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 4524, The Intolerable Acts: The Road to Independence, Part 12 Following the Boston Tea Party, the British government responded with what colonists called the Intolerable Acts, a series of Punitive Acts that, among other things, closed Boston Harbor to all trade. Listen to today?s episode to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4523, John Adams and the Boston Massacre: The Road to Independence, Part 11 Controversial at the time, lawyer and later president John Adams defended the British soldiers and their captain following the Boston Massacre. Learn more about his motivation for doing this in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4522, The Boston Massacre: The Road to Independence, Part 10 On the night of March 5, 1770, a riot broke out and shots were fired in what would later be known as the ???Boston Massacre.??? Learn more about this important event in today???s episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4521, Daughters of Liberty: The Road to Independence, Part 9 After repealing the hated Stamp Act in 1766, the British Parliament passed the Declaratory Act, asserting Great Britain's full power and authority over the American colonies. In response a group of American women calling themselves the Daughters of Liberty led boycotts of English goods. Listen for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4520, The Townshend Acts: The Road to Independence, Part 8 The Townshend Acts are a now-infamous group of duties passed by Parliament in June 1767. They levied new taxes on items imported from Britain, which came with significant consequences. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4519, The Stamp Act Congress: The Road to Independence, Part 7 The Stamp Act Congress was held in October 1765 in New York to coordinate colonial resistance to the unpopular Stamp Act, which required nearly every important document printed in the colonies to be taxed. Hear more about this significant occurrence in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4518, The Sons of Liberty: The Road to Independence, Part 6 Opposition to the Stamp Act prompted American colonists to organize. The Sons of Liberty was one group created to resist the Stamp Act inspired by the words of Isaac Barre. Learn more about this group in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4517, The Stamp and Quartering Acts: The Road to Independence, Part 5 The British Parliament passed two highly unpopular laws in 1765: the Stamp Act and the Quartering Act. Listen to today's episode to learn more about these influential acts!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4516, The Stamp Act: The Road to Independence, Part 4 The British government sought to raise more revenue from the thirteen American colonies by introducing the Stamp Act in 1765. Learn more about the Stamp Act in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4515, The Sugar Act: The Road to Independence, Part 3 The American colonists were already unhappy with the British about the Proclamation of 1763. But then they took another step that angered Americans. In 1764, Parliament passed the Sugar Act. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4514, The Proclamation of 1763: The Road to Independence, Part 2 Britain increased its control over the American colonies after 1763 following its victory over the French in the Seven Years' War, including with acts such as the Proclamation of 1763. Learn more about the implications of this in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4513, Salutary Neglect: The Road to Independence, Part 1 For more than 150 years before 1776, the American colonists had grown used to little direct interference by Parliament in colonial affairs. This policy was known as "salutary neglect," but changes to this policy would initiate the focus of our new series: The Road to Independence!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4512, Equality and the American Mind: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 20 Where did the idea of universal human equality, a common American idea, come from? Religious movements in colonial America helped spread the idea of universal moral human equality, including equality among social classes. Listen to today's podcast for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4511, Stoicism, Christianity, and Moral Equality: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 19 On Friday, we discussed the origins of Americans' sense of political equality, but our founders also possessed a strong sense of moral equality. Indeed, the idea of the moral equality of human beings has ancient origins. Listen to today's episode for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4510, Americans' Sense of Political Equality: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 18 The Declaration of Independence states that all men, meaning all people, are created equal. But where did this idea come from? Ideas of natural political equality were developed in seventeenth-century England and exported to its colonies across the North Atlantic. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4509, "All Men Are Created Equal:" The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 17 The Declaration of Independence states that among the "truths" that Americans hold to be "self-evident" is that "all Men are created equal." But what did Thomas Jefferson mean by this statement?
60-Second Civics: Episode 4508, The American Creed: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 16 Thomas Jefferson said that his purpose in writing the Declaration of Independence was to express a shared understanding of "the American mind." Over the course of a few days in June 1776, Jefferson laid out the most fundamental principles and central political beliefs of the American Revolution and of the people the Revolution created.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4507, Why Americans Held These Truths to Be Self-evident: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Govt. in the Colonies, Part 15 Why did the writers of the Declaration of Independence andquot;hold these Truths to be self-evident?andquot; Among other things, these Americans were deeply influenced by the teachings of Christianity and English republicanism.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4506, The Meaning of Self-Evident Truths: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Govt. in the Colonies, Part 14 The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence begins like this: andquot;We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.andquot; But what does andquot;We hold these truths to be self-evidentandquot; mean? We explain more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4504, Qualifying to Vote in Early America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 11 In the American colonies, the right to vote followed the British model: only free adult males who owned a certain amount of property could vote, though there were limited exceptions to this rule. Listen to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4503, Qualifying to Vote in Early America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 11 In the American colonies, the right to vote followed the British model: only free adult males who owned a certain amount of property could vote, though there were limited exceptions to this rule. Listen to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4502, Voting Rights in Colonial America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 10 Voting rights in colonial America depended on the ownership of property. In other words, a person had to own a certain amount of land, livestock, or other property in order to qualify to vote. Listen to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4501, Representative Democracy in Colonial America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 9 Each of the thirteen American colonies had some features of representative democracy that we still see today. For example, each of the colonies had a legislative, executive, and judicial branch.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4500, The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 8 The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut is an important American founding document. The Connecticut Colony has its origins in 1636, when Thomas Hooker led a group of dissenting Puritans from Massachusetts to the Connecticut Valley. Learn why this document was so revolutionary in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4499, The Massachusetts Body of Liberties: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 7 Americans have had a tradition of written guarantees of rights since the time of the thirteen colonies. The Massachusetts Body of Liberties of 1641 provides a good example.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4498, Written Guarantees of Rights: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 6 Despite the presence of indentured servitude and slavery in colonial America, many Americans enjoyed written guarantees of their rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4497, Slavery in Colonial America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 5 Slavery was present in the thirteen American colonies since at least the early 1600s. Until slavery was abolished in the mid-nineteenth century, almost 12 million Africans were transported against their will to America. Listen to today's podcast to learn more about the foundations of slavery in the US.