Today we explore coins, shells, greenbacks, the Mint, all things tied to American currency. Our guides are Stephen Mihm , professor at the University of Georgia and author of A Nation of Counterfeiters: Capitalists, Con Men, and the Making of the United States , Ellen Feingold, curator at the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian, and Todd Martin from the U.S. Mint . Hey, check out our snazzy new tote bag! Make a $5 a month or $60 one time gift to the show and it's yours! Want our ne...
May 07, 2024•21 min
We often tell you that YOUR local government is the one you have to pay really close attention to. So today we’re bringing you an episode from our colleagues over at Outside/In that proves exactly this. It’s about one city - Juneau, Alaska - and what happens when climate change concerns meet municipal resources – or lack thereof. What does a city do when the bottom line doesn’t jibe with reality and federal funds are out of reach? Especially when a predictable natural disaster is looming on the ...
Apr 30, 2024•31 min
Host Nick Capodice talks to co-host Hannah McCarthy about what it's like having real access to the Supreme Court. (Spoiler alert: those chairs lean WAY back!) And then the pair pays a very emotional visit to the Lincoln Memorial. Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS! CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! To see Civics 101 in book form, c...
Apr 26, 2024•35 min
Why do we need so much paper money? Why does the National Zoo have bison? How did Thomas Edison record sound? How big is the Hope Diamond? What does the CPB do? And what is it ike seeing a Supreme Court oral argument in person? What about all those protests outside? These are all questions the Civics 101 team sought to answer on their second and third days field-tripping in Washington D.C. And now they've been joined by Outside/In producer Felix Poon! Listen in as the team shares their experienc...
Apr 26, 2024•27 min
This week our team has hit the road to - where else - our nation’s capital, Washington D.C. While we’re here, we’ll be conducting interviews and gathering tape for future episodes, but we’re also doing something else: immersing ourselves in the sights and sounds of the seat of our federal government. That’s right, it’s a Civics 101 field trip! You can follow along on Instagram and on our brand-new TikTok channel . In this episode, listen to what it was like as we explored the city during our fir...
Apr 24, 2024•19 min
You might think you know why Marbury v Madison is important: it set the precedent whereby the Supreme Court decides whether laws are constitutional or not, a power known as judicial review. But what else does this landmark decision say? And why is this case from more than two hundred years ago cited so prominently in former president Donald Trump's current Supreme Court brief ? In this episode, host Hannah McCarthy "Hansplains" the connection between this famous case and current events, with the...
Apr 23, 2024•46 min
Today we're talking RNC and DNC. The committees, not the conventions. What do they do? Who decides who chairs them? And what does it mean to a national committee when someone can post a message on social media that has more impact than thousands of mailbox flyers? Today's guests are Boris Heersink and Marjorie Hershey , who take us from a few folks setting up a convention to a massive organization that tries (and sometimes fails) to wrangle a party's identity. Want our new "Civics is my cup of t...
Apr 16, 2024•26 min
Most Americans need help to file our tax return each year - about 90% of people use technology like Turbo Tax, or hire a human tax preparer. Why does it feel like it takes degree in accounting, or the money to pay someone with a degree, or computer software, just to comply with the law? We revisit our explainers on why our tax system is the way it is, and how to comply with it, just in time for tax day. We talk about everything that goes into filing taxes, how some people game the system, why it...
Apr 09, 2024•38 min
We revisit our explainers on why our tax system is the way it is, and how to comply with it, just in time for tax day. We haven't always had a federal income tax, and in the beginning, it only applied to the very richest Americans. So how did we end up with the permanent income tax we have today, with all its complicated rules about everything from pre-tax income to deductions and credits? And what does it actually pay for? Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET...
Apr 09, 2024•36 min
Forget the rhetoric and hysterical political ads! Host Hannah McCarthy did the research, and she runs down all of the *actual* campaign promises being made by President Joe Biden and Donald Trump as they both make a second run for the White House. The economy. Healthcare. Gun violence. Policing. Education. And...firing lots of people. In this edition of Civics 101, find out what the two presumptive nominees for President of the United States are telling voters they will do if elected. Want our n...
