What does it mean if a SCOTUS justice is a self-proclaimed "originalist?" When was the word first used in that context? And what are we missing about the framers when we look only upon the recent interpretation of their words in the court?

Today our guide is Mackenzie Joy Brennan;  lawyer, media commentator, and author of the upcoming book The Original ‘Original Intent,’ Recovering the Lost Constitution of the Founders.

Click here for more of Mackenzie's research on originalism, including Terry Brennan's essay in the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy.

Click here for our episode on the Second Amendment.

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For more than two hundred years Americans have tried to tame the Mississippi River. And, for that entire time, the river has fought back. 

This week we present an episode of our sister podcast Outside/In. 

Journalist and author Boyce Upholt has spent dozens of nights camping along the Lower Mississippi and knows the river for what it is: both a water-moving machine and a supremely wild place. His recent book, “The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi River” tells the story of how engineers have made the Mississippi into one of the most engineered waterways in the world, and in turn have transformed it into a bit of a cyborg — half mechanical, half natural. 

In this episode, host Nate Hegyi and Upholt take us from the flood ravaged town of Greenville, Mississippi, to the small office of a group of army engineers, in a tale of faulty science, big egos and a river that will ultimately do what it wants. 

Featuring Boyce Upholt

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Today, we bring you a special bonus - a SMACKDOWN episode of NPR's It's Been a Minute featuring our own hosts Nick and Hannah! 

IBAM host Brittany Luse has been taking this smackdown on the road  to cities all across the country.  Hear the other debates on the It's Been a Minute podcast.

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Today we discuss what a president is, what a president does, and what a president "should be."  To quote Professor Amar, it can be hard to find someone to fill those shoes because they were designed for Washington's feet.

Our guests are Akhil Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, and Andy Lipka, president of EverScholar.

Akhil and Andy co-host Amarica's Constitution, a podcast that explores the constitutional issues of our day. It is a perfect companion show to Civics 101, and one we endorse wholeheartedly. 

Here is where you can listen to our episode on the Executive Branch, here is a link to our episode on the Presidential Veto, and here is where you can learn about the President and the Price of Gas.

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For most of our nation's history, the voting age was 21. So how'd we get it down to 18? In one sense, it was the fastest ratified amendment in history. In another, it took three decades. Our guide to the hard-won fight for youth enfranchisement is Jennifer Frost, author of "Let Us Vote!" Youth Voting Rights and the 26th Amendment.

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Why do very different political candidates say the same things over and over? Things like "middle class," "coastal elites" and "middle America?" What do those things even mean? That's what this episode is all about. 

Also...some civics and history trivia that's VERY much on-topic. Sort of.

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The Chevron Doctrine, or Chevron Deference, was an established judicial principle. When the law was ambiguous, the courts would let the agency experts interpret it. After a Supreme Court case called Loper Bright v Raimondo, that is no longer the case. So what does that mean? What exactly has gone away? What happens next?

Our guides to the wonkiest of  the wonk are Robin Kundis Craig and Mustafa Santiago Ali.

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Nick and Hannah both love board games. There I said it. So what are they doing in a Civics 101 episode? 

Well, from Student Council and Model UN to CIA intelligence acquisition scenarios, there is a fine line between games and simulation. We learn more about things when we pretend to do them. 

Today we talk to three designers about their civic-centric games; Tory Brown of Fort Circle Games discusses Votes for Women, Cole Wehrle of Wehrlegig Games breaks down John Company, and Non-Breaking Space explains Cross Bronx Expressway, an upcoming game from GMT.

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Choosing to blow the whistle on the U.S. government is a big deal. It's a huge risk and, despite legal protections, can result in major negative repercussions. So why do people do it? What happens to them when they do? What protections do they have, and do those protections work?

Our guides to the process are Kathleen McClella, Deputy Director at WHISPeR, Danielle Brian, Executive Director and President of the Project on Government Oversight and Chris Appy, Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

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America's first congress debated it in the 1790s, and it's been debated about ever since. Who should step into the president's shoes if the offices of President and Vice President are simultaneously vacant? Today we talk about the many different Presidential Acts of Succession that we've had in the US, as well as designated survivors, the "football," and the recurring question of the constitutionality of such acts.

Click here to listen to our episode on the Executive Branch, should you want to learn the mnemonic "See That Dog Jump In A Circle, Leave Her House To Entertain Educated Veteran's Homes."

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