Civil Discourse

Civil Discourse

By Nia Rodgers and Dr. John AughenbaughNewsGovernment
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Civil Discourse episodes

  • The Department of Agriculture

     Aughie and Nia move on to the next in the series, the Department of Agriculture. At its founding in 1862, the Department of Agriculture was referred to as "The People's Department" by President Abraham Lincoln. From food stamps to farm subsidies, Aughie also covers controversies and leadership of the Department of Agriculture through the years. 

    1 hr 18 min
  • The Department of the Interior

    Nia and Aughie continue to discuss the Cabinet Departments, in this case the Department of the Interior. The Department of the Interior, founded in 1849, arose from the need to manage most of the lands, territories, and natural resources of the United States. The Department of the Interior manages 500 million acres of surface land, approximately 20% of all land in the United States. Aughie also touches on the organization of the department and some of the more notorious Secretaries of the Interior.

    1 hr 9 min
  • The Postmaster General

    Aughie and Nia explore the position of Postmaster General from 1753 to modern times in this episode of the Cabinet departments. Aughie explains how the Postmaster General went from running a large patronage system to running a large corporation that funds its own retirement system separately from the rest of the federal government under the reorganization into the United States Postal Service in 1971. 

    1 hr
  • The Department of Justice

    Aughie and Nia move on to the next department in the series, the Department of Justice. They discuss the various Attorneys General, the structure of the Department of Justice, and interesting tidbits about the history, political intrigues, and the people who have served within the DoJ.

    57 min
  • The Department of War/Defense, part B

     Nia and Aughie conclude with part B of two episodes regarding the 3rd of the Department Series, the Department of War/Defense. Aughie sees listeners through World War i and into the renaming to Department of Defense. The Pentagon, famous Secretaries of Defense, and controversies surrounding DoD are also explored. 

    1 hr 10 min
  • The Department of War/Defense, part A

    Aughie and Nia introduce part A of two episodes regarding the 3rd of the Department Series, the Department of War/Defense. Historians often place the early seeds of the department in the Revolutionary War. Aughie takes listeners through the history of the Department of War from 1789 to WWI.

    50 min
  • The Department of the Treasury

    Nia and Aughie continue the Department series with part 2, the Department of the Treasury.  They explore the Secretaries of the Treasury and their various roles and responsibilities throughout the years. The modern Department of the Treasury investigates counterfeiting schemes, mints money, and controls the Internal Revenue Service.

    1 hr 19 min
  • The Department of State

    Aughie and Nia start a new series discussing the cabinet level departments of the United States Government. The first episode starts with the first department created, the Department of Foreign Affairs. Two months later, it is renamed the Department of State, and Thomas Jefferson is named the Secretary of State. Aughie goes on to name notable Secretaries of State and changes to the department over time.

    1 hr 7 min

About Civil Discourse

From the publisher's feed

This podcast uses government documents to illuminate the workings of the American government, and offer context around the effects of government agencies in your everyday life.

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