Civics 101 - NHPR - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Do we have separation of church and state? Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

What did Jefferson mean when he wrote about a "wall of separation" between the church and the state? How have we interpreted the pair of clauses in the 1st Amendment regarding religion? And what is the current relationship between church and state when it comes to the Supreme Court, religious schools, taxes, and growing religious nationalism?

Today we talk to Katherine Stewart, author of The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism and Morgan Marietta, Chair of Political Science at the University of Texas, Arlington and founding editor of the SCOTUS Decisions Series.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is our union so imperfect? (With Jill Lepore) Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

Pulitzer-prize winning historian and author Jill Lepore has spent her career uncovering the stories we often do not tell, particularly about American history and democracy. In her most recent books, These Truths and We, the People, she asks what really made and makes the United States and what role citizens have in arching toward a more perfect Union. Listen in as she talks about her work for Writers on a New England Stage, recorded at the Seacoast Litfest in Portsmouth New Hampshire.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How we started, how it's going Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

This is part two of our story about the original story of America we don't talk about...and how it ties to where we are today.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America's other origin story Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

This episode is being recorded just a couple of days before the 4th of July, and as so many are calling it, America's 250th birthday. And we here at Civics 101 have spent a lot of this year trying to understand when and how America, as we know it was really born. What is our origin story? Why are we like this? And why don't we talk about the empire that was here before the United States?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is Congress like this? Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

Today in our continued exploration of why the US is the way it is, we get to Article I. Why did the framers design Congress the way they did? Why did the small states come out so far ahead? And what, potentially, would James Madison think if he saw its operation in 2026?

To help us navigate the thoughts of men long-dead, we talk to Madison scholar Jack Rakove. He shares his insights on representation, the electoral college, and much more.

Click here to listen to our episode on the Articles of Confederation, our shaggy dog of a first draft of government!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a flag is against the rules... or the law Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

In recent years, flag restriction rules, policies and laws have been cropping up across the country. Whether the government is telling you what you can fly or what you cannot, there's always something behind the flag.

We dig into how, why and when it's legal for the government to decide what you can or cannot fly and hear from Halifax, Massachusetts, about what a flag controversy revealed about that town.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lessons from the American Revolution (with Ken Burns) Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein spent nearly a decade making a twelve-hour documentary on the American Revolution. This is what they learned from the thousands of stories and events that resulted in the United States of America. It's a story of world-changing ideas, contradictory figures, myths that do us no good and what it means to be in pursuit of a more perfect union.

You can watch Ken Burns The American Revolution on PBS, PBS.org and the free PBS app.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Make Things Better Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

Today we complete our trio of episodes in collaboration with iCivics, where we explore why people of myriad groups are having a tough time, civics-wise. In this episode, we tell you how to eradicate your cynicism and make a difference.

First, we share Jill Lepore's presentation on conventions; how we used to interact with our many constitutions. And then, we talk with Eitan Hersh. Eitan is the author of Politics Is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action, and Make Real Change. He tells us what works (and what doesn't) when it comes to engaging in politics.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did we get so red, white and blue? Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

Whether you fly it, wear it or want nothing to do with it, the American flag says a lot in and about the United States. Red, white and blue is far from exclusive to our nation and yet it is very much our brand... and very much branded on anything we can think to put it on.

So where did the American obsession with our flag come from?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Students Are Having a Tough Time May 26, 2026

Show notes

Today we share our second installment on why things are tough in the civics world. Specifically, we talk about how students are doing in civics classrooms and on national assessments.

But! It's not all bad news. Shawn Healey (Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer at iCivics) takes us through the myriad state bills that are currently in the legislative process which will affect civic education, and we hear from three students (Ava-June Tackett, Shreya Raman, and Ben Kurian) on what they think can improve civic learning and reduce partisanship.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Civics 101 – NHPR

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected