60-Second Civics Podcast

The Founders stressed the importance of religion and education in reconciling the need for both civic virtue and self-interest. Center for Civic Education

Today we explore how natural rights philosophy influenced America's Founders. Center for Civic Education

Early on, Americans experienced their interdependence and their need to work for the common good. Center for Civic Education

Today's podcast explores the death penalty in the United States. Center for Civic Education

If you are convicted of a crime, you have the right to appeal your conviction. Center for Civic Education

Today we learn about the protections of the Eighth Amendment. Center for Civic Education

Today we explore a bedrock principle of American justice: double jeopardy. Center for Civic Education

In England, verdicts in criminal cases had to be unanimous. That changed when English law was adapted by Americans. Center for Civic Education

Today we explore two problems with jury trials in the United States. Center for Civic Education

What are your procedural rights during a criminal trial? Find out on today's episode. Center for Civic Education

Why should trials be speedy or public? Find out on today's podcast. Center for Civic Education

Today, criminal defendants in high-profile cases face another sort of trial: trial by media. Center for Civic Education

Today, the podcast explores the right to counsel and why it is necessary in an adversary system. Center for Civic Education

What is bail? What is its purpose? Find out on today's podcast. Center for Civic Education

Learn all about indictments on today's podcast. Center for Civic Education

Plea agreements are more common than you might think. Center for Civic Education

The Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments protect people accused of crimes between arrest and trial. Center for Civic Education

The majority of rights in the Bill of Rights focus on people accused of crime. Center for Civic Education

Today we learn the fundamental premise of the American system of justice. Center for Civic Education

Do Miranda warnings handcuff the police? We explore the topic on today's podcast. Center for Civic Education

You have the right to remain silent. Sound familiar? Today we discuss the Miranda warning. Center for Civic Education

James Madison originally wanted the protections of the self-incrimination clause to be more expansive. Center for Civic Education

What does it mean to "take the Fifth"? We find out on today's episode. Center for Civic Education

The Fifth Amendment protects you from being forced to testify against yourself. Center for Civic Education

What is "use immunity"? Find out on today's podcast. Center for Civic Education

Today we learn when warrants are not required. Center for Civic Education

Today we explore three suggestions for dealing with police misconduct that avoids losing valuable evidence in court. Center for Civic Education

The exclusionary rule was designed to deter police misconduct. Center for Civic Education

The 1961 case if Mapp v. Ohio extended the exclusionary rule to state courts. Center for Civic Education

The 1914 Supreme Court case Weeks v. United States established the very important "exclusionary rule" that determines how evidence is used in court. Center for Civic Education

Though required in most cases, there are specific circumstances in which a warrant is not necessary. Center for Civic Education

Probable cause, which must be proven to obtain a warrant, is required to meet a specific set of criteria. Center for Civic Education

A protection against unreasonable searches and seizures is necessary for a free society. Center for Civic Education

New advances in technology are constantly changing the way we understand our right to privacy. Center for Civic Education

The Fourth Amendment does not make specific claims about privacy, but America has evolved to uphold certain standards. Center for Civic Education

The Fourth Amendment is concerned with how authorities conduct criminal investigations. Center for Civic Education

John Adams and the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 helped shape the right to privacy we know today. Center for Civic Education

John Adams helped lawyer James Otis rise to public prominence and become a figure of the American Revolution. Center for Civic Education

In 1761, Colonial lawyer James Otis attempted to fight parliament's request for a new general warrant. Center for Civic Education

The British government's use of general warrants on the American colonies was part of the spark leading to the American Revolution. Center for Civic Education

Though general warrants were illegal under British common law, that didn't stop Parliament from implementing them in the colonies. Center for Civic Education

The English common law observance of the right to privacy in one's home created the phrase "a man's home is his castle." Center for Civic Education

Scholar Alexis de Tocqueville had many keen observations about the implications of the right to assemble on American society. Center for Civic Education

If an organization meets certain criteria, it must follow government anti-discrimination laws. Center for Civic Education

The right to associate, while not explicitly stated in the Constitution, has evolved through court precedence. Center for Civic Education

Court precedence has determined that the right to assemble may be limited if certain time, place, and manner conditions are met. Center for Civic Education

Throughout United States history, women have petitioned the government for a variety of purposes. Center for Civic Education

The civil rights movement of the mid-twentieth century is an example of a group successfully petitioning the government. Center for Civic Education

Several times in the past, the government has silenced petitioners. The treatment of Bonus Army is one example of this. Center for Civic Education

In the 1800's, the American political system enacted something known as a "gag rule" in order to maintain slavery in the United States. Center for Civic Education