The United States spends more than any other country on healthcare. And, unfortunately, that's just about the only place we come in first. Today we learn about the creation and maintenance of our unique public/private system with Sue Tolleson-Rinehart, Professor Emeritus at UNC, and Amélie Quesnel-Vallée, Canada Research Chair in Policies and Health Inequalities at McGill University. They break down how our system measures up to other wealthy nations; in cost to its citizens, efficacy, taxation,...
Oct 29, 2024•33 min
The Smithsonian is the world's largest research institution, but much of it is out of public sight. And one particular kind of collection is part of a growing debate over where ethical lines and scientific discovery should be drawn. This week, we present the first part of a special series from our colleagues at Outside/In. You can listen to the rest of the series here, or get Outside/In wherever listen to podcasts. You can support our journalism by making a donation to our show ! Thanks so much....
Oct 22, 2024•33 min
Corruption in politics is a trope that's been around ever since we had politics. And it can feel inevitable. Regardless of anticorruption legislation and executive orders, it seems like it will never go away. David Sirota, editor in chief of The Lever and host of the podcast Master Plan , argues the opposite. Today on Civics 101 we learn about what corruption is, how it influences (or doesn't influence) policy, and what needs to be done to eradicate it from our political system. Want our new "Ci...
Oct 15, 2024•49 min
Whenever there's a big strike in the news, someone inevitably invokes the phrase "Taft-Hartely Act" when talking about whether or not the president should intervene. But what is Taft-Hartley? How did it come about? And what can it actually do? Nick chats with Erik Loomis , a professor at the University of Rhode Island and expert on all things labor-related. 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, do...
Oct 08, 2024•29 min
Why don't people "civically engage?" Because they're too busy! Politicians are busy! Or maybe...they don't care? In this special episode of Civics 101 recorded in front of a live audience, we hear from experts who break down what it means to participate in our democracy, how to break down barriers to participation, and how to be who you already are and make a VERY big difference. This episode was recorded at NHPR's Civics 101 Summit at Southern New Hampshire University. Learn more about that eve...
Oct 01, 2024•51 min
What does it mean if a SCOTUS justice is a self-proclaimed "originalist?" When was the word first used in that context? And what are we missing about the framers when we look only upon the recent interpretation of their words in the court? Today our guide is Mackenzie Joy Brennan ; lawyer, media commentator, and author of the upcoming book The Original ‘Original Intent,’ Recovering the Lost Constitution of the Founders . Click here for more of Mackenzie's research on originalism, including Terry...
Sep 24, 2024•27 min
For more than two hundred years Americans have tried to tame the Mississippi River. And, for that entire time, the river has fought back. This week we present an episode of our sister podcast Outside/In . Journalist and author Boyce Upholt has spent dozens of nights camping along the Lower Mississippi and knows the river for what it is: both a water-moving machine and a supremely wild place. His recent book, “The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi River” tells the story of h...
Sep 17, 2024•24 min
Today, we bring you a special bonus - a SMACKDOWN episode of NPR's It's Been a Minute featuring our own hosts Nick and Hannah! IBAM host Brittany Luse has been taking this smackdown on the road to cities all across the country. Hear the other debates on the It's Been a Minute podcast. 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 mate...
Sep 13, 2024•30 min
Today we discuss what a president is, what a president does, and what a president "should be." To quote Professor Amar, it can be hard to find someone to fill those shoes because they were designed for Washington's feet. Our guests are Akhil Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, and Andy Lipka, president of EverScholar. Akhil and Andy co-host Amarica's Constitution , a podcast that explores the constitutional issues of our day. It is a perfect companion show t...
Sep 10, 2024•27 min
For most of our nation's history, the voting age was 21. So how'd we get it down to 18? In one sense, it was the fastest ratified amendment in history. In another, it took three decades. Our guide to the hard-won fight for youth enfranchisement is Jennifer Frost, author of "Let Us Vote!" Youth Voting Rights and the 26th Amendment . 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 ...
