About the Podcast: 60-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.
Get Involved: Join the conversation about each episode on Twitter. Or you can contact the show by emailing Mark Gage. Let me know what you think!
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Music: The theme music for 60-Second Civics is provided by Cheryl B. Engelhardt. You can find her online at cbemusic.com. The song featured on the podcast is Cheryl B. Engelhardt's "Complacent," which you purchase on iTunes, along with all of Cheryl's music.
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60-Second Civics: Episode 4111, Abolitionists, Free Soilers, and Emancipation At the outset of the Civil War, public opinion in the North was generally unfavorable to immediate abolition.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4110, "If Slavery Is Not Wrong, Nothing Is Wrong" Abraham Lincoln's attitude to the slavery issue was complex. We'll learn why on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4109, The Corwin Amendment The Corwin Amendment was created in order to avoid the Civil War. It would have outlawed future amendments that abolished slavery. However, the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter began the Civil War, and the amendment was never ratified. Instead, in 1864 Abraham Lincoln began lobby for passage an amendment to abolish slavery.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4108, Abolition Movements in the United States A social culture of reform in pre-Civil War America was the fertile soil in which a variety of movements against slavery grew.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4106, Slavery Contradicted America's Founding Principles Slavery was in flat contradiction to the founding principles and animating spirit of the American republic born on July 4, 1776.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4105, Economic Context of the Civil War When the Civil War erupted in 1861, differences between the economies of North and South were directly relevant to the slavery issue.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4104, The Constitution on Slavery On today's podcast, we learn about three compromises on slavery that were added to the Constitution to get the support of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4102, The Civil War Amendments Today we begin a brief series examining the Civil War Amendments. These are the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4101, Freedom of the Press around the World Starting in the nineteenth century, the people of many nations began demanding the liberal freedoms associated with democracy.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4099, Freedom of the Press and New Forms of Communication Americans hold a deep respect for freedom of the press and free expression.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4098, The Growing Power of Media Americans have been avidly consuming news since the founding period, but news outlets haven't always been tremendously profitable.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4097, The Importance of Freedom of the Press in the Early Republic Freedom of the press has been important to Americans since the early republic.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4096, Prior Restraint How easy is it for the government to keep the news media from publishing sensitive government information? Find out on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4095, The Alien and Sedition Acts The Alien and Sedition Acts were passed under the administration of Federalist president John Adams. They outraged Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson, and contributed to Jefferson's victory in the presidential election of 1800.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4094, The Alien and Sedition Acts The Alien and Sedition Acts were passed under the administration of Federalist president John Adams. They outraged Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson, and contributed to Jefferson's victory in the presidential election of 1800.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4092, The Zenger Case Under British colonial rule in America, criticizing the government was known as seditious libel, and it was illegal. But in the case of John Peter Zenger, the jury was on his side.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4090, A Just and a Lasting Peace In Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln urged the nation to heal its wounds. He also expressed his hope that the nation may achieve a "just and lasting peace."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4089, Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln's elegant words in the Gettysburg Address signify his enduring legacy to the people of America.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4088, Abraham Lincoln and America's Founding Principles Abraham Lincoln believed that the Constitution was meant to fulfill the ideas of equality, liberty, and government by consent of the people contained in the Declaration of Independence.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4087, The Thirteenth Amendment Abraham Lincoln was opposed to slavery, but did not live to see the Thirteenth Amendment ratified.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4085, Abraham Lincoln on Slavery Although rightly remembered as the president who issued the Emancipation Proclamation and won the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln did not intend to abolish slavery at the outset of the war.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4084, Lincoln Takes Strong Action against the Rebellion During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus in order to better fight the rebellion. But not everything went Lincoln's way.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4083, Suspending the Writ of Habeas Corpus During the Civil War Chief Justice Roger B. Taney rules against Abraham Lincoln's aggressive use of war powers
60-Second Civics: Episode 4082, The Prize Cases The Prize Cases posed a constitutional test of Abraham Lincoln's use of war powers during an emergency.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4081, Congress Approves Lincoln's Actions Critics accused Abraham Lincoln of trampling on the Constitution, but he thought his actions were needed to save both the Union and the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4080, Lincoln Takes Immediate Action Against the Confederacy Abraham Lincoln acted swiftly when the Civil War began, but some people thought he had gone too far.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4078, Abraham Lincoln Elected President Abraham Lincoln lost his campaign for the Senate, but won the presidency two years later.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4077, Abraham Lincoln Opposes the Kansas-Nebraska Act The Kansas-Nebraska Act brought Abraham Lincoln back into politics and pushed the country closer to civil war.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4076, Abraham Lincoln Begins His Political Career Despite having less than one year of formal education, Abraham Lincoln became a lawyer and launched his political career.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4072, George Mason at the Virginia Ratification Convention George Mason made one fateful error at the Virginia Ratification Convention.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4071, George Mason Refuses to Sign the Constitution George Mason refused to sign the Constitution because it did not contain a bill of rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4070, George Mason Proposes the Bill of Rights When George Mason proposed that a bill of rights be added to the Constitution, not a single state delegation to the Philadelphia Convention voted in favor of Mason's motion. As a result, Mason refused to sign the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4069, Bernard Bailyn on Slavery in the Founding Period Should we hold America's founders to account for not outlawing slavery? We'll learn about one historian's views on the subject on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4068, The New York Manumission Society Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and William Livingston were outspoken opponents of slavery and were founding members of the New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4067, Slavery in the North Slavery was not confined to the South. Even in the late 1790s, one in five New York City households kept domestic slaves.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4066, Providence Punishes National Sins by National Calamities George Mason's aversion to slavery and his vigorous condemnation of the institution remained a constant throughout his life. Even so, Mason never freed the people he enslaved.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4064, Jefferson and Madison on Slavery Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Mason and other Founders agonized over slavery and what to do to bring about its end.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4061, Important Principles in the Virginia Declaration of Rights The Virginia Declaration of Rights laid out a number of important principles of American government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4060, The Virginia Declaration of Rights Among the important principles set forth in the Virginia Declaration of rights is that all power is derived from the people and that government officials are their trustees and servants.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4059, The Most Influential Constitutional Document in American History George Mason was the primary author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and its "Constitution and Form of Government." The Virginia Declaration of Rights influenced the Declaration of Independence, state constitutions, and the Bill of Rights
60-Second Civics: Episode 4058, The Fairfax Resolves George Mason, America's "forgotten founder," wrote the famous Fairfax Resolves in 1774, which were intended, as George Washington explained, to "defend our Constitutional Rights" and to set forth our fundamental principles.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4057, George Mason's Early Life Like many of America's founders, George Mason had many good attributes. Nevertheless, his legacy is tarnished by the fact that was a slaveholder, as were George Washington, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4056, George Mason, the Reluctant Statesman Most Americans know very little about George Mason, who was instrumental in getting the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution by the First Congress in 1791.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4055, George Mason, America's Forgotten Founder George Mason was a highly influential Virginian who had a "profound understanding of republican government," and yet he remains largely unknown to the American public. Find out about America's "Forgotten Founder" over the next several episodes of 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4054, George Washington's Rules of Civility Before he reached the age of sixteen, George Washington wrote down one hundred and ten "Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4053, George Washington's Views on Slavery George Washington owned slaves and took steps to return slaves who escaped. Nevertheless, he came to reject slavery, both for the human suffering it caused and on principle.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4052, George Washington Warns Against Party and Faction George Washington believed in the virtues of nonpartisan government, in which patriotic citizens of different views would be willing to serve together.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4051, How George Washington Established the Authority of the Presidency George Washington's vigorous policies established the president as an energetic leader, not a ceremonial figurehead.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4050, George Washington Relied on the Advice of Others As president, George Washington understood his own limitations and was not reluctant to rely upon the counsel of others.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4049, George Washington as President As president, George Washington demonstrated the value of a strong executive in the hands of a trustworthy person.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4048, George Washington, the Reluctant President Far from being eager for power as president, George Washington likened his feelings on once again taking up the burdens of public service to "those of a culprit who is going to the place of his execution."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4047, A Strong Executive George Washington did not participate in the public debates over ratification, although his support was widely known and had a strong influence.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4046, Washington's Support for Civilian Control of Government George Washington strongly supported the principle that the military is subordinate to civilian government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4045, Washington's Support for Civilian Control of Government George Washington strongly supported the principle that the military is subordinate to civilian government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4044, The Newburgh Conspiracy Late in the Revolutionary War, a group of officers planned to march on Congress, demanding their pay. George Washington deftly confronted the officers and thwarted their plans.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4043, George Washington the Soldier George Washington was a courageous and decisive soldier before and during the American Revolution. After independence was secured in 1783, Washington appeared before Congress and publicly resigned his military position, reinforcing the idea of civilian control of American government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4042, George Washington's Early Life Today we begin a short series on George Washington, who was perhaps the most influential leader in the creation of the American nation.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4041, James Madison and the Bill of Rights Although originally opposed to a Bill of Rights, James Madison became its strongest proponent
