The American Founders drew on a number of basic ideas and experiences to create the kind of government they believed would best protect the natural rights of Americans and promote the common good. Get introduced to some of the Founders in today's episode!

Center for Civic Education

The history of the American people has been a great adventure in ideas and in trying to make these ideas a reality. Over the next few weeks, 60-Second Civics will explore the important philosophical ideas and historical events that influenced the writing of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Center for Civic Education

Permanent campaigns are increasingly noticeable in the larger perpetual U.S. campaign cycle, which is largely driven by meta-campaign demands and media sensationalism. Learn more in our final episode with Dr. Diana Owen adapted from the Strengthening Democracy in America Series available at learn.civiced.org.

Center for Civic Education

Despite the warranted fears around big money, constituent service is an important way to help give a voice to more members of a particular congressional district. Learn more in today's episode!

Center for Civic Education

Political equality is a fundamental and critical concept for the U.S. government. Given this, how does big money affect political equality? Learn more as Dr. Diana Owen explains more in this series adapted from the Strengthening Democracy in America Series at learn.civiced.org.

Center for Civic Education

How do donations affect members of Congress' policy positions? Listen as Dr. Diana Owen shares about the effect that this funding has on representatives legislative actions in this episode adapted from the Strengthening Democracy in America Series available at learn.civiced.org.

Center for Civic Education

Today, there are many types of political contributions that people or groups can make toward a political campaign, and it???s difficult to keep the types straight. Dr. Diana Owen explains in today???s episode the differences between popular types of contributions, including the hotly debated super PACs. Listen for more!

Center for Civic Education

Continuing our new campaign finance series adapted from the Strengthening Democracy in America Series, available at learn.civiced.org, we ask Dr. Diana Owen: where does the money come from to run a political campaign? Listen to learn more!

Center for Civic Education

Today we begin a special series adapted from the Strengthening Democracy in America Series, a free online course on the American political system that you can find at Learn.civiced.org. In this series, Dr. Diana Owen, a professor of political science and director and principal investigator of the Civic Education Research Lab at Georgetown University, explains some of the more complicated aspects of our political process: campaign finance. To start, we cover the cost and reasons for these increasing costs.

Center for Civic Education

What is birthright citizenship, and how might American citizenship change in the future? Professor Henry L. Chambers Jr. of the University of Richmond School of Law explains the concept of birthright citizenship and discusses ways that the concept of citizenship might change over time.

Center for Civic Education