The American Experiment: A Republic If You Can Keep It

Congressional Structure and Leadership May 14, 2021

In this episode, we give an overview of when and where Congress meets and who the leaders of Congress are.

Why Do We Have a Two-Party System? Mar 15, 2021

Quiz

Which one of these political parties was not a real American political party?
1. The Whig Party
2. The Bull Moose Party
3. The Gold Party
4. The Know-Nothing Party
Which one of these parties has never won a presidential election?
1. The Republican Party
2. The Federalist Party
3. The Whig Party
4. The Progressive Party
How many times has a candidate not from one of the two major parties won the presidency?
1. Zero
2. Once
3. Twice
4. Eight
How many representatives, not from one of the two major parties, are currently serving in Congress?
1. Zero
2. Two
3. Fifteen
4. Thirty-four
Which one of these is not a current political party?
1. The Legal Marijuana Now Party
2. The Socialist Worker Party
3. The Freedom For All Party
4. The Green Party

Congressional Elections Feb 27, 2021

Map of Georgia electoral districts: https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/map-georgia-congressional-districts/Et0YbsSE34JD6Xjo7FULSK/

The original gerrymander: https://bostonraremaps.com/inventory/gerrymander-broadside/

The Impeachment Process Feb 06, 2021

Quiz Questions:

Which branch of government has the impeachment power?
- Legislative
- Executive
- Judicial
- Each branch shares the impeachment power
What percentage of Senators must vote to convict in an impeachment trial?
- Fifty percent
- Fifty-one percent
- Two-thirds
- Three-quarters
An official from which one of these offices has never been impeached?
- The President
- The Vice President
- A cabinet secretary
- A U.S. Supreme Court Justice
How many times has the House of Representatives approved Articles of Impeachment?
- 4
- 21
- 52
- 237
Which one of these presidents was not impeached?
- Andrew Jackson
- Andrew Johnson
- Bill Clinton
- Donald Trump

For some article's discussing the constitutionality of the impeachment process, see below:

https://reason.com/volokh/2021/01/28/impeaching-officials-while-theyre-in-office-but-trying-them-after-they-leave/

https://reason.com/volokh/2021/01/31/more-from-prof-michael-mcconnell-on-impeachment/

For a broader argument about the importance of the impeachment power, see:

https://thedispatch.com/p/the-case-for-more-impeachments

For the second articles of impeachment against President Trump, see:https://cicilline.house.gov/sites/cicilline.house.gov/files/documents/ARTICLES%20-%20Final%201030%20-%20011121.pdf

Why Do We Have a Bicameral Legislature? Jan 23, 2021

Link to the Federalist Papers:

Link to the Antifederalist Papers, Brutus No. 1:

Q1. Which one of these is the chief responsibility of the Legislative Branch?

Make laws
Interpret laws
Enforce laws
Veto laws

Q2. How many voting members serve in the United States Congress?

100
235
435
535

Q3. Who serves as the tiebreaker vote in the Senate?

The President
The Vice President
The majority leader
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

Q4. Which one of these is not a unique task of the Senate?

Approve treaties
Confirm presidential appointments
Initiate legislation for appropriations
Hold a trial fo Dr. llowing impeachment

Q5. Which branch of government is the most unpopular?

Congress
The Presidency
The Supreme Court
They’re all equally unpopular

Season 1 Q&A Jan 23, 2021

We answer your questions!

BONUS Episode: The Confirmation Process. Oct 12, 2020

In this bonus episode, we walk you through what to expect with the upcoming confirmation process for Supreme Court Nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

BONUS Episode: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Oct 03, 2020

Email us: theamericanexperimentpodcast@gmail.com

Recommended Resources:

Books

The Notorious RBG The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, A Life by Jane Sherron de Hart

Movies

RBG

On the Basis of Sex

What Are The Other Amendments? Sep 26, 2020

Email: theamericanexperimentpodcast@gmail.com

Read the Constitution

QUIZ:

Under the 22nd Amendment, what is the longest someone can serve as president, even assuming he/or she ascends to the presidency through the line of presidential succession?
1. 4 years
2. 8 years
3. 10 years
4. 12 years
Prior to the enactment of the 17th Amendment, who chose Senators to serve in Congress?
1. State legislatures
2. State governors
3. The President
4. The people
Which one of these is not always an unconstitutional criterion to use to deny someone the vote?
1. Race
2. Age
3. Sex
4. Ability to pay a poll tax
Which one of these amendments was originally proposed as part of the Bill of Rights?
1. The 13th Amendment--outlawing slavery
2. The 19th Amendment--giving women the right to vote
3. The 22nd Amendment--limiting presidential terms
4. The 27th Amendment--limiting congressional pay raises
Which one of these has the Supreme Court not held to be a fundamental right protected by the 14th Amendment?
1. The right for interracial couples to marry
2. The right to an abortion
3. The right of physician-assisted suicide
4. The right for same-sex couples to marry

ANSWERS:

10 years
State legislatures
Age
27th amendment- Limiting constitutional pay raises
The right of physician-assisted suicide

What is the Bill of Rights? Sep 19, 2020

Email: theamericanexperimentpodcast@gmail.com

QUIZ:

Which one of these men is known as the Father of the Bill of Rights?
1. George Mason
2. James Madison
3. Alexander Hamilton
4. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
How many amendments are in the bill of rights?
1. 6
2. 10
3. 13
4. 27
Which of the following is not a right explicitly protected by the First Amendment?
1. Freedom Press
2. Freedom of Speech
3. Right to Privacy
4. Free Exercise of Religion
Absent a warrant, which one of these actions by the police is an illegal search or seizure in violation of the 4th Amendment?
1. Searching someone when he or she goes through security at the airport.
2. Flying a surveillance helicopter over someone’s property
3. Searching someone’s trash placed on the curb for evidence of wrongdoing.
4. Looking at the contents of someone’s cellphone.
If you are accused of a crime, which one of these rights does the Constitution not guarantee you?
1. The right to a speedy trial
2. The privilege against self-incrimination
3. The right to confront those who are witnesses against you
4. All of the above.

ANSWERS:

1: George Mason

2. 10

3. Right to Privacy

4. Looking at someone's cellphone.

5. All of the above.

How Do We Amend the Constitution? Sep 12, 2020

Email: theamericanexperimentpodcast@gmail.com

Article about age-restriction with Florida Supreme Court Appointee.

Read the U.S Constitution

QUIZ:

Which of these is not a means of amending the Constitution?
1. Two-thirds vote by Congress and ratification by the President
2. Two-thirds vote by Congress and ratification by three-quarters of the States
3. Two-thirds vote by States calling for a Constitutional Convention and ratification by three-quarters of the States
4. All of the above are valid means of approving the Constitution
Which of these provisions of the Constitution does Article V say cannot be amended?
1. The President must be elected by the electoral college
2. There must always be two houses of Congress: the Senate and the House
3. Justices on the Supreme Court must always serve for life
4. All States must have equal representation in the Senate
How many amendments to the U.S. Constitution have been ratified?
1. 22
2. 27
3. 31
4. 33
In what year was the last amendment to the Constitution ratified?
1. 1974
2. 1981
3. 1992
4. 2014
Which of these has not been proposed as an amendment to the Constitution?
1. An amendment to make dueling illegal
2. An amendment to rename the United States of America the United States of Earth
3. An amendment to limit personal wealth to $1 million
4. All of the above have been proposed as amendments

ANSWERS:

2/3 vote by Congress and the President
All states must have equal representation
27
1992
All of the above have been proposed

What is Horizontal Federalism? Sep 04, 2020

Read Article IV

QUIZ:

Which one of these actions by a state is not entitled to reciprocal enforcement or acknowledgment by another state?
1. A marriage license
2. A fishing license
3. An arrest warrant issued in one state for someone detained in another state
4. A judgment from a court ordering someone to pay money
Which one of these laws may a state not pass because it hurts non-citizens of that state, in violation of the privileges and immunities clause?
1. A law charging higher taxes on non-citizens who work in the State
2. A law limiting participation in elections only to citizens of that State
3. A law requiring electoral candidates to be citizens of that State
4. A law charging higher rates to non-citizens for fishing and hunting licenses
Which one of these states formed by breaking away from a pre-existing State?
1. North Dakota
2. Utah
3. South Carolina
4. West Virginia
Which one of these is not a territory of the United States?
1. Puerto Rico
2. The Bahamas
3. Guam
4. Virgin Islands
What was the State that most recently joined the United States?
1. Alaska
2. Washington
3. New Mexico
4. Hawaii