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4496, Indentured Servitude in Colonial America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 4 Land was plentiful in the thirteen American colonies, but labor was scarce. It was also expensive to sail from Britain to America. This reality created incentives for indentured servitude. Learn more about these colonists in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4495, The Southern Colonies: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 3 The mostly rural and agricultural southern colonies differed a great deal from both the New England and Middle Colonies. Learn how in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4494, The Middle Colonies: Basic Ideas of Rights & Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 2 America's Middle Colonies included today's states of Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The Middle Colonies different in important ways from the New England colonies. Learn about these key differences in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4493, The New England Colonies: Basic Ideas of Rights and Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 1 The American colonies can be divided into three regions: New England, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. At the time of American independence, in 1776, the New England colonies were Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Learn more about this group of colonies in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4492, The Mayflower Compact: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 67 The Mayflower Compact is seen as an example of the social contract theory, which meant that the colonists consented to be governed under mutually agreed-upon laws for the general good of the Colony. Listen to today's episode to learn more about this famous agreement!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4491, The Voyage of the Mayflower: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 66 In 1620, a ship called the Mayflower embarked on a long and perilous journey from Plymouth, England, to the New World. Learn more about this famous voyage in today's podcast!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4490, The Jamestown Colony: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 65 The Jamestown colony is one of the most famous British colonies in the New World. Learn about the origins and outcomes for this colony is today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4489, The Race to Colonize North America: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 64 In the early seventeenth century, Britain sought to compete with Spain, France, and the Netherlands, which had already established colonies in the New World. Listen to today's podcast to learn more about this struggle between global powers!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4488, Early English Settlements: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 63 In the early 1600s, competition to settle North America was heating up between the major European powers. Spain, France, and The Netherlands each claimed territory in what would eventually become the United States.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4487, Early Settlement of North America: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 62 The first known European settlement in North America was a small, short-lived Viking community at L'Anse aux Meadows, in what is now Newfoundland, Canada. Of course, for thousands of years, major Native American settlements existed in what would become the United States. Listen to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4486, The British Constitution: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 61 Unlike the American Constitution, the British constitution is not entirely written down. Instead, the British constitution is composed of common law, acts of Parliament, court decisions, and long-established practices and traditions. Listen to today's podcast for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4485, The Model Parliament of Edward I: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 60 The word Parliament comes from the French word parler, or to speak. This points to the origins of the British Parliament as a body that would advise the king, and later approve his proposals. Listen to today's podcast for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4484, Simon de Montfort's Parliaments of 1265: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 59 Simon de Montfort's Parliaments of 1265 were the first Parliaments that brought in representatives from the towns and cities of England, along with knights, who represented counties. Listen to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4483, King Henry III and the Rise of Parliament: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 58 During the Reign of Henry III, Parliament grew in power. Learn more about this important period for the growth of legislative bodies in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4482, The Significance of the Magna Carta: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 57 Magna Carta means "Great Charter," and it contained significant limits, at least in theory, on the power of the king. Listen to today's podcast to learn more about this document, which was highly influential on the American colonists and British law!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4481, King John Agrees to the Magna Carta: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 56 The Magna Carta is a charter of rights that eventually came to be recognized as a foundation of English statutory law. Learn more about the history behind this historic document in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4480, The Charter of Liberties: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 55 An important event in the establishment of limited government occurred in the year 1100 when the Charter of Liberties was issued. Listen to today???s episode to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4479, Origins of the House of Commons: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 54 The House American Congress somewhat resembles the ancient bodies from Anglo-Saxon times. Learn more in today's episode about these origins, including what they have evolved into for the modern British model of government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4478, The Witan: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 53 Before the Norman invasion of England in 1066, the Anglo-Saxon kings called together a group of advisors called a Witan. Learn more today!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4477, Writs and Courts of Equity: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 52 The Normans introduced the system of writs to English law. Soon the Normans found that controversies arose over the interpretations of writs.??They, therefore, introduced courts of equity, also known as Chancery courts, named after the king's chancellor. Learn more about these influential decisions in today???s podcast!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4476, What the Norman Invasion Meant: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 51 What did the Norman invasion mean for Anglo-Saxon England? We'll explore the influence of William the Conqueror and the Norman rule in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4475, The Norman Invasion of 1066: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 50 After the Anglo-Saxon king of England, Edward the Confessor, died in January 1066, an Anglo-Saxon aristocrat, Harold Godwinson, assumed the throne. There was a slight problem. William, Duke of Normandy, claimed that Edward had promised him the crown.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4474, The Anglo-Saxon Era and the Law: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 49 The Anglo-Saxon Era lasted until 1066, but its legacy can be seen in British and American law today. Anglo-Saxon kings simply proclaimed the law, although they had accommodated regional customs.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4471, Anglo-Saxon Society: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 46 During the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted from about 410 AD until 1066 AD, many different tribes ruled Britain. These tribes featured different social roles, such as "thanes" and "ceorls." Listen to learn more about Anglo Saxon society in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4470, The Anglo-Saxons Arrive in England: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 45 With the collapse of Roman rule in Britain around 410 AD, small kingdoms emerged throughout Britain. The disappearance of Roman administration of Britain was sudden and dramatic. Learn more now!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4469, The Rise and Fall of Roman Britain: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 44 Over the next few episodes we will explore the evolution of British constitutional government, especially as it relates to the American colonies and American constitutionalism. Listen to today?s episode to learn about the rise and fall of Roman Britain!