousandquot; 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...
60-Second Civics: Episode 4567, Beginning of the Women's Movement: Women's History Month, Part 12
March 12, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThe 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 4566, Federalism and Limited Government: Democratic Norms, Part 5
March 11, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteFederalism and limited government are principles that ensure that the American political system protects liberty and natural rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as outlined in the Declaration of Independence. Listen to learn more from Dr. Bose in this final episode of the series! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4565, Separation of Powers: Checks and Balances: Democratic Norms, Part 4
March 10, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteTo ensure that no individual or institution would have too much power in the American republic, the Framers of the Constitution designed a system of separation of powers and checks and balances. Learn more about these important checks on the power of government in this episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4564, The Rule of Law: Democratic Norms, Part 3
March 09, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteWhat makes a democracy function is the premise that no one is above the rule of law. But what does that mean? Learn more from Dr. Bose in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4563, Civic Participation: Democratic Norms, Part 2
March 08, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteCivic participation undergirds American democracy. In fact, it is what makes American democracy thrive. Listen to Dr. Meena Bose explain this important democratic norm in this episode. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4562, Representative Government: Democratic Norms, Part 1
March 07, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteToday we start the first of our five-day series on democratic norms with Dr. Meena Bose, the Peter S. Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies and Executive Dean for Public Policy and Public Service Programs at Hofstra University. In our first episode, Dr. Bose discusses representative government, which is a fundamental feature of American democracy. Listen to learn more! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4561, Native American Women in the Colonial Era: Women's History Month, Part 6
March 06, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteEuropeans 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 4560, Nanye'hi: Women's History Month, Part 5
March 05, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteDespite 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 4559, Elizabeth Freeman: Women's History Month, Part 4
March 04, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteElizabeth 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: andquot;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?andquot; Appealing to her natural rights and her rights under the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, she sued for her freedom and won. Center for Civic Educa...
60-Second Civics: Episode 4558, Ona Judge: Women's History Month, Part 3
March 03, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteOna 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 4557, Coverture and the Colonial Era: Women's History Month, Part 2
March 02, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteA 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 4556, The Struggle for Equality: Women's History Month, Part 1
March 01, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteIt'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 4556, The Struggle for Equality: Women's History Month, Part 1
March 01, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteIt'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 4555, Sojourner Truth: Black History Month, Part 14
February 28, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteSojourner Truth was a determined woman. She fled slavery, successfully sued to have her son returned to her in New York after he had been illegally sold to a slaveholder, and made a new life for herself. Truth was a prolific social activist, producing an autobiography, speaking out against slavery, and advocating for the right of women to vote. Two hundred years after her death, a robotic exploration vehicle called Sojourner, named after her, would land on Mars. Center for Civic Educa...
60-Second Civics: Episode 4554, The Importance of Civic Education: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 10
February 25, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteIn the final episode of our series with Dr. Ross-Norris, we ask: Why is civic education important? Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4553, How Young People Can Address Injustice: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 9
February 24, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteIn this episode, we ask Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris: How can young people get involved in addressing injustices today? She explains the importance of making your voice heard and of support from older generations. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4552, Traveling to Ghana: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 8
February 23, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteWhile in college, Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris took a trip to Ghana that gave her and her classmates the opportunity to explore another culture and connect with their heritage. Listen to learn more about her experience! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4551, Racism and Policing in the 1940s: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 7
February 22, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteDr. Ross-Norris recounts an encounter her family had with the police while driving through South Carolina at night. Her experiences bring to light issues with racism and policing during that time Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4550, Important Figures in the Civil Rights Movement: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 6
February 21, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThroughout her life, Dr. Ross-Norris has interacted with several prominent civil rights leaders, including Dr. Dorothy Height and Rev. Fauntroy. Learn more how these figures inspired the next generation of civil rights leaders in today's episode. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4549, Maya Angelou and Her Role as a Citizen: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 5
February 18, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteMaya Angelou, an African American poet and civil rights activist, used her artistic abilities to communicate the Black experience and serve as an instrument for others to understand African American culture. Listen as Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris recounts her interactions with Maya Angelou in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4549, Maya Angelou & Her Role as a Citizen: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 5
February 18, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteMaya Angelou, an African American poet and civil rights activist, used her artistic abilities to communicate the Black experience and serve as an instrument for others to understand African American culture. Listen as Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris recounts her interactions with Maya Angelou in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4548, Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 4
February 17, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteToday we ask our guest Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris: Why are historically black colleges and universities important? In the episode, she shares her experience as a Howard University alumna and how attending an HBCU was significant to her as an African American. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4547, The Tuskegee Airmen: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 3
February 16, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteIn today's episode, Dr. Ross-Norris talks about the Tuskegee Airmen, a group her father belonged to and who taught her important lessons about civics and being an American. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4546, Learning About the African American Experience: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 2
February 15, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteIn February, we celebrate Black History Month. Today we ask Dr. Ross-Norris: Why should all Americans learn about the African American experience? Listen to learn why! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4545, Slavery & Our Nation's Founding: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 1
February 14, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThis week, we are joined by a very special guest, Vicki Ross-Norris, an actress, educator, and member of the Center for Civic Education's board of directors. In our first episode, we ask her: Given that many of the Framers of the Constitution were slaveholders, how should Americans think about our nation's founding? Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4545, Slavery and Our Nation's Founding: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 1
February 14, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThis week, we are joined by a very special guest, Vicki Ross-Norris, an actress, educator, and member of the Center for Civic Education's board of directors. In our first episode, we ask her: Given that many of the Framers of the Constitution were slaveholders, how should Americans think about our nation's founding? Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4544, The Underground Railroad: Black History Month, Part 13
February 13, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThe Underground Railroad was a system of escape routes, safehouses, and committed anti-slavery activists who helped enslaved people escape to freedom in Canada. Thousands fled to freedom thanks to this multiracial movement led by free African Americans. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4543, Harriet Tubman: Black History Month, Part 12
February 12, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteHarriet Tubman's story is truly inspiring. Born a slave, she escaped to freedom, but later led dozens others to their freedom through the human network known as the Underground Railroad. When the Civil War began, she served as a spy, a nurse, and a guide. But that wasn't all. After the war, she advocated for the right of women to vote. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4541, Fugitive Slave Clause: Black History Month, Part 10
February 10, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThe fugitive slave clause was another compromise the Framers of the Constitution made to ensure that the Southern states would ratif the Constitution. This clause required that enslaved people who escaped be returned to the person who claimed them. This applied even to states where slavery would be outlawed, which would later stoke the outrage of abolitionists and raise tension between the North and the South. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4540, Three-Fifths Compromise: Black History Month, Part 9
February 09, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThe Three-Fifths Compromise counted enslaved people for purposes of representation, not to protect the interests of the enslaved people, but to advance the interests of the slaveholders. Here is how it happened: the Framers of the Constitution agreed that there should be proportional representation in the House of Representatives, but disagreed on whether to count enslaved people for purposes of representation. Southern states held many enslaved people in bondage, but Northern states held few...
60-Second Civics: Episode 4539, The Constitution and Slavery: Black History Month, Part 8
February 08, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteMany of the Framers of the Constitution were ashamed of slavery, and carefully avoided using the words "slave" or "slavery" in the document. Nevertheless, the Framers protected slavery in the Constitution in order to accommodate the Southern states, which threatened to refuse to join the Union. Center for Civic Education