60-Second Civics: Episode 4040, Madison Supports Freedom of Religion in Virginia James Madison was a strong advocate for religious freedom and opposed the establishment of the Anglican church as a state-supported religion in Virginia.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4039, James Madison as a Champion for Religious Freedom James Madison was a champion of religious freedom, believing that official religions were wrong because such a policy discriminated against the non-favored religions.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4038, James Madison's Fears About Slavery James Madison was a slaveholder. Nevertheless, he denounced slavery as harmful for both enslaved people and those who held slaves.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4037, James Madison on Slavery James Madison remained persistent critic of slavery throughout his public career. Nevertheless, benefited from slave labor all his life.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4036, James Madison's Evolving Opinion of Political Parties James Madison was originally opposed to political parties, which he called factions, but changed his views. Learn how he later justified political parties on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4035, Mr. Madison's Party James Madison was originally opposed to political parties. That all changed when he decided to organize opposition to Alexander Hamilton's plans for the country.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4034, James Madison on Partisan Politics James Madison was not a huge fan of political parties. Find out why on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4033, If Men Were Angels, No Government Would Be Needed Acknowledging that if "men were angels" no government would be needed, James Madison argued that any government "administered by men over men" must be so constituted so as to control itself as well as the governed.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4032, James Madison's Federalist Essays James Madison's Federalist essays rank among the best political thought ever produced.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4031, James Madison's Federalist Essays James Madison's Federalist essays rank among the best political thought ever produced.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4030, James Madison, the Convention's Most Active Delegate James Madison played a very active role in the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, which drafted the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4029, James Madison's Views Did Not Always Prevail Despite being known as the Father of the Constitution, James Madison's views did not always prevail at the Philadelphia Convention.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4028, James Madison Drafts the Virginia Plan James Madison's Virginia Plan determined in large measure the direction the Philadelphia Convention would take.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4027, James Madison, Scholar and Politician Despite the fact that James Madison was a small, slightly built and shy man with a quiet voice, he make a big impression on the Philadelpha Convention of 1787, later becoming known as the "Father of the Constitution."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4026, James Madison's Early Career After college, James Madison had difficulty choosing a career, but he was drawn into the growing colonial resistance to the imperial policies of Great Britain.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4025, James Madison, Father of the Constitution James Madison was the fourth president of the United States. He combined the intellectual knowledge and creativity of the scholar with the practical savvy of the politician.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4024, Participation in Government Participation in government is in our self-interest. The amount of time spent participating will probably depend on how well we think our elected officials are doing.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4023, Social and Political Action There are two general ways that citizens can address problems in the community through participation in civic life: through social action and through political action.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4022, Civic Life Civic life is the public life of citizens. It is concerned with our own interests as well as the common interests of our community and nation.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4021, Civic Participation Civic participation means taking part in formal political processes and taking part in community activities outside of government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4020, Citizenship as an Office of Government Some people say that the office of citizen is the highest office of government because citizens are the source of government's authority.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4019, Civil Disobedience When laws or governmental actions conflict with a citizen's views of what is right and wrong, the citizen faces a difficult decision.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4018, Responsibilities of Citizens With the rights of citizens of the United States come certain responsibilities, which can be grouped into two categories: personal responsibilities and civic responsibilities.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4017, Some Rights Can Be Limited The rights of Americans are protected by the federal and state constitutions and bills of rights. However, it is reasonable and fair to place limits on most rights; they are not absolute.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4016, Personal, Political, and Economic Rights There are three categories of rights that are important to democracy and to American citizens: personal rights, political rights, and economic rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4015, Legal Permanent Residents Legal 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4014, Citizenship In 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4013, The Spread of American Ideas During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the American ideal of self-government spread around the world.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4012, Constitutional Powers to Deal With Other Countries Each branch of the U.S. government has certain powers that come from the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4011, The United Nations In the aftermath of World War II, fifty nations gathered together in San Francisco to create the United Nations.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4009, International Law International 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4008, The Indispensable Foundation of Individual Freedom Due 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4007, Due Process in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments The 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4006, Due Process of Law The 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4005, The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom In 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4004, The Civil Rights Movement The 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4003, Brown v. Board of Education In 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4002, Plessy v. Ferguson The 1896 Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Ferguson allowed states to practice segregation for almost sixty years.