Civil Discourse
233 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsThis podcast uses government documents to illuminate the workings of the American government, and offer context around the effects of government agencies in your everyday life.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
FDA, part 1: Application Process
February 21, 2023 17:02 - 55 minutes - 30.3 MBIn this first of a three part series, Aughie walks Nia through the application process for obtaining permission to produce a new drug or medical device.
In the News: Slow SCOTUS
February 21, 2023 17:01 - 13 minutes - 7.06 MBNia and Aughie explore the reasons why the U.S. Supreme Court has released only two opinions since October when their session began.
In the News: Objects in the Sky
February 21, 2023 17:00 - 8 minutes - 4.56 MBAughie and Nia briefly touch on the objects in American or Canadian airspace that have been brought down by the U.S. military.
Zip Codes
February 14, 2023 17:00 - 43 minutes - 23.3 MBNia and Aughie explore the history and assignment of zip codes by the U.S. federal government. They also discuss the largely failed implementation of the "extra four digits".
In the News: Presidential Records 2
February 07, 2023 17:01 - 32 minutes - 17.5 MBNia and Aughie discuss the continuing issue of Presidential and Vice-Presidential classified documents being found in inappropriate locations. They further discuss the need for regulations to be simplified and the classification scheme to be applied more carefully.
Government Numbers
February 07, 2023 17:00 - 58 minutes - 31.7 MBAughie and Nia start the regular season of episodes with a discussion of how the government used to assign Social Security Numbers and Employer Identification Numbers. They also talk about the legislative and social history of these important nine-digit numbers.
In the News: The Dobbs Leak Report
January 31, 2023 17:00 - 39 minutes - 20.5 MBAughie and Nia catch up on the results of the SCOTUS investigation of the leak of the Dobbs opinion draft in 2022. The Marshall of the Court released a 20 page report this week detailing the investigation and results.
In the News: The Debt Ceiling
January 24, 2023 17:01 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MBNia and Aughie discuss the debt ceiling and the current issues being faced in Congress with raising the debt ceiling. Aughie also discusses historical approaches to the U.S. debt.
In The News: Presidential Records Act
January 24, 2023 17:00 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBAughie and Nia start the new season with a discussion of recent Presidential records issues. Both President Trump and President Biden have been entangled with the National Archives in potential violations of the Presidential Records Act of 1978.
The Department of Homeland Security
December 27, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 31.8 MBIn response to the terrorist attacks on the United states on September 11, 2001, the last department (in the series thus far) was created - the Department of Homeland Security. DHS is made up of 22 agencies gathered together to address a wide array of issues, from cybersecurity to border security to transportation safety. Aughie and Nia discuss the controversies and complications surrounding the Department of Homeland Security from inception to current administrative practices.
The Department of Veterans Affairs
December 20, 2022 17:00 - 56 minutes - 29.9 MBTaking care of American military veterans began in the colonial era, after the Revolutionary War. In 1811, the federal government authorized housing and medical facilities. After each major war, Veterans' benefits were expanded, from establishing state level homes to the GI Bill after World War II. Eventually these programs were placed in a Veterans Bureau. The Veterans Bureau was elevated to a Department in 1989 by President Ronald Reagan. Aughie and Nia explore the history and con...
In the News: Railroad Strike Averted
December 15, 2022 17:00 - 30 minutes - 15.3 MBAughie and Nia discuss the recent Congressional decision to avert a railroad strike.
The Department of Education
December 14, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 33.6 MBAs with previous departments, the Department of Education was re-created recently, but goes back to 1867, when President Andrew Johnson signed legislation creating the first Department of Education. That original agency's main purpose was to collect information about the nation's schools. Thought to be potentially too powerful, the department was demoted to Office of Education until 1979, when it was re-established as a department. Aughie covers a few controversies and secretaries a...
The Department of Energy
December 13, 2022 17:00 - 50 minutes - 26.4 MBNia and Aughie move on to the lucky 13th department, the Department of Energy, formed in 1977. While it might seem like a recent department, Energy can trace its beginning agencies back to the Manhattan Project in World War II. The energy crisis of the 1970's also strongly influenced the bipartisan support for the creation of the DoE. Aughie covers the department's prominent secretaries and some criticisms leveled at the department.
In the News: Kyrsten Sinema
December 13, 2022 17:00 - 11 minutes - 5.87 MBNia and Aughie explore the recent decision by Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona to change her party affiliation from Democrat to Independent.
The Department of Transportation
November 29, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 33.7 MBThe next department in the series is also part of the Great Society, the Department of Transportation (DoT). Aughie explains how the many subagencies of the department work together in various ways to support public transportation, from the Federal Aviation Administration to the Federal Highway Administration. Aughie also reminds listeners that this department is a particularly good example of cooperative federalism. Discussion ends with secretaries and criticisms of the department...