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4468, The Enlightenment Thinker Benjamin Franklin: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 43 Benjamin Franklin was an important Founder of the United States and a man who exemplified the Age of Enlightenment in America. Learn more about his influence during this critical period in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4467, Reason and Observation: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 42 During the Enlightenment, some philosophers were very much like scientists as we understand them today. It was the role of philosophers to explore both the world of morality and the causes and effects of nature. Learn more about the role of reason and observation in today's podcast!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4466, The Enlightenment and the Founders: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 41 The Age of Enlightenment was a European intellectual movement that celebrated human reason and sought to realize human potential. The Enlightenment spread to America, where it had a significant influence on the American Founders. Listen for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4465, The Emergence of Capitalism: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 40 As trade, social mobility, and education expanded throughout Europe during the Renaissance, a new economic system arose called capitalism. Learn more about the emergence of this new economic system in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4464, Humanism Shapes the Renaissance: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 39 One of the forces that helped define the European Renaissance was humanism. In fact, humanism helped create the Renaissance. Find out how in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4463, The Peace of Westphalia: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 38 The Peace of Westphalia of 1648 ended the Thirty Years' War and started what we think of as modern nation-states. Listen to today's episode for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4462, The Reformation and the Rise to the Modern Nation-State: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 37 The Protestant Reformation led to the establishment of new churches that were separate and apart from the Roman Catholic Church. Some secular political leaders saw the religious reform movement as a chance to break away from the political authority of the Holy Roman Empire. Learn more in today???s episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4461, The Protestant Reformation: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 36 The Protestant Reformation was a movement to reform the Roman Catholic Church that began in the early 1500s in Europe. It was a powerful stimulus to modern ideas about the role of individuals in the Church and the state. Listen to today?s episode to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4460, The Renaissance and the Start of the Reformation: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 35 Renaissance is the period in European history when society moved out of the dark ages toward a recognition of the rights of individuals. Learn more about this period and how it influenced the start of the Reformation in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4458, Society in Medieval Europe: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 33 Medieval European society featured social classes that were hierarchical. There was no equality among them and a person generally could not move between social classes, creating a very stratified society. Learn more about this society in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4456, The Judeo-Christian Tradition: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 31 Classical republicanism and natural rights philosophy had a profound influence on the way the American Founders thought about government. However, the Founders were also strongly influenced by the Judeo-Christian religious tradition.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4454, Popular Sovereignty as Fundamental to Democracy: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 29 Popular sovereignty is a fundamental idea of democracy. It is also a simple idea: The people are the ultimate source of the authority of government. Find out more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4453, Popular Sovereignty and the American Colonies: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 28 One idea from natural rights philosophy that gained traction in the American colonies was popular sovereignty.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4452, Individual Rights and the American Colonies: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 27 Given the abundant natural resources and freedom the colonists enjoyed, natural rights philosophy strongly influenced many of the American Founders. Find out more about natural rights philosophy in the colonies with today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4451, John Locke's Conception of Natural Rights: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 26 The Declaration of Independence, which reflects Locke's view of natural rights, states that people consent to government to protect certain natural rights, identified in the Declaration as inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4448, Civic Virtue, Moral Education, and Small, Uniform Communities: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 23 Civic virtue was and continues to be an important concept that American Founders drew upon from classical republicanism. We explore this concept and related aspects in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4447, Structure of Roman Republican Government: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 23 The Roman Republic inspired and informed the American Founders' own thinking about government. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4446, The Foundation of Moral Education in the American Colonies: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 22 Classical republican writers supported the idea of moral education and this was echoed in the American colonial experience. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4444, Cincinnatus and George Washington: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 19 The stories of Cincinnatus and George Washington were told for many years in the early American republic as examples of civic virtue. Listen to today's episode to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4443, Cato as an Example of Civic Virtue: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 18 The founding generation of Americans admired heroes of classical antiquity as examples of civic virtue. Cato the Elder is one such hero. Learn more about this figure in today's podcast!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4442, The Role of Citizens in Classical Republics: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 17 Classical republicans, who heavily influenced the American Founders, believed that citizens played a central role in government's functions. Learn more about the civic duties of citizens in these republics and how they differ from today in our latest episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4441, Small, Uniform Communities in Classical Republicanism: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 16 Classical republicanism placed great emphasis on the importance of small, uniform communities as being essential for the success of good government. But why was this? Find out in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4438, World: How Can You Support the Flourishing of the Wider World? Gary Sheng, Part 5 How can you engage in ways that make a positive impact on people in your even wider world, your state, region, country or even beyond?
60-Second Civics: Episode 4437, Community: How Can You Support the Flourishing of Your Local Community? Gary Sheng, Part 4 How can you engage in ways that make a positive impact on people in your wider world a.k.a. your local community?
60-Second Civics: Episode 4436, Social Circle: How Can You Support the Flourishing of People You Know? Gary Sheng, Part 3 Working on yourself is a lifelong journey, along the way you will also want to make a habit of seizing the opportunities to support the wellbeing of the people in your life.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4435, Self: How Do You Change Yourself to Change The World? Gary Sheng, Part 2 How do you make a difference in the world? While social media glorifies certain types of civic engagement that can seem overwhelming, Gary Sheng of Civics Unplugged is here to show you that anyone can engage civically where your actions make a big difference. Listen to this series for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4434, Introduction: How Do You Make a Difference in the World? Gary Sheng, Part 1 How do you make a difference in the world? While social media glorifies certain types of civic engagement that can seem overwhelming, Gary Sheng of Civics Unplugged is here to show you that anyone can engage civically where your actions make a big difference to the people around you.??Listen to this series for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4433, Terrorism, Social Media, and the First Amendment: Free Speech and Civil Liberties after 9/11: David Hudson, Part 5 What can and should the government do to control organizing on social media? And, does the government have any powers under the Patriot Act?