ANSWERS:

A fishing license
a law charging higher taxes
West Virginia
The Bahamas
Hawaii

What is the Judicial Branch? Aug 22, 2020

Questions? Comments? Email us at theamericanexperimentpodcast@gmail.com

Read Article III!

Map of Circuit Courts.

QUIZ:

Who was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
1. John Jay
2. John Marshall
3. Roger Taney
4. Fred Vinson
How many justices currently sit on the U.S. Supreme Court?
1. 5
2. 7
3. 9
4. 13
In which one of these cases would the Supreme Court have original jurisdiction?
1. An employment dispute regarding a violation of the American’s with Disabilities Act
2. A suit between Louisiana and Mississippi over the boundaries of the Mississippi river
3. A criminal suit brought by a state prosecutor against a defendant for voluntary manslaughter
4. A suit claiming the president has abused his or her executive powers
When is a federal judge required to leave office?
1. When he or she is impeached by the House and convicted in the Senate
2. When he or she turns 80
3. Both a and b
4. Never
Under the Constitution, who has the power to determine the punishment for treason?
1. A jury
2. A judge
3. The president
4. Congress

ANSWERS:

John Jay
9
A suit between Louisiana and Mississippi
When he or she is impeached
Congress

What Does The Executive Branch Do? Aug 15, 2020

Questions? Comments? Email us at theamericanexperimentpodcast@gmail.com

Read the Constitution!

QUIZ:

Question 1: Which of these is not a cabinet position in the United States?

Department of Justice
Department of Industry
Department of the Interior
Department of Housing and Urban Development

Question 2: Which one of these officers, appointed by the president, is not subject to congressional approval?

A justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
An ambassador
The Solicitor General of the United States
A bankruptcy court judge

Question 3: Which one of these people may a president pardon?

A citizen of Georgia convicted of the state crime of felony murder
A federal judge who was impeached and removed from office for drunkenness on the bench
A citizen of Oregon convicted of the federal crime of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute
Himself or herself, if he or she is facing impeachment

Question 4: Who has the power to approve treaties?

The president alone
The president and the secretary of State
The president and the Senate
The president and both houses of Congress

Question 5: During the modern era, which president popularized the delivery of the State of the Union address to Congress in person?

Dwight D. Eisenhower
Woodrow WIlson
John F. Kennedy
Ronald Reagan

ANSWERS:

1: The Department of Industry

2: A bankruptcy court judge

3. A citizen of Oregon convicted of a federal crime

4. The President and the Senate

5. Woodrow Wilson

What Is The Executive Branch? Aug 08, 2020

Questions? Comments? Email us at theamericanexperimentpodcast@gmail.com

Read the Constitution

QUIZ:

Question 1: In what month is the U.S. Presidential election held?

January
September
October
November

Question 2: Which one of these presidents won both the electoral and popular vote?

Rutherford B. Hayes
John F. Kennedy
George W. Bush
Donald J. Trump

Question 3: Which of these U.S. Presidents held office the longest?

Abraham Lincoln
William Howard Taft
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Question 4: Which President was sworn into office by his father?

John Quincy Adams
William McKinley
Calvin Coolidge
George W. Bush

Question 5: If both the President and the Vice President were to die or become incapciated, who is next in line to become president?

President pro tempore of the Senate
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Secretary of State
Attorney General

ANSWERS

November
Kennedy
Roosevelt
Coolidge
Speaker of the House of Representatives

What Does Congress Do? Aug 01, 2020

Comments, Questions, Concerns? Email us at theamericanexperimentpodcast@gmail.com

Read the Constitution!