In the News: Elections
November 23, 2022 17:00 - 40 minutes - 21 MBAughie and Nia discuss the statistics and implications of the 2022 midterm elections.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development
November 22, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 37.3 MBIn 1965, we got the next department, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as part of President Johnson's Great Society. Nia and Aughie discuss the needs of the nation to find ways toward homeownership, fair housing, and assistance to the working poor to mitigate the costs associated with housing. They also discuss the secretaries and the criticisms of the department.
In the News: SCOTUS and Affirmative Action
November 15, 2022 17:01 - 30 minutes - 15.3 MBNia and Aughie discuss the recent Supreme Court hearings involving two cases from the Students for Fair Admissions versus Harvard (one case) and SFFA versus UNC (second case). The universities in these cases, heard together, argued that race may be considered in admissions to increase diversity of the student body. The SFFA argued that preference granted to one race for admissions by necessity brings inequity for other races.
The Department of HEW/HHS
November 15, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 40.7 MBAughie and Nia move on to the next department in the series, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, later the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). From Head Start to Medicare, HHS touches American lives from cradle to grave. Aughie covers the sprawling nature of the department, and then Nia and Aughie spend a fair bit of the episode discussing controversies and politics surrounding HHS.
In the News: Ye and Hate Speech
November 08, 2022 17:01 - 32 minutes - 17.5 MBNia and Aughie discuss government intervention, Supreme Court rulings, and hate speech. in light of recent anti-semitic comments made by Ye West.
The Department of Labor
November 08, 2022 17:00 - 57 minutes - 30.7 MBAughie and Nia discuss the Department of Labor as the next in the series. The Bureau of Labor was initially part of the Department of Interior, then its own Bureau but not part of the Cabinet, and then part of the Department of Commerce and Labor, and then in 1913 it becomes its own Department with a Cabinet Secretary as the head. From this convoluted start to the present, the Department of Labor has had to balance union and labor rights with employer desires to maximize profits. A...
The Department of Commerce
November 02, 2022 01:00 - 1 hour - 34.1 MBNia and Aughie tackle the next department, the Department of Commerce. Originally formed as the Department of Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903, It later separated into two departments.. Aughie covers the vast part of the organization of the Department as well as focusing on the power-grabbing of various Secretaries of Commerce.
In the News: Rank Choice Voting
October 25, 2022 16:01 - 30 minutes - 15.8 MBAughie explains rank choice voting.
The Department of Agriculture
October 25, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 41.1 MBAughie and Nia move on to the next in the series, the Department of Agriculture. At its founding in 1862, the Department of Agriculture was referred to as "The People's Department" by President Abraham Lincoln. From food stamps to farm subsidies, Aughie also covers controversies and leadership of the Department of Agriculture through the years.
The Department of the Interior
October 18, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 36.4 MBNia and Aughie continue to discuss the Cabinet Departments, in this case the Department of the Interior. The Department of the Interior, founded in 1849, arose from the need to manage most of the lands, territories, and natural resources of the United States. The Department of the Interior manages 500 million acres of surface land, approximately 20% of all land in the United States. Aughie also touches on the organization of the department and some of the more notorious Secretaries ...
The Postmaster General
October 11, 2022 16:00 - 59 minutes - 31.4 MBAughie and Nia explore the position of Postmaster General from 1753 to modern times in this episode of the Cabinet departments. Aughie explains how the Postmaster General went from running a large patronage system to running a large corporation that funds its own retirement system separately from the rest of the federal government under the reorganization into the United States Postal Service in 1971.
The Department of Justice
October 04, 2022 16:00 - 56 minutes - 51.1 MBAughie and Nia move on to the next department in the series, the Department of Justice. They discuss the various Attorneys General, the structure of the Department of Justice, and interesting tidbits about the history, political intrigues, and the people who have served within the DoJ.
The Department of War/Defense, part B
September 27, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 37 MBNia and Aughie conclude with part B of two episodes regarding the 3rd of the Department Series, the Department of War/Defense. Aughie sees listeners through World War i and into the renaming to Department of Defense. The Pentagon, famous Secretaries of Defense, and controversies surrounding DoD are also explored.
The Department of War/Defense, part A
September 20, 2022 16:00 - 49 minutes - 26.7 MBAughie and Nia introduce part A of two episodes regarding the 3rd of the Department Series, the Department of War/Defense. Historians often place the early seeds of the department in the Revolutionary War. Aughie takes listeners through the history of the Department of War from 1789 to WWI.