60-Second Civics: Episode 4432, The Issue of Profiling: Free Speech and Civil Liberties after 9/11: David Hudson, Part 4 While it's not directly a first amendment issue, our guest, David Hudson, highlights one of the unfortunate aftermaths of 9/11: the rise of profiling. Listen to today's episode for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4431, The New Role of Government Surveillance: Free Speech and Civil Liberties after 9/11: David Hudson, Part 3 Following 9/11, how did mass governmental surveillance impact American civil liberties? Find out in today's episode with David Hudson!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4430, Section 805 of the Patriot Act: Free Speech and Civil Liberties after 9/11: David Hudson, Part 2 We continue our series Free Speech and Civil Liberties after 9/11 with David Hudson in today's episode. Building off of yesterday's discussion of section 215, Hudson discusses section 805 and how this section became contested at the U.S. Supreme Court. Listen for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4429, Section 215 of the Patriot Act: Free Speech and Civil Liberties after 9/11: David Hudson, Part 1 Today, we start our five-part series Free Speech and Civil Liberties after 9/11 with David Hudson, a first amendment scholar from Belmont University. In today's episode, Hudson discusses the controversial section 215 of the Patriot Act. Listen for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4428, The Roman Republic as an Example and a Warning: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 14 The Roman Republic began in the sixth century BC and lasted until the first century BC and the establishment of the Roman Empire. The Roman Republic was both an example and a warning for the American Founders.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4427, Classical Republicanism: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 14 The American Founders had read a great deal about the ideals and practices of ancient Greek and Roman city-states and the thinkers of classical antiquity. They were familiar with classical republicanism, which emphasized civic participation and the responsibility of citizens for the well-being of country.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4426, The Roman Republic: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 13 The Roman Republic was the ancient society that exercised the greatest influence on the American Founders. Historians during the founding era thought that the Roman Republic had done the best job of promoting the common good; that is, doing what was best for the society as a whole.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4425, The Problem with Constitutional Government: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 12 As the Founders of the new American republic knew, constitutional government can take many forms. A constitutional government can have a single ruler, a group of rulers, or rule by the people as a whole. However, this system does have flaws. Learn more in today's podcast!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4424, Popular Sovereignty and Higher Law: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 11 In democracies, the sovereign people are the ultimate authority that grants all powers exercised by government. This is called popular sovereignty. Popular sovereignty requires that the whole body of citizens consent to be governed by the constitution that they authorize and under which they live. Constitutions are forms of higher law.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4423, Constitutional Government Is Limited Government: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 10 A constitution limits the powers of government by defining and distributing its powers. However, just because a nation has a constitution does not mean that it has a constitutional government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4422, What Is a Constitution? Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 9 A constitution is an authoritative law through which the sovereign people of a democracy authorize a government to be established and grant it certain powers. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4421, The Reason for a Representative Government: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 8 While the founders were supportive of democracy as a concept, they had their reservations about certain types. Learn more in this episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4420, James Madison and the Republic: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 7 What did James Madison think about the term "Republic" and why is this significant for the foundation of the United States? Find out more in today'ss episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4419, The Mixed Constitution: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 6 From where did the American Founders learn about the idea of a â??mixed constitution?â?? Listen to todayâ??s episode to learn about its Greek and Roman origins and more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4418, Why Aristotle Wasn't a Fan of Direct Democracy: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 5 Aristotle identified democracy as a corrupt form of government by the many poor. By "democracy," Aristotle meant direct democracy, where people make public policy directly. This is different from the type of government we call democracy today, in which, for the most part, we elect representatives to make public policy for us. Listen to today's episode to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4417, Aristotle'ss Right and Corrupt Forms of Government: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 4 Aristotle distinguished between what he called the "right form" and the "corrupt form" of government. Listen to today's episode to understand the difference!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4416, Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Functions: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 3 Aristotle observed that every state, or country, must perform three functions: legislative, executive, and judicial. The American Founders were well acquainted with these functions, and formed the three branch system around them. Listen to todayâ??s episode to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4415, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 2 The American Founders learned a great deal from natural rights philosophers, such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Natural rights philosophy taught that people have natural rights that others must respect. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4414, History Lessons and the Constitution: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 1 The American Founders learned lessons from ancient history when creating their state constitutions and the U.S. Constitution. They learned from Greek and Roman history that although democracies may appear to begin well, they tend to end in tyranny when the poor attack the rich.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4413, Lessons from Classical Philosophy: Back-to-School Basics, Part 12 The American Founders studied ancient Greek and Roman philosophers to learn about how to create the best form of government. Classical political philosophers taught that human beings are, by nature, social creatures.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4411, William Blackstone's Influence on the American Founders: Back-to-Basics Part 10 William Blackstone's explanations of English law, published between 1765 and 1769, were incredibly influential on the formation of basic rights in America. Listen to today's episode to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4410, Who Influenced the American Founders? Back-to-School Basics, Part 9 America's Founders learned about government from their experiences in self-government as subjects of the British Empire. They also learned about government by reading history and philosophy, particularly that of ancient Greece and Rome and the works of sixteenth and seventeenth-century philosophers.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4409, Trades and Land Speculation in the American Colonies: Back-to-School Basics, Part 8 While most Americans during the colonial period were farmers, others followed various trades, working as brickmakers, carpenters, printers, sailors, shoemakers, and even wigmakers, among other professions. Listen to todayâ??s podcast to learn more about these colonial careers!