Apr 02, 2024•45 min
Lochner v New York, a 1905 Supreme Court case about working hours and contracts, is considered anti-canon. Right up there with Dred Scott, Plessy and Korematsu. The question is, how did it get there? Why do people think it's so bad? And what does this decision, and the era that followed, say about politics and the Supreme Court? Our guides to this case and what came after are Rebecca Brown , Rader Family Trustee Chair in Law at USC Gould School of Law and Matthew Lindsay , Associate Professor of...
Mar 26, 2024•40 min
TikTok - an app with around 170 Million American users - is under intense scrutiny by the U.S. government, including a bill passed by the House of Representatives which issues a threat: "sell or be banned." But how and why can the government do that? What does this kind of business restriction look like? We talked to Steven Balla of George Washington University to get the low down on regulations and bans in the United States. TLDR: This episode goes beyond the current legislation, but it's updat...
Mar 18, 2024•20 min
When the Supreme Court says something is or isn't constitutional, what does that really mean? What are the effects, or lack thereof, of their decisions? And what do we do if we don't agree with what they say? Today Linda Monk, author of The Bill of Rights: A User's Guide , walks us through four times in US History that the Supreme Court was not the be-all-end-all decision maker. Here are some links to shows we reference in the episode: Dred Scott v Sandford Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka...
Mar 12, 2024•24 min
The process is pretty straightforward. Plenty of people want to make some change. And yet? We've only done it 27 times. So what does it take to amend the U.S. Constitution and why does it barely ever happen? Robinson Woodward Burns , Associate Professor of Political Science at Howard University, is our guide. Want more Civics 101? Sign up for our newsletter and enjoy the pure delight of an extra dose of (genuinely fun) civics musing twice a month. Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLIC...
Mar 05, 2024•18 min
Listen to our full, two-part series from 2023 on the history of civics education, and the current legal and ideological debates around social studies happening in across the country today. Walking us through the past, present, and future of social studies and civic education are Danielle Allen , James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University, and Adam Laats , Historian and Professor of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership at Binghamton University. We also hear from Louis...
Feb 27, 2024•56 min
When the cats are away...well...you know. In this special episode, Executive Producer Rebecca Lavoie and Senior Producer Christina Phillips follow up on some recent discussions sparked by our newsletter Extra Credit. How do you have a legitimate discussion with someone who has the facts wrong? And what's going on with all of these different trials involving former President Donald Trump? Click here to read Nick's essay on responding to someone who's wrong. Click here to subscribe to our newslett...
Feb 20, 2024•31 min
The president has the power to release someone from prison, restore their voting rights, or stop a federal criminal investigation with little more than the wave of a hand. How did the president get this power, and are there any limitations? What would it mean for a president to pardon themselves? Brian Kalt , constitutional law professor at Michigan State University, helps answer these questions. Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS! CLICK HERE: Visit ou...
Feb 13, 2024•28 min
Machine learning is being used in police precincts, schools, courts and elsewhere across the country to help us make decisions. Using data about us, algorithms can do almost instantly what it would take human beings both time and money to do. Cheaper, faster, more efficient and potentially more accurate -- but should we be doing it? How should we be using it? And what about our privacy and our rights? Aziz Huq, Frank and Bernice J. Greenberg Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law Scho...
Feb 06, 2024•47 min
Federalist 10 was one of the Federalist Papers, a collection of 85 essays that were published in New York to encourage ratification of the newly drafted Constitution. This essay is taught in classrooms across the country and often referred to as the most important. So what's it about? Taking us through the ideas of faction, republicanism, and Madison's inability to predict Facebook are Jeffrey Rosen , President of the National Constitution Center, Alison LaCroix , Professor of Law at the Univers...
Jan 30, 2024•22 min
Primaries, caucuses, conventions, court cases -- oh, it's a lot. Hannah and Nick have the most important dates and some crucial context for your calendar this election year. Buckle up, 2024 is already underway. Check out our recommended listening for more helpful info! Primaries and Caucuses Conventions Stranglehold: Make Room (for context on New Hampshire and its hold on the first in the nation Primary) By the way, it isn't too late to snag a Civics 101 baseball hat! Donate now and show the wor...