The Department of the Treasury
September 13, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 42.2 MBNia and Aughie continue the Department series with part 2, the Department of the Treasury. They explore the Secretaries of the Treasury and their various roles and responsibilities throughout the years. The modern Department of the Treasury investigates counterfeiting schemes, mints money, and controls the Internal Revenue Service.
The Department of State
September 06, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 39.6 MBAughie and Nia start a new series discussing the cabinet level departments of the United States Government. The first episode starts with the first department created, the Department of Foreign Affairs. Two months later, it is renamed the Department of State, and Thomas Jefferson is named the Secretary of State. Aughie goes on to name notable Secretaries of State and changes to the department over time.
Summer of SCOTUS 2 Wrap Up: The Big Cases
August 09, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 35.3 MBThe second episode of the three part season ending series focuses on a few important rulings from the 21 – 22 term.
Summer of SCOTUS 2 Wrap Up Overview
August 09, 2022 16:00 - 38 minutes - 20.7 MBThe first of the three part season ender is an overview of the general statistics of the 21 – 22 term (vote rates, number of opinions written, etc.)
Summer of SCOTUS 2 Wrap Up: What's Next
August 09, 2022 16:00 - 46 minutes - 24 MBThe final episode of the three part finale of Season 10 explores the upcoming docket of the U.S. Supreme Court for the Oct 2022 through June 2023 term.
Summer of SCOTUS 2: The Myth of Merit, part 1
August 02, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 39 MBAughie and Nia discuss the educational backgrounds of the Justices, as well as their career backgrounds, political affiliations, and administrative experience. There are also several tangents taken.
Summer of SCOTUS 2: The Myth of Merit, part 2
August 02, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 38.8 MBAughie and Nia discuss the educational backgrounds of the Justices, as well as their career backgrounds, political affiliations, and administrative experience. There are also several tangents taken.
Summer of SCOTUS 2: Gravesites and Tombstones
July 26, 2022 16:00 - 49 minutes - 37.4 MBNia and Aughie discuss the tombstone epithets and gravesites of Supreme Court Justices.
Summer of SCOTUS 2: Tests, part 1
July 19, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 34.6 MBIn the first part, Aughie covers rational basis, intermediate scrutiny, strict scrutiny, void for vagueness, overbreadth, the Miller test, and the clear and present danger test.
Summer of SCOTUS 2: Tests, part 2
July 19, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 34.5 MBIn the second part, the Lemon test, the trimester framework, the undue burden standard and the Chevron test are covered, along with a discussion of intent.
Summer of SCOTUS 2: Religion
July 12, 2022 16:00 - 46 minutes - 27.5 MBNia and Aughie discuss the religious makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court, historically and currently.
Summer of SCOTUS 2: Interpersonal Relationships
July 05, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 37.1 MBAughie and Nia discuss the interpersonal relationships of Justices of the US Supreme Court. From friendships to enemies, some of the more interesting relationships are revealed.
Tennessee Valley Authority
May 17, 2022 16:00 - 56 minutes - 30.7 MBNia and Aughie discuss the Tennessee Valley Authority, a federally-owned electric utility corporation. The TVA also focused on economic development of the middle Appalachia region.
In the News - SCOTUS Leak
May 11, 2022 18:17 - 37 minutes - 20.5 MBAughie and Nia discuss the recent leak of an opinion out of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Works Progress Administration - Art
May 10, 2022 16:00 - 59 minutes - 33.4 MBAughie and Nia discuss the Works Progress Administrations programs to provide work opportunities for artists, actors, musicians, and writers during the Great Depression. They also discuss some of the criticisms of the WPA programs,
Works Progress Administration - Labor
May 03, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 33.5 MBNia and Aughie discuss the Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor programs to provide jobs and income to men and women during the Great Depression. These jobs often involved physical labor building and maintaining infrastructure.
Independent State Legislature Doctrine
April 26, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 34.4 MBAughie explains two clauses in the U.S. Constitution: Article II, Section 1 (the electors clause) and Article 1, Section 4 (the elections clause). Recent SCOTUS cases have called the meaning of "legislature" in these clauses into question.
In the News - Oil Reserves
April 21, 2022 16:00 - 26 minutes - 14.9 MBNia and Aughie discuss the Strategic Petroleum Reserves of the United States, and criticisms of it from all sides of the political spectrum.
Short 4 - Oil Reserves
April 21, 2022 16:00 - 26 minutes - 14.9 MBNia and Aughie discuss the Strategic Petroleum Reserves of the United States, and criticisms of it from all sides of the political spectrum.
Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon Accountability
April 19, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 33.8 MBNia and Aughie discuss the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon disasters in terms of accountability and settlements. They also explore the ideas around government accountability and conflict of interest between promoting industry and protecting the common good.