Civics 101

The Civics 101 team's D.C. field trip takes them all kinds of places, including inside the highest court in the land during oral arguments. Listen in as they share those experiences.

The team is in Washington D.C. making episodes...and we're learning some wild stuff.

There's a landmark SCOTUS decision from two centuries ago that could end up influencing Donald Trump's current Supreme Court case. But why?

The Republican and Democratic National Committees used to be "the chair and his/her briefcase." But what do they do now?

Deductions, credits, W2s, audits. It's complicated out there, so we break it down.

Paying income taxes is a civic responsibility... but it hasn't always been. Where did it start, and where is it now?

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.

Everybody agrees it's bad, nobody agrees on why.

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 really happens when the Supreme Court decides something? What are the limits on their powers? And what can we do if we disagree with them?

The process for changing the Supreme Law of the Land.

Have we ever agreed upon a narrative for our nation that we can teach American students?

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?

Can presidents pardon themselves?

How are algorithms deciding our fate and what is the country doing about it?

It's lauded as the most significant of the Federalist Papers, those 85 essays which defended our Constitution and encouraged it's ratification. So what's it all about?

Everything you gotta know this year.

How much do we pay our government employees? Who gets the most? And, more importantly, what kind of money do they make once they leave office?

The truth is out there.

Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) has become the sixth person to be expelled from the House in US history. How does expulsion happen, and how will his seat be filled?

The problems with school meals range from unappetizing food to shaming children. Are we doing anything about it?

How we decided to feed kids in America's schools.

One our favorite subjects in recent memory: is Santa's method of present delivery... legal?

What makes a holiday a federal holiday?

Voters love the idea of term limits for Congress, so why don't we have them? And would they deliver on their promises?

If the President and Vice President are both unable to hold office, who comes next?

A brief summary of what's on the Supreme Court docket.

It's sometimes referred to as the second-most powerful job in Washington DC. Learn about the powers and history of the position that will likely be in the news for months to come.

The Satanic Temple brings 1st Amendment questions to town.

Author and historian Heather Cox Richardson on her new book, Democracy Awakening.

What is the federal government's role in predicting the weather?

The words "separation of church and state" might not be in our constitution, but the idea certainly is.

We hear from friends, and one very special social media account, about American Girl then and now.

How do shutdowns happen? Why do they happen? How are they prevented, and who do they affect?

Hannah, Rebecca, and Christina duke it out in three rounds of (sort of) civics trivia.

This episode of Civics 101 is the second chapter of a story about American Girl dolls, and what this beloved brand got right – and wrong – about the American experience.

For so many of us, American Girl dolls were more than just toys. They’re how we learned about the past. But is American Girl’s version historically accurate?

Our government has hundreds of millions of secrets.

What are RICO charges? Why do we have them? And how does a RICO case differ from a more run-of-the mill trial?

What are the origin stories of our two parties? How have they evolved? And what is "realignment" anyways?

When curricula, parents, legislators, students, and teachers collide.

What happens when race is, and then suddenly isn't, a factor in college admissions?

The only two people executed for violating the Espionage Act during peacetime.

What are presidential records? And to whom do they belong?

Shutting down the Independent State Legislator theory.

Who decides what gets taught in a classroom? Is it the teachers? The parents? The state? When did it all change? And while we're at it, how ARE we doing when it comes to civic education?

You probably associate the so-called "War on Drugs" with the Reagans. Or maybe, more correctly, with the Nixon administration. But the government's anti-drug policies started decades before that.

Today we learn about the Supreme Court decisions that we don't hear much about; the "shadow docket."

Justices are talking more than ever - but what are they saying?

Today we define three of the most used -isms in the media, and explore why we have -isms in the first place.

Citizenship, equal protection, due process and... debt?

Supreme Court justices are supposed to keep themselves removed from political bias or influence. But who makes sure they're actually doing that?

What's the deal with the debt ceiling, anyway?

Being fair and balanced on TV and the radio wasn't just a good idea, it was the law.

We spoke with Ryan Willard from The Ten News for tips on talking with younger kids about the news.

The laws, policies and legal cases that worked for and against Reconstruction.

The true history of America's first Civil Rights era.

Why America doesn't learn about our first Civil Rights Era.