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4001, Unfair Treatment of African Americans "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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4000, Voting in the States The states, although limited by the Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act, still make some decisions regarding voting rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3999, Voting Age Lowered to Eighteen During 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3998, Native Americans Gain the Right to Vote Because 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3996, The Long Struggle for Voting Rights for African Americans Even 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3995, The Right to Vote Denied to African Americans Some 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3994, Civil War Amendments The 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3993, Dorr Rebellion The 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3992, The Right to Vote Severely Restricted in the Early Republic In 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3991, Religion in Public Education On today's 60-Second Civics, we explore an always-controversial topic in American public life: whether religious teaching should be supported in public schools.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3990, Limits to Free Exercise of Religion Even 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3989, Conflicts about Freedom of Religion Americans disagree about what the establishment and free exercise clauses of the Constitution mean.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3988, Freedom of Religion Freedom 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3987, Tinker v. Des Moines During 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3986, Limits to Freedom of Expression Many 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3985, How Freedom of Expression Benefits Democracy Freedom 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3984, Two Benefits of Freedom of Expression Freedom 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3983, Freedom of Expression The 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."
60-Second Civics: Episode 3982, How Supreme Court Justices Decide Cases Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court consider a number of factors when deciding cases.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3981, Modernism or Instrumentalism The 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3980, Fundamental Principles One 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3979, Original Intent One 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3978, Textualism, Literalism, or Strict Construction Advocates 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3977, Four Methods of Constitutional Interpretation There are four basic methods the Supreme Court uses to interpret the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3976, Marshall's Reasoning in the Marbury Case On today's podcast, we learn how Chief Justice John Marshall justified the Supreme Court's power of judicial review over acts of Congress.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3975, Marbury v. Madison William 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3973, Who Interprets the Constitution? Today's episode covers a big topic, the power to decide what the Constitution means and whether laws and actions of government violate the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3972, Advantages of Political Parties Tired of partisan bickering? On today's podcast, we learn about three ways that political parties are useful to our nation.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3971, The Revolution of 1800 Despite 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3970, The Alien and Sedition Acts By the election of 1796, there was serious hostility between the Federalists and the Republicans. The Alien and Sedition Acts outraged the Republicans.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3968, Americans Take Sides in the War Between France and Great Britain In 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3967, The Bank of the United States Alexander 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.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3966, Hamilton's Idea for a National Bank As secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton wanted to strengthen the nation's economy.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3965, Hamilton vs. Jefferson The views of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson about the powers of the federal government were often in conflict.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3964, The Rise of Political Parties The Framers of the Constitution were opposed to the idea of political parties. Find out why on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3962, The Creation of the Judicial Branch Article III of the Constitution provided for a U.S. Supreme Court and said that Congress could establish lower courts as needed.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3961, Washington's Cabinet George Washington, the nation's first president, could not run the executive branch alone. To help Washington fulfill his responsibilities, Congress created three departments: the Department of State, the Department of War, and the Department of the Treasury.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3960, The Nation's First President George Washington had a strong sense of civic responsibility and felt that it was his duty to serve his country.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3959, Compromise on a Bill of Rights The Federalists and Anti-Federalists disagreed over whether a bill of rights is needed for the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3958, Would the National Government Have Too Much Power? During the debates over ratification of the Constitution, Federalists and Anti-Federalists disagreed over whether the national government would have too much power.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3957, Would the Constitution Maintain Republican Government? One area of contention between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists was over the question of whether the Constitution would maintain republican government. The Federalists argued that it would; the Anti-Federalists argued that it would not.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3956, Three Basic Disagreements over Ratification The debates between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists over ratification of the Constitution lasted for ten months. It was an intense and sometimes bitter political struggle.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3955, Meet the Anti-Federalists The Anti-Federalists feared that flaws they saw in the Constitution would be a threat to their natural rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3954, Meet the Federalists The Federalists were the people who supported ratifying the Constitution. They had a few advantages over the Anti-Federalists.