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.
Episodes
27 episodes
Colonial Foundations: The Journey from British Charters to American Constitutions
Dr. Beinberg explores how colonial charters formed the foundation for American democracy and evolved into state constitutions after independence. Colonial experiences with local self-governance created the blueprint for America's revolutionary ...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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11:56
Kids Edition: From Mayflower to Mohawks: How America Got Its Rulebook
The US Constitution draws inspiration from numerous sources including the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, colonial documents, and Native American governance systems. These influences shaped core American principles like ...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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7:01
From English Declarations to American Freedoms: The Evolution of Rights
Dr. Beienberg explores how the English Bill of Rights shaped American rights philosophy more indirectly than commonly believed, revealing fundamentally different understandings between British and American views on rights protection.• A...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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11:54
The Common Law Revolution That Shaped Modern Democracy
The Magna Carta established the revolutionary concept that even kings must operate under the rule of law, becoming a c...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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20:04
An Apple of Gold: Lincoln's Vision Shaped the Nation We Know Today
Abraham Lincoln viewed the Declaration of Independence as America's moral foundation and the Constitution as the means to achieve the Declaration's principles of liberty and equality for all. Dr. Paul Kreis explains Lincoln's understanding that...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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24:07
From Magna Carta to Madison: The Ideas That Frame America
Democracy rests on fundamental principles that evolved over centuries before becoming enshrined in America's founding documents. This episode introduces our series on the Principles of American Democracy, exploring the philosophical foundations...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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6:47
A Government of Laws, Not Men
Professor Josh Dunn explains the rule of law as the alternative to tyranny and a means to prevent arbitrary power. He traces its origins from Aristotle's concept that "law is reason unaffected by desire" through the American founders' attempts ...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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11:41
Commercial Republic: Understanding America's Mixed Economy
Dr. Trevor Shelley explains that America's economic system is best understood as a "commercial republic" rather than pure capitalism, revealing the philosophical tensions between unlimited commerce and the bounded nature of republican governanc...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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9:42
The Declaration of Independence: America's Founding Values Explored
The Declaration of Independence articulates uniquely American values, reflecting a society prepared to govern itself while respecting profound religious differences among citizens. Expert Matthew Brogdon explains how Jefferson's words captured ...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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19:09
Liberty Divided: When Two Visions of the British Empire Became Irreconcilable
Dr. Beienberg illuminates how the American Revolution fundamentally began as a constitutional dispute between competing interpretations of British liberty, with each side drawing legitimately different conclusions from the Glorious Revolution o...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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19:59
Why Jefferson's Words Still Matter Today: The Declaration's Ongoing Importance
Dr. Justin Dyer, dean of UT Austin School of Civic Leadership, explores why the Declaration of Independence remains vitally important in modern America. He examines how the document's foundational principles transcend time and continue to guide...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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6:48
The Living Declaration
Dr. Steven Skultety, professor of philosophy and director of the Declaration of Independence Center at the University of Mississippi, explains why the Declarati...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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9:58
From America to the World: How the Declaration Shaped Freedom Movements
The American Declaration of Independence created a model for self-government that inspired nations and movements worldwide, establishing principles that transcend time and borders.• The Declaration serves three primary functions: formal...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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16:41
From Declaration to Constitution: Tracing America's Founding Principles
A fourth-grader's question about how the Declaration of Independence influenced the U.S. Constitution reveals the complex relationship between America's founding documents. Dr. Beienburg explains how the Declaration's principles and criticisms ...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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17:27
Enlightenment DNA: The Philosophical Origins of America's Declaration
The influences on the Declaration of Independence extend far beyond John Locke to encompass a complex tapestry of philosophical traditions, religious thought, and legal principles. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams crafted a document that uniquel...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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17:17
Grievances Against a King
We explore the key grievances that American colonists held against King George III and the British Parliament as outlined in the Declaration of Independence, examining how these complaints formed the legal basis for revolution.• The bul...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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23:41
The Declaration's Blueprint for Revolution: Understanding Your Rights Against Tyranny
Dr. Carrese continues to examine the Declaration of Independence's guidance on what citizens can do when facing government abuse of power. We explore how the document establishes the right and duty to overthrow tyrannical regimes under specific...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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13:45
Unraveling the Declaration's Second Paragraph: Government by Consent Explained
Dr. Carrese returns to continue our deep dive into the Declaration of Independence, focusing on the concept of government by consent within the document's crucial second paragraph. We explore the structure of this foundational paragraph, examin...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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13:54
The Declaration's Golden Promise: Life, Liberty, and Happiness Explored
We explore the meaning and significance of unalienable rights in the Declaration of Independence, unpacking Jefferson's deliberate choice of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" as fundamental human rights that cannot be taken away....
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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15:19
Equality in America: Unpacking "All Men Are Created Equal"
The Declaration of Independence's most famous phrase, "All men are created equal," represents a revolutionary claim in human political history that asserts the fundamental equality of all humans regarding certain unalienable rights granted by a...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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17:18
The Declaration of Independence: The Preamble
Dr. Paul Carrese explains why the American colonies wanted independence from Great Britain, tracing the growing desire for freedom and self-governance from the 1760s through the formal Declaration of Independence. The episode examines how colon...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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16:06
Beyond Fireworks: The Declaration That Defined a Nation
Check out the Civic Literacy Curriculum lesson for this episode!Dr. Sean Beienberg clarifies the distinction between America's actual vote fo...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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10:40
Kids Edition: Thomas Jefferson and the Words That Shaped America
Looking for Lessons? Check these out!Today, we are answering Lucy's question: Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? Why does that matter?Tho...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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4:10
Kids Edition: The Document That Changed Everything: Understanding the Declaration of Independence
This episode of Civics in a Year: Kids Edition answers first-grader Del's question about the Declaration of Independence, explaining its historical significance and enduring principles in child-friendly terms.• Introduction to the new K...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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4:25
Principles of the American Republic: Where Liberty Began
What does it truly mean when we say "all men are created equal"? Why do we celebrate with fireworks each July? And how has a document written in 1776 managed to inspire freedom movements around the world for nearly 250 years?Welcome to ...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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8:43