Jan 23, 2024•23 min
Government salaries vary an awful lot; from $100 a year to $11.5 million. So who makes what? Today we divide the issue of taxpayer-funded salaries in two. How much officials make, and then how much they really make. Why do so many politicians make money once they leave office? How much can you get from speaking at events? And how do lobbyists affect not only policy, but their career trajectory? Our guest is Anna Massoglia from Open Secrets , the "nation's premier research group tracking money in...
Jan 16, 2024•22 min
In this double feature of two of our favorite episodes we cover misinformation, disinformation and propaganda -- three tricky truth-benders that come at you from every angle in American life. Our guides include Samantha Lai of the Brookings Institute , Peter Adams of the News Literacy Project , John Maxwell Hamilton (professor and author of Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda and Jennifer Mercieca, professor and author of Demagogue for President: The Rhet...
Jan 09, 2024•57 min
Expulsion from Congress is extremely rare. Nevertheless, NY Congressman George Santos was expelled on December 1, 2023. So how did that happen? Today on Civics 101 we are guided by Carlos Algara, who lays out the history of expulsion in both chambers, the process, the Ethics Committee, censure, and how Congress fills an empty seat after somebody is expelled. Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS! CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, d...
Jan 02, 2024•20 min
Between the corporate interests, the politics, the infrastructure and the shaming, what can the grown ups in the room actually do to make the school cafeteria a safer, healthier place where kids want to be? Ross Wilson of the Shah Foundation , Jessica Terrell of the Left Overs podcast and Crystal FitzSimons of the Food Research and Action Center try to answer that. Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS! CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our epis...
Dec 26, 2023•41 min
Federal and state dollars pay for so much of what goes into the American public school education of our kids, but it isn't so straight forward when it comes to keeping them fed on school grounds. What movements and laws lead to American school kids accessing lunch? What does it cost, and who has to pay? Jessica Terrell , journalist and host of Left Over podcast and Crystal FitzSimons , Director of School and Out-of-School Time Programs at the Food Research and Action Center are our guides to the...
Dec 19, 2023•33 min
Today we answer this question from a listener, "Is Santa a criminal?" We get to the bottom of the myriad actions of the jolly old elf, and whether he could reasonably be tried for civil and criminal violations, including but not limited to trespassing, breaking and entering, voyeurism, stalking, surveillance, burglary, tax evasion, bad labor practices, emotional distress, and (in one instance) involuntary manslaughter. Taking us through this complex web of charges is Colin Miller , professor at ...
Dec 12, 2023•23 min
How does something go from an annual tradition to a mandated day off? Who decides to make a holiday official? Our guides to the holiday season are Jeff Bensch, author of History of American Holidays, and JerriAnne Boggis, Executive Director of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS! CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational mat...
Dec 05, 2023•24 min
Term limits for legislators, both in Congress and at the state level, are extremely popular among voters, and have been, since their heyday in the 1990s. And while we don't currently have term limits on members of Congress, they do exist in 16 states. What can we learn from the state legislatures that already have them? Do they deliver on their promises? We talk with Carlos Algara , assistant professor of political science at Claremont Graduate University, where he studies political parties, ele...
Nov 28, 2023•27 min
America's first congress debated it in the 1790s, and it's been debated about ever since. Who should step into the president's shoes if the offices of President and Vice President are simultaneously vacant? Today we talk about the many different Presidential Acts of Succession that we've had in the US, as well as designated survivors, the "football," and the recurring question of the constitutionality of such acts. Click here to listen to our episode on the Executive Branch, should you want to l...
Nov 21, 2023•23 min
The Supreme Court chooses what it wants to offer opinions on, and those opinions redefine the way law works in this nation, trickling down to your world works for you. So what did they pick this time around? This is our watchlist for the most significant cases before the court this year. Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS! CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational m...
Nov 14, 2023•29 min
