Civics In A Year

What do you really know about American government, the Constitution, and your rights as a citizen?

Civics in a Year is a fast-paced podcast series that delivers essential civic knowledge in just 10 minutes per episode. Over the course of a year, we’ll explore 250 key questions—from the founding documents and branches of government to civil liberties, elections, and public participation.

Rooted in the Civic Literacy Curriculum from the Center for American Civics at Arizona State University, this series is a collaborative project supported by the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership. Each episode is designed to spark curiosity, strengthen constitutional understanding, and encourage active citizenship.

Whether you're a student, educator, or lifelong learner, Civics in a Year will guide you through the building blocks of American democracy—one question at a time.

Guest

Professor Sara Mayeux

Professor Sara Mayeux is a leading legal historian whose work reshapes how we understand criminal law in America. She is an Associate Professor of Law and an Associate Professor of History at Vanderbilt University, where she writes and teaches at the intersection of legal history, criminal procedure, and the evolution of the modern criminal justice system.

Professor Mayeux’s scholarship explores how ideas about crime, punishment, police power, and constitutional rights have developed over time—and how those ideas continue to shape the debates we’re having today. She is the author of Free Justice: A History of the Public Defender in Twentieth-Century America. This deeply researched and widely acclaimed book traces the origins of the public defender system and its role in expanding access to justice.

Guest appearance on:

What Gideon v. Wainwright Teaches About Rights, Funding, And Real Justice