Plain Civics

Latest Episodes:

Unraveling America’s Contradictions - Part 1 Sep 24, 2026

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Join hosts Bobbi Fisher and Joe Ulery as they discuss moments in America’s 250-year history when the country didn’t live up to the ideals it was built on—like equality, democracy, justice, freedom of religion and expression, etc. they explain that this is not saying America is good or bad, but that it is complicated. It’s about understanding these contradictions and managing, or fixing, them to fit the ideals that we have celebrated for over 250 years.

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Why Does It Take a Tragic Event To Stir Our Patriotism? Sep 10, 2026

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Join hosts Bobbi Fisher and Joe Ulery as they talk about the events of 9/11/2001 and patriotism. After recapping the events of the morning of September 11th, when four airplanes were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center twin towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania, the hosts discuss how this horrific day inspired patriotism in most of us. It was like a revival. They also discuss why terrible events like this inspire a rise in patriotic feelings and why those feelings fade again, typing this phenomena into civics.

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Is It Time For Term and Age Limits? Aug 27, 2026

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Join hosts Bobbi Fisher and Joe Ulery as they look at the pros and cons of both term limits and age limits for members of Congress and the President. We hear more and more citizens calling for one or both of these limits for our federal elected officials, in fact there is over 80% bipartisan support for both. Listen and find out what the arguments for an against these limits are.

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Why Is Real History So Important? Aug 13, 2026

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Join hosts Bobbi Fisher and Joe Ulery as they look at why “real” history is so important. This lesson in what type of historical narrative we are presented with in our museums, monuments, and history books goes hand-in-hand with civics because much of civics involves making decisions based on the experience of the past and the lessons that have been learned. The hosts also discuss who should decide what the content of these historical narratives includes and why.

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Say What??? Part 3 Jul 30, 2026

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Join hosts Joe Ulery and Bobbi Fisher as they tackle 5 more common misconceptions about our government. These misconceptions include Presidential power, whether every vote makes a difference, who government officials work for, isn’t my elected representative weak or “selling out” if they change their mind or vote against an issue, and isn’t all news media today “fake news” and can it be trusted. So join the hosts as they attempt to educate you about these misconceptions.

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What Is Civic Virtue and Why Is It Important? Jul 16, 2026

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Join hosts Bobbi Fisher and Joe Ulery as they discuss the important of civic virtue. At the beginning of the last several episodes we have been telling you about thirteen civic virtues that Benjamin Franklin felt were the most important qualities that help individuals to be better people and contribute to a stronger society. In this episode we will dig deeper and discuss the civic virtues that people need to demonstrate to maintain our democratic republic. These are civic virtues of action as opposed to personality traits. Things such as being informed, voting, serving on a jury, volunteering in the community, and several others. We, again, stress the importance of civics education in teaching young citizens about these civic virtues.

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America at 250 - What Are We Actually Celebrating? Jul 02, 2026

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Join hosts Bobbi Fisher and Joe Ulery as they look at why we celebrate the July 4th Independence Day. How did it come about and why? What does the Declaration of Independence mean? They break down the different parts of the document and what led to its writing. It is both a break-up letter to the British and our country’s birth certificate. What would have happened if the colonists had lost the Revolutionary War? Finally, what do we need to do to keep its meaning alive?

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Back to the Basics - What is Rule of Law? Jun 18, 2026

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Join hosts Bobbi Fisher and Joe Ulery as they dig into the concept of “rule of law.” What does it mean and how did it develop? Why did the Framers choose to create a government and judicial system based on “rule of law?” Why is it so important to have and to maintain? Listen to this episode to gain a better understanding of this important element of our system of government.

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Back to the Basics - What is Federalism? Part 3 Jun 04, 2026

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Join hosts Bobbi Fisher and Joe Ulery as they continue their discussion of federalism. In Part 1 they discussed the origins of the idea of federalism and defined it, and in Part 2 they looked at most of the first era, known as Dual Federalism (1787-1933), from 1789 to about 1870. In this final episode examining federalism they finish the era of Dual Federalism and continue with the eras of Cooperative Federalism (1933-1969) and New Federalism (1969-present), citing many of the acts of Congress, landmark Supreme Court cases, and historic precedents that have helped define federalism in the U.S.

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Back to the Basics - What is Federalism? Part 2 May 21, 2026

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Join hosts Bobbi Fisher and Joe Ulery as they continue their discussion of federalism. In Part 1 they discussed the origins of the idea of federalism and defined it. In this episode they look at the three eras of federalism in the U.S. thus far. In this episode they venture through most of the first era, known as Dual Federalism, which ran from 1789 to about 1933, and is often referred to as “layer cake” federalism. This episode stops just after the Civil War, but includes many of the early landmark Supreme Court cases and historic precedents that helped define federalism in the U.S.

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