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3953, James Madison's Plan for Ratification The Framers knew that they had to get the Constitution approved, so they relied on social contract theory. The people would have to ratify the Constitution in special conventions in each state. The Constitution would be in effect after it had been ratified by the conventions of nine of the thirteen states.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3952, James Madison's Plan for Ratification James Madison wanted the Constitution to be ratified, and he knew it might not be if Congress or state legislatures were asked to approve it. So, he came up with a plan.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3951, The Balance of Power Today, the federal government has far more power over the state governments than most of the Framers of the Constitution could have imagined.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3950, The Supremacy Clause The Framers of the Constitution agreed that the powers of the federal government were to be greater than the powers of the state governments. This is clearly stated in the supremacy clause of Article VI of the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3949, Constitutional Limits on the Power of Government A constitutional government means that the powers of government are limited. The U.S. Constitution limits the powers of both the federal and state governments.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3948, Federalism in Practice As citizens of the United States, the people delegate certain powers to the national government. As citizens of the various states, the people delegate certain powers to their state governments. The people have kept certain rights or powers and have not delegated them to any government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3947, Federalism Federalism is the practice of dividing and sharing the powers of government between a central government and regional governments such as state governments.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3946, The People Are Sovereign Today's podcast explains one of the fundamental ideas behind American government: popular sovereignty.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3945, Unitary and Confederal Systems In a unitary system of government, a central government controls the state and local governments. In a confederation, the states are independent and have control of anything that affects their citizens and territory.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3944, The Supremacy Clause What is the supreme law of the land? And what happens with the U.S. Constitution conflicts with a state law? Find out on today's 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3943, Original and Appellate Jurisdiction Do you know the difference between original an appellate jurisdiction? Find out on today's 60-Second Civics podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3942, The Judicial Branch Article III of the Constitution establishes the judicial branch. A national judiciary was needed to decide disputes between state governments and between citizens of two or more states; it was also needed for disputes between the national government and a state or a citizen.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3941, Origin of the Electoral College The Electoral College was created because the Framers of the Constitution were concerned that the people would not know enough about the candidates to make good choices. They were also concerned that the people might not always have the wisdom to select the best person for president.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3940, The Framers Debate How to Select a President The Framers of the Constitution wanted a president who would be like George Washington, in fact, the expected Washington to be the first president. Washington was patriotic, honest, devoted to the public good, and not interested in using power for his own advantage. But they knew that no president would be a saint, so they discussed how to select future presidents who would be as qualified as Washington.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3939, Impeachment The process of impeachment is an important way to limit the power of the president and other federal officials and prevent the abuse of power. The House of Representative has the power to impeach the president and other federal officials. The Senate then holds a trial. Conviction and removal from office requires a two-thirds majority vote of the Senate.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3938, The President Shares Power with Congress The Constitution limits the powers of the executive branch by making it share most of its powers with Congress. For example, the president has the power to nominate people for important jobs in government, but only with the advice and consent of the Senate.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3937, The Powers of the Executive Branch Article II of the Constitution lays out the powers of the executive branch of government. It is much shorter than Article I and is written in more general terms. The Framers of the Constitution wanted an executive branch with enough power to carry out its responsibilities yet not strong enough to overwhelm the other branches.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3936, Checks on the Lawmaking Powers of Congress In this back-to-the basics episode of 60-Second Civics, we learn how a bill becomes a law, and how that law can become null and void if the Supreme Court decides that it violates the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3934, General Powers of Congress Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution includes two general statements of power of Congress: the general welfare clause and the necessary and proper clause.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3933, Enumerated Powers of Congress Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution includes seventeen enumerated powers of Congress, including the right to impose and collect taxes and duties, borrow money, and declare war.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3932, Describing the Powers of Congress The Framers of the Constitution didn't want Congress to have too much power. So, they gave Congress specific powers, called the enumerated powers of the Constitution, and they placed limitations on those powers. They also gave Congress some general powers to deal with unexpected situations.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3931, The Problem With General Language in the Constitution Learn about the debate at the Philadelphia Convention over what powers to give Congress.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3930, A Strong Government, But Not Too Strong The American experience with the British government had caused many of the Framers of the U.S. Constitution to be suspicious of a central government and executive power. The Framers wanted the national governmet to be strong enough to protect the rights of the people, but not so strong that it would endanger those rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3929, Weak Congress under the Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation, which was the framework for the first government of the United States, proved that it was not up to the challenges of its time. Congress was very weak, and could not control the actions of state governments.