Civics 101 Podcast

05/19/2026

Once upon a time, American British colonists were separated from power, decision-making, culture and information by thousands of miles and many weeks. As ⁠Helena Yoo-Roth⁠ puts it, time “flowed evenly outward” from the homeland.

This is the story of waiting, longing and realizing that time just might be on our side as we approached the American Revolutionary War. Helena Yoo-Roth is the author of the forthcoming American Timelines: Imperial Communications, Colonial Time-Consciousness, and the Coming of the American Revolution.

05/15/2026

Are our civics teachers in trouble?

Recently, iCivics surveyed about two-thousand teachers in the United States. The results show a concerning trend: civics teachers are feeling the stress from our current political climate. One troubling statistic shows that 1-in-5 civics teachers have considered changing professions in the past year.

What do you think? And what can be done about the pressures being placed on teachers in 2026?

05/05/2026

Did you know that John Adams declared America’s independence before Thomas Jefferson had the chance to put pen to parchment? Not merely a footnote, Adams’ Preamble was the first official declaration of separation from the Continental Congress on May 15, 1776.

As we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary, we’re taking a close-up look at what American civics looked like then, and how it has evolved today.

05/01/2026

Oil prices are surging again, with prices spiking back over $100/barrel. And with a blockade in effect in the Strait of Hormuz, Donald Trump believes Iran’s oil infrastructure will meet a critical mass, leading to Iran’s economy to “explode.” Don’t worry, he also says this is for the greater American consumer good!

However, oil industry experts are skeptical, and estimate Iran can hold their reserves for up to another two months. So with crude oil and gas prices rising, how much can American consumers tolerate?

Want to hear more? We did a deep dive on the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in one of our most recent episodes. Check it out in the link in our bio.

04/30/2026

Confused about blockades? We’re here to help you.

The Strait of Hormuz has been in the news a lot lately, and it’s because it’s a major seaway for crude oil and natural gas exports. Following US and Israeli attacks, Iran began limited passage through the strait, massively reducing the flow of cargo into and out of the Persian Gulf, rocking the economy. This wasn’t a blockade, which requires an official declaration and must follow UNCLOS (basically United Nations sea law).

The United States did, however, respond with a blockade of its own on April 13th.

Listen to the full episode in our link in bio.

04/29/2026

The Supreme Court has ruled that Louisiana’s redrawn 2024 congressional map is an unconstitutional gerrymander.

The 2022 map was struck down by a federal court for diluting Black voters. Louisiana had a 30% Black population, but only one majority-Black district. A 2024 map added a second district, which was challenged as a racial gerrymander. The Court agreed, ruling the new map to be unconstitutional as well.

04/15/2026

Gas goes down, gas goes up, gas goes down, gas goes up, gas goes…Hey, stop touching that!

Who’s messing with our gas prices? Can we really blame one guy? We spoke with Robert Rapier, Editor-in-chief at Shale magazine to identify what variables make up the cost of a gallon of gasoline.

Listen to the full episode through our link in bio!

07/29/2025

The Supreme Court has been doing something new lately - issuing orders without a hearing, sometimes unsigned, and sometimes with little legal explanation. Critics call it the shadow docket - and while the Court has historically issued orders in emergency situations, they’ve been doing it more than ever under the Trump administration. Listen to the episode now! https://www.civics101podcast.org/civics-101-episodes/shadowdocket-wwnkr

07/22/2025

What’s up with the House going into recess before the end of the week? What power (and influence) does Speaker Mike Johnson have? We’ve got your civics basics, ready to go.

07/21/2025

Do you want to support Civics 101, aaaannnd maybe need a new car or $25,000 cash? Get your raffle tickets for NHPR's summer car raffle right now! https://tinyurl.com/2pszaj6n

07/17/2025

The history of the "no kings" movement goes back... all the way to our beginning. Our latest episode is up now!

As subjects of the British king, the very idea of criticizing monarchy -- or King George III himself -- was a dangerous one. So how did we become a country where "no kings" is a guiding principle? Something we take for granted?  Holly Brewer is our guide to the resistance, risk