Sep 03, 2024•36 min
Why do very different political candidates say the same things over and over? Things like "middle class," "coastal elites" and "middle America?" What do those things even mean? That's what this episode is all about. Also...some civics and history trivia that's VERY much on-topic. Sort of. 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 ...
Aug 27, 2024•50 min
The Chevron Doctrine, or Chevron Deference, was an established judicial principle. When the law was ambiguous, the courts would let the agency experts interpret it. After a Supreme Court case called Loper Bright v Raimondo , that is no longer the case. So what does that mean? What exactly has gone away? What happens next? Our guides to the wonkiest of the wonk are Robin Kundis Craig and Mustafa Santiago Ali . Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND GET YOURS! CLICK H...
Aug 20, 2024•38 min
Nick and Hannah both love board games. There I said it. So what are they doing in a Civics 101 episode? Well, from Student Council and Model UN to CIA intelligence acquisition scenarios, there is a fine line between games and simulation. We learn more about things when we pretend to do them. Today we talk to three designers about their civic-centric games; Tory Brown of Fort Circle Games discusses Votes for Women , Cole Wehrle of Wehrlegig Games breaks down John Company , and Non-Breaking Space ...
Aug 13, 2024•49 min
Choosing to blow the whistle on the U.S. government is a big deal. It's a huge risk and, despite legal protections, can result in major negative repercussions. So why do people do it? What happens to them when they do? What protections do they have, and do those protections work? Our guides to the process are Kathleen McClella , Deputy Director at WHISPeR, Danielle Brian , Executive Director and President of the Project on Government Oversight and Chris Appy , Professor of History at the Univers...
Aug 06, 2024•26 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...
Jul 30, 2024•23 min
The Olympics are a global event. They take years of planning, negotiation and convincing -- not to mention billions of dollars -- to stage. This is how the games are used by the United States and others around the world. This is what it takes to host, what the games do for a nation and what it means when you refuse to attend. Welcome to the Olympics. Our guests for this episode are Jules Boykoff , professor of government and politics at Pacific University and author of several books on the polit...
Jul 26, 2024•44 min
You have questions about the future of the democratic ticket, and Civics 101's favorite explainer, Dan Cassino, has the answers. What happens to Biden's fundraising money? What will the delegates at the DNC do? Will there be any legal challenges? And finally, what does it mean for a party when they nominate a candidate different than the one that won the primary? 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 episod...
Jul 24, 2024•30 min
You may have been surprised (or maybe not) when judge Aileen Cannon abruptly dismissed the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump. We dig into how and why that happened. 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, check out A User's Guide to Democrac...
Jul 17, 2024•18 min
Introducing the newest series from NHPR’s award-winning Document team: “The Youth Development Center.” New Hampshire has sent its most troubled kids to the same juvenile detention center for more than a century. It's a place that was supposed to nurture them, that instead hurt them – in some of the worst ways imaginable. It's now at the center of one of the biggest youth detention scandals in American history. How did this happen – and how did it finally come to light? The series is available no...
Jul 16, 2024•4 min
Doris Kearns Goodwin is one of the country’s most beloved presidential historians and authors, having written books about the Roosevelts, the Kennedys, and Lincoln, among many others. Her latest book is An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s . The book is part memoir, part in-depth journey through the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and part love letter to her husband Dick Goodwin, a presidential speechwriter and policy advisor who played a vital role in shaping the very ...
Jul 16, 2024•57 min
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act , or EMTALA, says certain hospitals have to provide stabilizing care to patients. Until the Dobbs decision in 2022, that care included abortion if necessary. After Dobbs, though, states with strict abortion laws make it difficult if not impossible to abide by EMTALA. Idaho is one such state, the United States sued, and that case made its way to the Supreme Court. In June of 2024, however, the Court said it made a mistake. It never should have taken t...