QUIZ:

Question 1: Under the Constitution, how many times is Congress required to meet yearly?

a.0

b.1

c.3

d.5

Question 2: For a member of Congress to be expelled from office, how many members of that House must agree to remove him or her?

a.50%

b.67%

c.75%

d.100%

Question 3: Which of these presidents was never impeached?

a.Andrew Johnson

b.Richard Nixon

c.Bill Clinton

d.Donald Trump

Question 4: Congress has the power to raise and support armies. For how many years may such an appropriation last?

a.1 year

b.2 years

c.6 years

d.Indefinitely

Question 5: When may members of Congress accept gifts from foreign countries?

a.Never

b.When a gift of equal value is given in return

c.When Congress consents to the gift

d.Always

ANSWERS: 1-b 2-b 3-b 4-b 5-c

(Apparently, James likes to put the correct answer in the B slot...I (Courtney) am going to remember this for next time and see if I can get my best score yet! Hopefully James doesn't see this.)

What is Congress? Jul 25, 2020

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Read the Constitution.

QUIZ:

Question 1: Which one of these positions in U.S. Government requires the candidate to be the oldest?

a. U.S. Representative

b. Senator

c. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

d. President

Question 2: Which State has the most representatives in the House of Representatives?

a. New York

b. California

c. Texas

d. Florida

Question 3: How many years does a Senator hold his or her office?

a. 2 years

b. 4 years

c. 6 years

d. 10 years

Question 4: The Vice President is the tie-breaker when the Senate is deadlocked on a vote. How many times has a Vice President used this power in American history?

a. 0 times

b. 36 times

c. 268 times

d. 947 times

Question 5: After a bill is approved by both houses of Congress, which one of these is not an option for the president?

a. Sign the bill into law

b. Veto the bill

c. Wait ten days and then let the bill become a law without his or her signature

d. Send the bill back, with amendments, for Congress to vote on it again

ANSWERS: 1. c 2. b 3. c 4. c 5. d

How Do We Interpret The Constitution? Jul 18, 2020

When the Constitution is unclear or ambiguous, which branch of government is tasked with interpreting it?
1. The Legislative Branch
2. The Judicial Branch
3. The Executive Branch
4. The Military Branch
Which of these is not a theory of constitutional interpretation?
1. Original intent originalism
2. Original meaning originalism
3. The Erie Doctrine
4. Living constitutionalism
Which of these is not a tool people use to interpret the constitution?
1. Intent of the framers
2. The text and structure of the document
3. Current values and social norms
4. All of the above are used as tools to interpret the constitution
Which one of these justices is not known as an originalist?
1. Justice Neil Gorsuch
2. Justice Stephen Breyer
3. Justice Clarence Thomas
4. Justice Antonin Scalia
Which one of these justices is not known as a living constitutionalist?
1. Justice Samuel Alito
2. Justice William Brennan
3. Justice Thurgood Marshall
4. Justice John Paul Stevens

ANSWERS: 1: The Judicial Branch 2. The Erie Doctrine 3. All of the above are used
4. Breyer 5. Alito

Questions, Concerns, Comments? Email us at theamericanexperimentpodcast@gmail.com

Read the Constitution

What is Federalism? Jul 11, 2020

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Read the Constitution here.

QUIZ QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1.How many times does the U.S. Constitution use the word "federalism"?

A. 0

B. 3

C. 10

D. 27

2. Which one of these men did not help write the Federalist Papers?

A. Alexander Hamilton

B. James Madison

C. Patrick Henry

D. John Jay

3. Which one of these is not a power enumerated or delegated to the federal government?

A. The power to coin money

B. The power to establish post offices

C. The power to punish piracies committed on the high seas

D. The power to create a uniform system of measurement

4. If there is a conflict between a constitutionally permissible state law and a constitutionally permissible federal law, which one prevails?

A. The state

B. The federal government

C. We get to vote on it

D. It depends. A judge gets to decide

5. Which of these portions of the constitution has not been interpreted over time in a way that increases the power of the federal government and decreases the power of the state government?

A. The Necessary and Proper Clause

B. The Commerce Clause

C. The Third Amendment

D. The Fourteenth Amendment

ANSWERS