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4408, Agriculture in Colonial America: Back-to-School Basics, Part 7 Most Americans during the colonial period lived in small villages or on farms. The size of farms varied widely, from small plots of land in New England to immense plantations in the South with thousands of acres.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4407, The Diversity of the American Colonies: Back-to-School Basics, Part 6 The American colonists came from a variety of countries and for various economic, religious, and social reasons. Learn more about the diverse group that came to settle in the colonies with today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4406, Native Americans and Colonial America: Back-to-School Basics, Part 5 The American colonists were not the first people on the North American continent. Native Americans had lived on the continent for at least 24,000 years. Listen to today's episode to learn a little more about Native Americans during colonial times!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4405, Opportunities in the Early American Colonies: Back-to-School Basics, Part 4 Many new arrivals viewed colonial America in the 1770s as a land of opportunity. Learn why in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4403, The American Founders: Back to School Basics, Part 2 The American Founders drew on a number of basic ideas and experiences to create the kind of government they believed would best protect the natural rights of Americans and promote the common good. Get introduced to some of the Founders in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4402, An Adventure in Ideas with We the People: Back to School Basics, Part 1 The history of the American people has been a great adventure in ideas and in trying to make these ideas a reality. Over the next few weeks, 60-Second Civics will explore the important philosophical ideas and historical events that influenced the writing of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4401, Supreme Court Decisions about the General Welfare Clause: American Fundamentals, Part 24 People disagree over what powers the general welfare clause gives Congress to spend taxes. Under our Constitution, the Supreme Court of the United States is given the power to interpret the meaning of the Constitution. Learn more about how the Court has interpreted these powers in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4400, The Debate Over the General Welfare Clause: American Fundamentals, Part 23 Even before the Constitution was ratified in 1788, people disagreed over what powers the Constitution gives to Congress to promote "the general Welfare." The topic is still debated today.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4399, The Meaning of "General Welfare" in the Constitution: American Fundamentals, Part 22 The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution states that one of its purposes is to promote the general Welfare. Article I, Section. 8. 1. of the Constitution says "The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4398, Shays' Rebellion and the U.S. Constitution: American Fundamentals, Part 21 As the Annapolis Convention met in September 1786, to ???Remedy Defects of the Federal Government,??? Shays' Rebellion had just begun. This extensive, sometimes bloody conflict began in Massachusetts began in August 1786 and stretched into 1787.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4397, Farmers' Demands, Debt, and Social Disorder: American Fundamentals, Part 20 By the mid-1780s, acts of violence protesting the poor economic conditions for American farmers had become commonplace. Farmers had borrowed money to raise crops to support the high demand during the Revolutionary War.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4396, Social Disorder After the Revolutionary War: American Fundamentals, Part 19 Social disorder after the Revolutionary War was caused mainly by economic conflict between farmers and merchants.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4395, How Does the Constitution Provide for Domestic Tranquility? American Fundamentals, Part 18 The Preamble to the Constitution states that one of its purposes is to "insure domestic Tranquility." What does this term mean, and why was it included in the Preamble?
60-Second Civics: Episode 4394, The Corrective Form of Justice: American Fundamentals, Part 17 When a person has been convicted of a criminal or civil violation, how do we deal with the perpetrator?
60-Second Civics: Episode 4393, The Procedural Form of Justice: American Fundamentals, Part 16 Procedural justice is the fairness of how information is gathered and how decisions are made. This concept is central to the American constitutional system.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4392, The Distributive Form of Justice: American Fundamentals, Part 15 The concept of justice has long been divided into three types: distributive justice, procedural justice, and corrective justice. In today's episode, we'll cover the first type: distributive justice.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4391, The Civic Dimension of the Pursuit of Happiness: American Fundamentals, Part 14 Many of our choices have social consequences and therefore have a civic dimension when they enhance or subtract from "public happiness."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4390, "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness:" American Fundamentals, Part 13 Every day we make numerous choices in deciding what course of action will add to our well-beingâ??what will make us happy.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4389, What Did Our Founders Mean By the "Pursuit of Happiness?" American Fundamentals, Part 12 In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson announced that every human being has "certain unalienable rights," among which are those to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." But what did he mean by "the pursuit of happiness"? Find out in today's podcast!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4388, An Explanation of Inalienable Rights: American Fundamentals, Part 11 The Virginia Declaration of Rights was written shortly before the Declaration of Independence. The rights Jefferson calls both inherent and inalienable are those that we are unable to get rid of, for the simple reason that they are part of us, helping to define what we are.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4387, An Introduction to Inalienable Rights in the Virginia Declaration of Rights One key to understanding "inalienable" rights, as distinguished from ordinary, "alienable" rights, is to examine the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4386, What Does "Unalienable Rights" Mean? American Fundamentals, Part 9 The Declaration of Independence states that "all Men are ... endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." But what does "unalienable Rights" mean?
60-Second Civics: Episode 4385, Universal Human Equality--A Common American Idea: American Fundamentals, Part 8 Where did the idea of universal human equality, a common American idea, come from? Religious movements in colonial America helped spread the idea of universal moral human equality, including equality among social classes. Listen to today's podcast for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4384, What are the Origins of Americans' Sense of Moral Equality? American Fundamentals, Part 7 On Friday, we discussed the origins of Americans' sense of political equality, but our founders also possessed a strong sense of moral equality. Indeed, the idea of the moral equality of human beings has ancient origins. Listen to today's episode for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4383, What are the Origins of Americans' Sense of Political Equality? American Fundamentals, Part 6 The Declaration of Independence states that all men, meaning all people, are created equal. But where did this idea come from? Ideas of natural political equality were developed in seventeenth-century England and exported to its colonies across the North Atlantic. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4382, "All Men Are Created Equal": American Fundamentals, Part 5 The Declaration of Independence states that among the "truths" that Americans hold to be "self-evident" is that "all Men are created equal." But what did Thomas Jefferson mean by this statement?