Jul 09, 2024•44 min
What is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, or the CPB? How does it all work? And why is it SO political? In this episode, senior producer Christina Phillips explains it all. She first spoke with the CPB's Anne Brachman , and then did a deep dive to learn more. In the episode, Christina mentions 2024 legislation called the Defund NPR Act. You can read that bill right here . Since we taped the episode, there's a new effort afoot to defund the CPB. More on that here . Want our new "Civics is ...
Jul 02, 2024•51 min
On this special bonus episode of Civics 101, we talk about the Supreme Court’s decision on July 1st in the case of Trump v United States. The court ruled along ideological lines; it was a 6-3 decision that granted former president Donald Trump - and any president - some degree of immunity. But it's a long opinion, and a complicated one. To explain all of it, we reached out to Dr. Claire Wofford , an Associate Professor of Political Science at College of Charleston. Want our new "Civics is my cup...
Jul 01, 2024•21 min
The Smithsonian is a heck of a lot more than its 21 museums. Today on Civics 101 Richard Kurin tells us all about about an institution that interacts with all three branches of government, has a budget of over a billion dollars, and is dedicated to "the increase and diffusion of knowledge" among all. So how did it start? How does it run? What does the Chief Justice have to do with all this? And, finally, why do we collect items in the first place? Want our new "Civics is my cup of tea" mug? CLIC...
Jun 25, 2024•39 min
On June 14 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that bump stocks are no longer illegal, reversing an order from Donald Trump and the ATF that was passed in the wake of the Las Vegas shootings. The words "Second Amendment" do not appear in the opinion, concurring opinion, or dissent. And yet, within minutes of the ruling, every news agency was calling it a Second Amendment case. So what is the Second Amendment? It's short. 27 words. Words which have been interpreted and reinterpreted by historians, acti...
Jun 18, 2024•46 min
Today we break down flags that have been in the news; from variations on the American flag to revolutionary flags like the Gadsden Flag and the "Appeal to Heaven" pine tree flag. These flags do not change in their design, but the meaning of these flags certainly does change. For more flaggery, click here to hear our show about the history of the American flag and SCOTUS cases surrounding it, and click here to learn about why Nick thinks the NH flag is so terrible. BONUS: Check out Hannah and Nic...
Jun 11, 2024•31 min
This is the story of what happens (and what's happening) when the American workforce tries to get a seat at the table. Our guides to strikes, unions and the labor movement are Kim Kelly , journalist and author of Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor, Eric Loomis professor of History at the University of Rhode Island and author of A History of America in Ten Strikes and our friend Andrew Swan , an 8th Grade Social Studies teacher in Newton, MA among many other things. Want our ne...
Jun 04, 2024•1 hr 8 min
The Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC is sometimes called “the people’s zoo.” That’s because it’s the only zoo in the country to be created by an act of US Congress, and admission is free. But why did our federal government create a national zoo in the first place? Outside/In producer Felix Poon has the scoop – from its surprising origins in the near-extinction of bison, to a look at its modern-day mission of conservation, we’re going on a field trip to learn all about the N...
May 28, 2024•28 min
Today on Civics 101 we talk about truth, bias, and objectivity in reporting. I visited with Barbara Sprunt , reporter at the Washington desk at NPR, who told me what it's like to cover Capitol Hill. Barbara told me about her schedule, what to listen for when interviewing members of Congress, and what she says to accusations of political bias. Support our public radio show today and you can get our new misinformation/disinformation tote bag! Click here to take a peek at it. Want our new "Civics i...
May 21, 2024•22 min
We started out by lining up on different sides of the street, then by saying our vote out loud. We've used many methods to vote, but most of them were corruptible by the party in power. But have we reached the pinnacle? Have we finally achieved the "perfect ballot?" Today, Dan Cassino of Farleigh Dickinson University and Josh Pasek of the University of Michigan walk us through the history of ballot design, the ballot fiasco in 2000, and how some ballots continue to favor one candidate (or party)...
May 14, 2024•33 min
