Civics 101 podcast

Civics 101

·

  NHPR  

How do landmark Supreme Court decisions affect our lives? What does the 2nd Amendment really say? Why does the Senate have so much power? Civics 101 is the podcast about how our democracy works…or is supposed to work, anyway.

How do landmark Supreme Court decisions affect our lives? What does the 2nd Amendment really say? Why does the Senate have so much power? Civics 101 is the podcast about how our democracy works…or is supposed to work, anyway.

 

#338

The Lottery: How it happened, and what it pays for

The lottery generates over $70 billion in revenue each year. Today on Civics 101 we explor... more

09 Dec 2025

30 MINS

30:58

09 Dec 2025


#337

What is SNAP?

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, once upon a time called food stamps, helps ... more

02 Dec 2025

33 MINS

33:45

02 Dec 2025


#336

How did the Epstein Files Transparency Act happen?

Today we talk about the myriad procedures involved in getting the Epstein Files Transparen... more

25 Nov 2025

23 MINS

23:52

25 Nov 2025


#335

What can we learn from the American Revolution?

[Ken Burns] (https://kenburns.com/principals/ken-burns/) and [Sarah Botstein] (https://ken... more

18 Nov 2025

42 MINS

42:32

18 Nov 2025


#334

Billionaires

In sixty years, we have gone from 2 billionaires in the United States to just under 2,000.... more

11 Nov 2025

24 MINS

24:40

11 Nov 2025


#333

Why are so many voters sitting out this week?

Off-year elections -- as in, not a presidential or a midterm -- have fairly dismal voter t... more

03 Nov 2025

28 MINS

28:04

03 Nov 2025


#332

Project 2025: What it is and what it's doing

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has published a Mandate for Leadership... more

28 Oct 2025

27 MINS

27:59

28 Oct 2025


#331

Who's the most outdoorsy president? (A trivia crossover)

This episode is a crossover with our sister NHPR podcast, Outside/In. What do pastries hav... more

21 Oct 2025

32 MINS

32:24

21 Oct 2025


#330

The government is shut down....again. But what does that mean?

In this episode, we give a brief explanation of what's behind the current government shutd... more

16 Oct 2025

24 MINS

24:22

16 Oct 2025


#329

What Could Go Right: Whatever Happened to Civics?

Today we’re bringing you an episode of What Could Go Right from our friends at The Progres... more

14 Oct 2025

52 MINS

52:40

14 Oct 2025


#328

What are the rules for making fun of politicians?

Did you know cartoonists were on Nixon's enemies list? Or that LBJ prevented a cartoonist ... more

07 Oct 2025

21 MINS

21:16

07 Oct 2025


#327

The Grievances in the Declaration (part 2)

[Click here] (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-grievances-in-the-declaration-part... more

30 Sep 2025

28 MINS

28:34

30 Sep 2025


#326

Can the president legally hide their health status?

The American public has long been on the lookout for unsteadiness in the leader of the fre... more

23 Sep 2025

31 MINS

31:07

23 Sep 2025


#325

The Grievances in the Declaration (part 1)

"He" has done bad things. Twenty seven of them. And these things were so bad that the colo... more

16 Sep 2025

24 MINS

24:52

16 Sep 2025


#324

Why does the government fund things, and what happens when it stops?

Congress appropriates funds, the executive branch ensures those funds are spent and spent ... more

09 Sep 2025

40 MINS

40:37

09 Sep 2025


#323

Civics Trivia: Taxes, terrifying birds, and The West Wing

It's another edition of Civics 101 Trivia! This time, it's also the swan song for one of o... more

02 Sep 2025

50 MINS

50:30

02 Sep 2025


#322

Is same-sex marriage in legal peril?

In 2015, the Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land. However, for the fi... more

26 Aug 2025

28 MINS

28:44

26 Aug 2025


#321

Obergefell v Hodges, 2015

This is the decision that said the fundamental right to marry is protected under the 14th ... more

26 Aug 2025

32 MINS

32:28

26 Aug 2025