60-Second Civics: Episode 4381, The American Creed: American Fundamentals, Part 4 Thomas Jefferson said that his purpose in writing the Declaration of Independence was to express a shared understanding of "the American mind." Over the course of a few days in June 1776, Jefferson laid out the most fundamental principles and central political beliefs of the American Revolution and of the people the Revolution created.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4380, Why Americans Held "These Truths to Be Self-evident": American Fundamentals, Part 3 Why did the writers of the Declaration of Independence "hold these Truths to be self-evident?" Among other things, these Americans were deeply influenced by the teachings of Christianity and English republicanism. Learn more in today's episode of 60-Second Civics!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4379, What Does "We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident" Mean? American Fundamentals, Part 2 The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence begins like this: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." But what does "We hold these truths to be self-evident" mean? We explain more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 4378, Our Founding Ideals, Values, and Principles: American Fundamentals, Part 1 To be an American means, among other things, to share certain fundamental ideals, values, and principles with other Americans. It's worth taking the time to examine and reaffirm our commitment to the values and principles on which our nation is founded. Today, we look back to July 4, 1776, when a group of leading American colonists gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4377, "Our Country's Aim Will Remain True Towards Justice": Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 6 In light of the recent rise in violence toward Asian Americans, Justice Nakayama of the Hawai'i Supreme Court emphasizes that, "we must encourage everybody to learn, understand and deeply appreciate and embrace the rule of law in our country."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4376, What Does a Civic and Constitutional Education Mean to You?: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 5 In today's podcast, we ask Justice Nakayama: What does a civic and constitutional education mean to you? And, why have you dedicated so many years to ensuring greater access to civics for more Americans?
60-Second Civics: Episode 4375, Learning About Your Role As an American: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 4 A well-informed citizenry is the cornerstone of our democracy, which is why Justice Nakayama believes it's essential for all Americans to learn about their roles and responsibilities as citizens.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4374, Why Should Young People Consider Public Service?: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 3 "When you are a public servant, it is important to realize that you are indeed serving the public. I think about that all the time, and I consider it a higher calling." In our episode, Justice Nakayama shares her perspective on the value of public service.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4373, One of the First Women on the Hawai'i Supreme Court: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 2 Today, we ask Justice Nakayama: What is it like to be one of the first women to serve on the Hawai'i Supreme Court and one of the few Asian American women serving as a state supreme court justice? While Justice Nakayama shares times in which she faced discrimination, she nonetheless believes that "being on the Supreme Court is an honor and a privilege."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4372, How Did You Become a Justice on the Hawai'i Supreme Court?: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 1 Today, we start a new series with Associate Justice of the Hawai'i Supreme Court, Paula Nakayama. In our first episode, Justice Nakayama shares how a lot of hard work and a little luck helped her achieve one of the highest positions in the legal profession.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4371, The Future for LGBTQ+ Rights: LGBTQ+ Pride Week Series, Part 7 There's a number of questions that surround the rights of transgender Americans and surround the rights of other parts of the LGBTQ spectrum that are going to continue to be very important when it comes to this particular social justice movement.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4370, Obergefell v. Hodges: LGBTQ+ Pride Week Series, Part 6 There's a long history of federal cases, like Romer v. Evans and Lawrence v. Texas, that eventually lead up to Windsor v. U.S. as well as Obergefell v. Hodges, which are really the federal Supreme Court marriage equality cases that all really focus on two particular elements of the U.S. constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4369, The Defense of Marriage Act: LGBTQ+ Pride Week Series, Part 5 Just like we see earlier in the courts, and we see in the legislatures, the executive branch plays a crucial role in the LGBTQ rights movement, particularly when it comes to marriage equality.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4368, Early Legislative Victories for LGBTQ+ Rights: LGBTQ+ Pride Week Series, Part 4 Like the courts' role, the legislative branch has played a pivotal role in the LGBTQ rights movement. New York, one of the nation's largest states, was a site for an early legislative victory, and that legislation set a standard for legislative action around the country.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4367, Goodridge: The Cinderella Moment for Marriage Equality, LGBTQ+ Pride Week Series, Part 3 Why was the 2003 Massachusetts decision in Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health such an important moment, particularly when it comes to the role of courts in social justice movements? Find out more from Christopher R. Riano about this critical court case in the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4366, Laying the Groundwork for LGBTQ+ Rights: LGBTQ+ Pride Week Series, Part 2 We're joined again today by Christopher R. Riano, the president of the Center for Civic Education and co-author, with William Eskridge, of Marriage Equality: From Outlaws to In-laws, winner of the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award. We ask him: What were some early LGBTQ+ rights questions that the community faced, particularly following what happened at Stonewall?
