Civics 101

Latest Episodes:

Intraparties: From the Tea Party to the DSA Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

What happens when a party forms inside of another party? How is the DSA, the Democratic Socialists of America, affecting the Democratic Party? And how did the the Tea Party shift the GOP's platform back in 2010?

Today, Ruth Bloch-Rubin from the University of Chicago walks us through intra-party movements. They've happened before, they'll happen again, and they tend to be a bellwether for significant shifts in party ideology.

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Introducing “Bear Brook: A Private Matter” Oct 23, 2026

Show notes

Today, we're sharing the season three premiere of Bear Brook, the critically acclaimed true crime podcast from New Hampshire Public Radio's Pulitzer Prize-nominated Document team. Bear Brook returns with A Private Matter, hosted by award-winning journalist Jason Moon.

This season, Jason investigates the disappearance of Jay Hickey, a beloved Christmas tree farmer with dementia who vanishes from his small New Hampshire town. His wife Patty never reports him missing. And it turns out, that's not necessarily a crime in New Hampshire. What follows is a story about family estrangement, the growing dementia crisis, and the legal gaps that leave vulnerable people behind.

Listen to more of the new season, follow Bear Brook here: https://play.megaphone.fm/3gfaxmufro-bjytd5eobrg

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On the Midterms and Civic Participation with 1A Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

This October, Nick and Hannah sat down with Jenn White on WAMU's 1A. They talked about the outsized power a voter has (typically) in midterms, what we're seeing in this upcoming election regarding campaign spending and messaging, and finally what all Americans should know when it comes to civic action in addition to going out and casting our vote.

Click here to check out our series on midterm elections, including recaps of some of the most famous ones in US history.

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The National Mall Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

As a kingless, queenless, monarch-free nation, what do we decide to put in the space that best represents us to the world? Why is the Washington Monument a giant obelisk? And while we're at it, what's the deal with Donald Trump's proposed Triumphal Arch?

Today we are guided by an actual, real-life, architectural tour guide, Carolyn Muraskin of DC Design Tours. She walks us through the many ups and downs of DC's rich design history, along with the many controversies that surrounded what we put on the National Mall.

Click here to visit our website, where we're showing photos of all the monuments discussed in this episode, and click here to hear Hannah talking about what she feels when she's at the Lincoln Memorial.

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What Does it Mean to Be a Democrat or a Republican? Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

Today we look at the creation and evolution of the two major parties in the US; the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. How did they come about? How did their ideals shift over the last 200+ years? And where might they go next?

These episodes originally aired in 2020, and feature Keneshia Grant, George Will, Kathryn DePalo-Gould, Heather Wagner, Paddy Riley, and William Adler.

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How a Bill (REALLY) Becomes a Law Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Our final "Back to School" episode is a nod to how we started in the first place. Our show was created to be "Schoolhouse Rock for adults," and no mention of Schoolhouse Rock is complete without a sad little scrap of paper hoping to become a bill.

Today we're exploring how that bill, sitting there on Capitol Hill, becomes a law. This episode features the voices of Andy Wilson, Adia Samba-Quee, Alizah Ross, and Eleanor Powell.

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What is Federalism? Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

A tug of war, a balancing act, two dancers dragging each other across the floor. This is the perpetual ebb and flow of power between the states and the federal government. How can things be legal in a state but illegal nationally? Are states obstinate barricades to federal legislation? Or are they laboratories of democracy?

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U.S. Versus: The Two Party System Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

Americans often take issue with our two-party system. So what other options are out there? Today, with the help of political scientists Guillermo Rosas and Robin Best, we explore the reason why we have (and may always have) such a system, and compare it to other democracies around the world. This episode contains an overabundance of Street Fighter 2 references.

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These United Hosts Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

In which we take an historical look at the interplay between marriage and democracy, and Hannah and Nick reveal a Civics 101 secret years in the making.

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Our 250th Annual Trivia Episode! Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

Not really. But we send one of our own out in style by asking (and answering) some very tough questions. Including one you might recognize.

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