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3928, Slavery Compromises Delayed Conflict North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia would not have supported the Constitution without compromised that protected slavery in the South. This would have dire consequences for the country.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3927, Compromise on Tariffs and Slavery The Constitution contained many compromises between Northern and Southern delegates in order to convince Southern delegates to support the system of government created by the document. Examples include allowing the slave trade to continue until at least 1808, the the three-fifths clause, and the fugitive slave clause.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3926, The Conflict Over Slavery at the Philadelphia Convention Delegates from three Southern states at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 said they refused to be part of a union of states that denied them the right to own and import enslaved people. Delegates who opposed slavery faced a dilemma: include all thirteen states in the union or abolish slavery.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3925, Conflict Over Tariffs at the Philadelphia Convention There was a conflict at the Philadelphia Convention over the issue of tariffs. The North was in favor of giving the national government the ability to levy tariffs in order to protect Northern industries, especially from British producers. The South feared that giving the national government this power would hurt Southern agriculture and the South's ability to buy manufactured goods from Europe.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3924, Economic Differences Between the North and South Even during the founding period, the economies of the North and South were vastly different. This would cause problems in the years to come.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3923, One Person, One Vote in State Legislatures Because of the Great Compromise, reached during the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, each state has equal representation in the Senate regardless of population and proportional representation in the House of Representatives. However, the Supreme Court has ruled that both houses of state legislatures must follow the principle of "one person, one vote," meaning that representation in each house must be in proportion to the population.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3922, The Compromise That Passed by One Vote The Great Compromise, reached by the large and small states at the Philadelphia Convention, provided for equal representation of states in the Senate and proportional representation in the House. The Great Compromise cleared the way for the completion of the Constitution. Nevertheless, it passed by only one vote.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3921, The Great Compromise With the Great Compromise, the large states and the small states at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 agreed to proportional representation and the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate, among other agreements. This ended the stalemate the had bedeviled the convention.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3920, The New Jersey Plan At the Philadelphia Convention, a stalemate occurred between the large states, which favored proportional represention, and the small states, which favored equal representation. The small states proposed the New Jersey plan, which favored a weak national government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3919, Controversy Over the Virginia Plan The principle of proportional representation was the most controversial aspect of James Madison's Virginia Plan. Under his proposed system, both houses of Congress would feature proportional representation. The small states objected, and by the middle of June 1787 asked for time to come up with an alternative to the Virginia Plan.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3918, The Virginia Plan The Virginia Plan was drafted by James Madison before the start of the Philadelphia Convention. Coming to the convention with a well-considered plan was a good idea. The Virginia Plan's idea for a system of federalism and legislative, executive and judicial branches made it into the Constitution. But Madison's plan for proportional representation in both houses of Congress did not.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3917, The Conflict over Representation There was a big disagreement at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 over representation in Congress. Large states argued that representatives in Congress should be determined by population. Small states, seeing their power slip away, objected, saying that equal representation in Congress was the way to go. Would they be able to compromise?
60-Second Civics: Episode 3916, Basic Principles of the U.S. Constitution The Framers of the Constitution agreed agreed that certain basic ideas about government should be included in the new constitution they were writing.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3915, Secrecy at the Philadelphia Convention The Framers of the Constitution feared that if their discussions were made public, the delegates would not express their opinions freely.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3914, Gaining the Cooperation of Small States The Philadelphia Convention was held in the summer of 1787 to amend the Articles of Confederation, but delegates quickly decided to scrap the Articles altogether and write a new constitution. But they had to walk a delicate tightrope: the small states and the large states united against against each other, afraid of losing their power.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3913, The Framers Agree to Write a New Constitution At the Philadelphia Convention, the Framers of the Constitution created several rules to ensure civil discourse during what were sometimes contentious discussions. For example, when a delegate was speaking, other members could not pass notes, hold conversations with each other, or read a book, pamphlet, or paper.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3912, Who Did Not Attend the Philadelphia Convention? Why did the entire state or Rhode Island refuse to send a delegation to the Philadelphia Convention? And why didn't Thomas Jefferson and John Adams attend? Find out on this episode of 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 3911, Benjamin Franklin and Gouverneur Morris Benjamin Franklin and Gouverneur Morris played important roles at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Franklin was by then 81 years old. As the senior statesman, he encouraged the delegates to cooperate with each other. Gouverneur Morris helped write the Constitution and prepared the document's final draft.
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