60-Second Civics: Episode 4365, What's Significant About the Stonewall Riots? LGBTQ+ Pride Week Series, Part 1 What were the Stonewall Riots and why are they seen as such an important milestone in the LGBTQ+ rights movement? Find out today as we launch a special weeklong series of LGBTQ+ Pride Week podcasts with our special guest, Christopher R. Riano, the president of the Center for Civic Education and co-author, along with William Eskridge, of Marriage Equality: From Outlaws to In-laws.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4364, When Isn't a Warrant Warranted? The Right to Privacy, Part 12 During the 1960s the Supreme Court held that searches conducted without warrants are inherently unreasonable. By the 1970s the Court had recognized a number of exceptions to the warrant requirement. We cover a few examples of those exceptions in today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4363, Probable Cause: How Do Warrants Work? The Right to Privacy, Part 11 The Fourth Amendment protects people and their personal effects against unreasonable searches and seizures. It also requires applications for warrants to be supported by probable cause and requires a judge to decide whether probable cause exists. How do officials obtain warrants? We'll explain in today's episode.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4362, Unreasonable Searches and Seizures: The Right to Privacy, Part 10 The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, but it seeks to strike a balance between the need for order and each individual's rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4361, Fourth Amendment and Technology: The Right to Privacy, Part 9 There have been vast technological changes since the ratification of the Fourth Amendment in 1791, and the courts have been asked to interpret the significance of ever-changing technology and surveillance techniques.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4360, Reasonable Expectations of Privacy: The Right to Privacy, Part 8 Protecting privacy against intrusion by government officials is a deeply held value in the United States. Courts have interpreted the Fourth Amendment as protecting reasonable expectations of privacy.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4359, The Fourth Amendment: The Right to Privacy, Part 7 The Fourth Amendment grew directly out of the American colonial experience. It protects against unreasonable searches and seizures by government officials.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4358, Protection Against Unreasonable Search and Seizure: The Right to Privacy, Part 6 The protection against unreasonable search and seizure was in part a reaction against the general warrants issued by the British that so enraged American colonists in the prelude to the Revolution. The Fourth Amendment and state constitutions protect against unreasonable searches and seizures.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4357, John Adams and James Otis: The Right to Privacy, Part 5 John Adams claimed that James Otis's speech against general warrants was the first act of colonial resistance to British policies. Despite his fame, Otis's career would be ended by a violent attack by a British customs official.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4356, James Otis Speaks Against General Warrants: The Right to Privacy, Part 4 General warrants were unpopular in the American colonies, where they were used to search for evidence of smuggling. In a five-hour speech in February 1761, James Otis spoke out against them, saying that they would "totally annihilate" the British common-law tradition that "A man's house is his castle."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4355, General Warrants and the American Revolution: The Right to Privacy, Part 3 American colonists' strong objections to British trade laws and the use of general warrants contributed to the American Revolution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4354, The Problem with General Warrants: The Right to Privacy, Part 2 General warrants allowed British officials to search people, businesses, homes, and property indiscriminately. British officials in the American colonies used such warrants to collect taxes, to recover stolen goods --including enslaved people -- and to prosecute smugglers.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4353, Historical Origins of the Right to Privacy: The Right to Privacy, Part 1 Americans inherited from British history the principle that "a man's home is his castle." This idea can be traced to the opinion of Sir Edward Coke in Semayne's Case in 1604.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4352, Freedom of Association and American Citizenship: Freedom of Expression, Part 30 More than one hundred fifty years ago, French political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville commented on Americans' habitual practice of joining together to solve common problems. The exercise of freedom of association was, Tocqueville believed, one of the outstanding characteristics of American citizenship.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4351, Discrimination and Government Interference: Freedom of Expression, Part 29 Over the years, the courts and legislators have grappled with the question of whether the right to associate means that one has the right not to associate with certain people. The difficulties reflect the tension between two important ideals: (1) eliminating unfair discrimination in American life and (2) the right of each individual to live his or her own life as free as possible from government interference.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4350, Freedom of Association: Freedom of Expression, Part 27 The right to associate freely with other citizens is part of living in a free society.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4349, Freedom of Assembly Does Have Limits: Freedom of Expression, Part 27 The Supreme Court has emphasized the importance of the right to assemble in a free society, but it has approved certain restrictions.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4348, The Importance of Freedom of Assembly and the Right to Petition: Freedom of Expression, Part 26 Freedom of assembly was effectively used by the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s to bring about societal change. The right to petition government for a redress of grievances is widely used today at the local, state, and national levels.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4347, How American Women Have Used the Right to Petition: Freedom of Expression, Part 25 Throughout the nation's history, American women have used their right to petition government for a redress of grievances to secure their rights and effect societal change.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4346, Silencing Critics: Freedom of Expression, Part 24 The use of the right to petition has been an important way for people who were denied the right to vote to communicate with public officials, but the U.S. government has sometimes tried to silence its critics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4345, Abolitionists and the Gag Rule: Freedom of Expression, Part 23 The right to petition government for a redress of grievances, guaranteed by the First Amendment, was an important tool used by Americans to communicate their opinions to public officials. Nevertheless, public officials have at times sought to limit the right to petition. One infamous example is the gag rule in the House of Representatives, which prohibited debate on certain topics, including slavery.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4344, The Right to Petition in the Colonies: Freedom of Expression, Part 22 The right to petition played an important role in politics in the American colonies.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4343, Origins of the Rights to Assemble and Petition: Freedom of Expression, Part 21 The rights of assembly and petition were part of English common law for hundreds of years and were seen by Americans as fundamental to a constitutional democracy.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4342, The Rights to Petition and Associate: Freedom of Expression, Part 20 Freedom of expression is protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments and applies to the states as well as the national government. The right to associate, which is part of freedom of expression, arose out of cases in the 1950s and 1960s challenging the efforts of some states to limit the activities of civil rights groups, such as the NAACP.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4341, The Right to Peaceably Assemble: Freedom of Expression, Part 19 The Supreme Court held in the 1937 case of De Jonge v. Oregon that the right of peaceable assembly "cannot be denied without violating those fundamental principles of liberty and justice which lie at the base of all civil and political institutions."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4340, Rights to Assemble, Petition, and Associate: Freedom of Expression, Part 18 The First Amendment protects people's right to form their own opinions, including those about politics and religion. It also protects the right to communicate those opinions to others.