Today we explain all the legalities surrounding the Dominion v Fox News lawsuit. We break down defamation, slander, libel, discovery, actual malice, and what this settlement means.

How free IS the land of the free? We talk with the co-author of the Human Freedom Index, Ian Vasquez, about how we rank in our measure of liberty. Then we do a deep dive into Freedom of the Press with Jenifer Whitten-Woodring, co-author of the Historical Guide to World Media Freedom: A Country-by-Country Analysis.

Can the government really ban a whole business? What does that mean and how does it happen?

Today we go through the definitions and processes involved in the recent indictment of Donald Trump. We explain grand juries, indictment, arraignment, extradition, the role of the DA, and the constitutionality of charging a former president with a crime.

Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands are all U.S. territories, but what does that mean? Is there political representation? What is the status of its citizens with regard to the Constitution and U.S. law? And what does the lack of full statehood status allow, or limit? Author Doug Mack leads today's lesson.   Email us your U.S. territories mnemonic device! civics101@nhpr.org

Do the reasons some people want to avoid jury duty have merit? Why is jury duty so important? And what should you expect with you get summoned to serve?

Who writes most bills in Congress? What are they really about? And how do special interest groups factor into all this?

Our income tax system was modeled on the idea of everyone paying their "fair share." But in practice?

For decades, one state has had the privilege of going first in the presidential primary process. Now, that state is losing its grip.

Our friends from Outside/In bring the story of property rights in air and space.

Millions lost their homes, giant institutions collapsed and a global recession began. This is the story of what the American government did about it.

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 a degree in accounting, or the money to pay someone with a degree, or computer software, just to comply with the law?

What does the U.S. Space Force do, and why was the nation's newest military branch created?

Housing policy, space and political power in Atlanta, Georgia.

How the federal government used policy to segregate housing.

The last of our series on famous federal court trials, US v Cassius Clay was a polarizing case about conscientious objection, protest, celebrity, and the unique line athletes are told to walk when it comes to political speech.

The ugly and inspiring story of what it took for all of America to honor a singular Black life.

An excerpt from a live conversation with Huma Abedin, top aide and advisor to Hillary Clinton.

The Cold War hysteria over communism was known as the Red Scare. But what was the Lavender Scare? We dig into that in this week's episode.

There may be only 12 federal holidays, but we come up with hundreds of reasons to celebrate.

In an uncharacteristic wash of holiday cheer, today we investigate how the actions of Santa could be interpreted in a court of law.

What happens when a president is no longer able to do the job?

What does the Constitution say about who is allowed to be president?

What is propaganda? How is it different from persuasion? And how has the US government used it, from the revolution to WWI to now?

A cushy lifetime parting gift.

What's the deal with all those reporters in the White House? And what's the job of White House Press Secretary all about?

There's a complaint we get pretty often around here, that our tagline contains the word "democracy," but the United States is *actually* a republic. So...do we need to make a change?

The three myths that tell us how things are going to be for each and every American.

Four myths that we handpicked for our origin story.

Nick and Hannah face up against their greatest fear: whether they've learned anything hosting this show.

A conversation about civic life and stereotypes as Asian American in the U.S. from our friends at Future Hindsight.

An excerpt from a live conversation with NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg.

What does "taking the Fifth" mean? If you've been suspected of a crime, how and when do you use your rights under the Fifth Amendment's self-incrimination clause?

Why do elected and appointed officials take oaths? What do they mean? And what happens if somebody breaks that oath?

The story of how eight protesters (yup, eight) ended up in federal court on conspiracy charges and proceeded to turn a trial into political theater.

Just think about the kinds of powers the President has: they command the armed forces, have access to the nuclear codes, and yes, can block a bill from becoming law...sometimes.

How do lies get spread before an election in order to influence it?

And what does it mean to control one, the other, or both?

Since its passage after World War I, thousands of people have been investigated for violating the Espionage Act, including Julian Assange, Daniel Ellsberg, and Donald Trump. However, only two people have been executed for violating it during peacetime; Ethel and Julius Rosenberg.

The five whats and whys of the midterm election.

Today we're opening our new series on famous trials in the Federal Courts. In this case, United States v Burr, the judge and jury had to decide whether to convict former VP Aaron Burr for the crime of treason.