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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, t ...
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Colonial Foundations: The Journey from British Charters to American Constitutions
11:56
11:56
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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 approach to divided sovereignty that continues to shape our federal system today. • Colonial charters were…
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Kids Edition: From Mayflower to Mohawks: How America Got Its Rulebook
7:01
7:01
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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 federalism, representative government, and individual rights. • Declaration of Independence (1776) establi…
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From English Declarations to American Freedoms: The Evolution of Rights
11:54
11:54
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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. • Americans and British took different lessons from the Glorious Revolution – British focused on parliamentary supre…
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The Common Law Revolution That Shaped Modern Democracy
20:04
20:04
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The Magna Carta established the revolutionary concept that even kings must operate under the rule of law, becoming a cornerstone of American democracy despite its humble origins as a political concession in 13th-century England. • Originally just one of many royal charters when signed by King John in 1215 • Gained importance over centuries as a sym…
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An Apple of Gold: Lincoln's Vision Shaped the Nation We Know Today
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24:07
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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 the Constitution must be guided by the Declaration's self-evident truths, particularly regarding slavery …
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From Magna Carta to Madison: The Ideas That Frame America
6:47
6:47
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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 and key figures that shaped our constitutional system. • Lincoln described the Declaration as "an apple o…
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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 to create institutions that force reflection on the common good rather than self-interest. • Rule of law r…
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Commercial Republic: Understanding America's Mixed Economy
9:42
9:42
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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 governance. The term "commercial republic" captures a balance between market-driven economic liberty and civic virt…
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The Declaration of Independence: America's Founding Values Explored
19:09
19:09
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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 "the American mind" while still resonating with today's diverse society. • Thomas Jefferson described the …
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Liberty Divided: When Two Visions of the British Empire Became Irreconcilable
19:59
19:59
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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 of 1688. This sophisticated civil war of ideas centered not on the amount of taxation but on the profound q…
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Why Jefferson's Words Still Matter Today: The Declaration's Ongoing Importance
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6:48
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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 our understanding of equality, governance, and human rights. • Declaration begins with universal truths a…
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Dr. Steven Skultety, professor of philosophy and director of the Declaration of Independence Center at the University of Mississippi, explains why the Declaration of Independence remains vitally important 250 years after its creation. Responding to a fifth grader's question, he reveals three fundamental principles that continue to shape American id…
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From America to the World: How the Declaration Shaped Freedom Movements
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16:41
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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: formally declaring independence, establishing natural rights principles, and listing specific grievances • France's Dec…
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From Declaration to Constitution: Tracing America's Founding Principles
17:27
17:27
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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 of British rule directly shaped constitutional provisions and informed the development of state constituti…
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Enlightenment DNA: The Philosophical Origins of America's Declaration
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17:17
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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 uniquely blends Enlightenment rationality with Protestant theology, Scottish moral philosophy, and English common…
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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 bulk of the Declaration of Independence functions as a legal indictment against British rule, not just philosophical…
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The Declaration's Blueprint for Revolution: Understanding Your Rights Against Tyranny
13:45
13:45
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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 circumstances. • Analysis of the Declaration's second paragraph structure and its four distinct subsectio…
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Unraveling the Declaration's Second Paragraph: Government by Consent Explained
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13:54
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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, examining how it methodically builds the case for America's independence through careful philosophical reasoning…
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The Declaration's Golden Promise: Life, Liberty, and Happiness Explored
15:19
15:19
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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. • "Unalienable" and "inalienable" mean the same thing - rights that cannot be separated from you as a human b…
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Equality in America: Unpacking "All Men Are Created Equal"
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17:18
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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 divine creator. • The phrase appears in the first part of the Declaration's second paragraph as the first…
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The Declaration of Independence: The Preamble
16:06
16:06
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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 colonial frustrations with British rule evolved from protests, such as the Boston Tea Party, into armed conflic…
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Beyond Fireworks: The Declaration That Defined a Nation
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Check out the Civic Literacy Curriculum lesson for this episode! Dr. Sean Beienberg clarifies the distinction between America's actual vote for independence on July 2, 1776, and the adoption of Jefferson's Declaration of Independence on July 4. John Adams initially believed that July 2nd would be celebrated "forevermore" with nationwide festivities…
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Kids Edition: Thomas Jefferson and the Words That Shaped America
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Looking for Lessons? Check these out! Today, we are answering Lucy's question: Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? Why does that matter? Thomas Jefferson, at just 33 years old, was chosen to write the Declaration of Independence due to his exceptional writing abilities and commitment to the ideals of freedom and equality. His famous words es…
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Kids Edition: The Document That Changed Everything: Understanding the Declaration of Independence
4:25
4:25
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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 Kids Edition format designed for young learners, classrooms, and families • Explanation of how King George III rul…
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Principles of the American Republic: Where Liberty Began
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8:43
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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 the first installment of our journey through the foundations of American democracy. We're beginning where it all …
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Unlocking the Science of Citizenship: A Journey Through American Civics
25:37
25:37
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Imagine a nation where citizens don't know how their government works or why it was designed that way. According to recent studies, we're living in that nation—only 40% of Americans can name all three branches of government, and trust in our institutions has reached record lows. This civic knowledge gap threatens the very foundations of our constit…
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Civics in A Year What do you really know about the 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 10 minutes per episode. Over a year, we’ll explore 250 key questions—from the founding documents and branches of government to civil libert…
…
continue reading