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4339, Brandenburg v. Ohio: Freedom of Expression, Part 17 In the 1969 case of Brandenburg v. Ohio the Supreme Court adopted an approach to free speech and press that was much more tolerant of provocative, inflammatory speech than past approaches.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4338, Limitations on the Power to Restrict Speech: Freedom of Expression, Part 16 The federal government can restrict free speech and press, but there are several limitations to this power.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4337, How Supreme Court Decisions Regulate Free Speech: Freedom of Expression, Part 15 The Supreme Court always has permitted some regulation of speech and the press. The Court's approach to analyzing restrictions on speech and press has been described as both "dynamic" and "unpredictable."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4336, Government Regulation of Free Speech: Freedom of Expression, Part 14 The American government regulates free speech in three ways: through regulations, prohibitions, and punishments.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4335, Time, Place, and Manner Restrictions: Freedom of Expression, Part 13 Some laws limiting freedom of expression do not violate the First Amendment. These laws are created to protect other important values and interests
60-Second Civics: Episode 4334, Some Exceptions to Free Speech: Freedom of Expression, Part 12 Governments at all levels in the United States make laws that limit freedom of expression to protect other important values and interests.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4333, Can Freedom of Speech Be Limited?: Freedom of Expression, Part 11 Despite the statement in the First Amendment that "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech," most people argue in favor of limiting freedom of expression in certain situations.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4332, Government Suppression of Unpopular Ideas: Freedom of Expression, Part 10 There has been pressure at many times throughout history to suppress unpopular ideas. Restrictions generally have been imposed during times of war or when the government has felt threatened.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4331, Jury Nullification in the John Peter Zenger Case: Freedom of Expression, Part 9 The John Peter Zenger case provided an early example of jury nullification, which means that a jury reaches a verdict of not guilty, despite overwhelming proof that the defendant committed a particular act, because the jury believes that the law making the act a crime is immoral or wrong.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4330, John Peter Zenger: Freedom of Expression, Part 8 Many Americans believe that the John Peter Zenger case not only established an important right of freedom of the press but also proved the importance of the jury as a check on arbitrary government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4329, "Our Liberty Depends on Freedom of the Press": Freedom of Expression, Part 7 By 1800, freedom of speech and press were beginning to be considered an essential part of free government. As Thomas Jefferson put it, "Our liberty depends on freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4328, The English Common Law of Seditious Libel: Freedom of Expression, Part 6 The English common law of seditious libel made it a crime to publish anything that might injure the reputation of the government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4327, Free Expression and Seditious Libel: Freedom of Expression, Part 5 Modern Americans' expectations about free expression differ markedly from those of Americans and the English during the colonial period. The law of seditious libel in England dates to 1606 and the case of "De Libellis Famosis."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4326, English Origins of American Ideas about Freedom of Expression: Freedom of Expression, Part 4 Many ideas about the importance of freedom of speech and of the press were brought to America from England.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4325, A Necessary Part of Representative Government: Freedom of Expression, Part 3 If the people are to instruct government properly, then they must have access to information, ideas, and various points of view.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4324, 2 Big Reasons for Free Expression: Freedom of Expression, Part 2 Two big arguments in favor of freedom of expression are (1) it promotes individual growth and human dignity and (2) freedom of expression is important for the advancement of knowledge.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4323, 5 Arguments for Free Expression: Freedom of Expression, Part 1 Today we kick off a miniseries on freedom of expression, part of our continuing examination of the rights protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. On today's podcast, we present five arguments in favor of freedom of expression.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4322, The Supreme Court's Test for Free Exercise Cases: Freedom of Religion, Part 8 Here is the current test the justices use to judge laws limiting free exercise of religion: 1. The law must be neutral and apply to everyone; 2. If the law is not neutral and does not apply to everyone, the government must have a compelling interest for enacting it. Furthermore, the government must adopt the least restrictive means for furthering that compelling interest.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4321, When Bedrock Principles Collide: Freedom of Religion, Part 7 According to former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, there are three "bedrock principles" from which to begin the analysis of establishment clause cases. Learn what these are on today's 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4320, How the Supreme Court Ruled in Two Free Exercise Cases: Freedom of Religion, Part 6 Two Supreme Court cases provide an illustration of how the Court has ruled on tests of the First Amendment's free exercise of religion clause.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4319, How the Supreme Court Decides Whether a Law Violates the Free Exercise Clause: Freedom of Religion, Part 5 When deciding cases involving the free exercise of religion, the Supreme Court normally asks whether the law is neutral and applies to everyone. If it is not, the justices ask whether the government has a compelling interest for enacting the law and whether the government adopted the least restrictive means for furthering that compelling interest.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4318, How Court Decisions Limit Free Exercise of Religion: Freedom of Religion, Part 4 The Supreme Court will sometimes limit the free exercise of religion, particularly when the health of a minor is involved. It is less likely to interfere with the right of mentally competent adults to make their own decisions based on their religious beliefs.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4317, Free Exercise of Religion: Freedom of Religion, Part 3 The free exercise clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution protects the right to believe in any religion or none at all. It also protects the right to practice one's religion, but this right does have limits.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4316, Interpretation of the Establishment Clause: Freedom of Religion, Part 2 There are three common methods of interpreting the establishment clause of the First Amendment: (1) broad interpretation, (2) narrow interpretation, and (3) literal interpretation. Most American agree that church and state should be separate, but they are no closer today to defining the proper scope of separation of church and state than they were in 1791.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4315, The Establishment Clause: Freedom of Religion, Part 1 Today we launch a new series on freedom of religion as protected by the First Amendment by examining the very first part of the amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."
60-Second Civics: Episode 4314, A Rough Start for the Bill of Rights: Rights, Part 13 The Bill of Rights was not initially received with enthusiasm. It caused bitter disagreements among both Federalists and Anti-Federalists. It had little effect on the lives of most Americans, whose day-to-day existence was impacted more by their state government rather than the national government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4313, How the Constitution Protects Rights: Rights, Part 12 In addition to those rights protected in the first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, the body of the U.S. Constitution and subsequent amendments also protect many rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4312, Rights and the Third Amendment: Rights, Part 11 The Third Amendment was written in response to the Quartering Act of 1765, which was a British law authorizing colonial governors to requisition certain buildings, including parts of people's homes, for housing British troops.
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