During his campaign, Donald Trump promised several times that he would dismantle the US Department of Education. So today we wanted to explore what such a dismantling would look like, as well as what the DoED does in the first place. 

Turns out, while the Department does an awful lot of things, there is much for which it is criticized that it does not do. Taking us through its creation, its history, and its powers is Adam Laats, professor of Education at Binghamton University. 

Link to our episodes on School Lunch here and here.

And here are some good resources for anyone who wants to know a little more about Jonestown. My 8th grade report is, sadly, unavailable.

https://www.npr.org/2017/04/11/523348069/nearly-40-years-later-jonestown-offers-a-lesson-in-demagoguery

https://www.nytimes.com/1979/11/18/archives/jonestown-the-survivors-story-jonestown.html

CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! 

To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.

Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

What has Donald Trump claimed he would do when it comes to environmental policy in the U.S.? What happened during his last administration?  And what are the limits on executive powers when it comes to treaties and global agreements?

Elizabeth Bomberg, Professor of Politics at the University of Edinburgh, tells us what we can expect when it comes to emissions regulations, drilling, climate research, the Paris Agreement, and so much more.  

CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! 

To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.

Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

Transportation and infrastructure are massive (literally) undertakings here in the United States. So what does it mean to oversee it all? What is the Secretary of Transportation actually in charge of and what's going on with our roads, bridges, airports, etc.?

We spoke with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to find out.

CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! 

To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.

Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

How do we mourn our presidents and former presidents? Where did all those very public rituals come from? And how much input does a president have in their own post-death ceremonies?

We break down the history and mystery of presidential funerals with Lindsay Chervinsky and Matthew Costello. 

This episode of Civics 101 was produced by senior producer Christina Phillps and mixed by Rebecca Lavoie. It was hosted by Nick Capodice and Hannah McCarthy. Special thanks to Jacqui Fulton. 

CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! 

To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.

Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

In our latest edition of Holiday Trivia, a rundown of some of the quirky food, drinks, and celebratory ephemera at the White House during the most wonderful time of the year. 

Have an opinion on the pronunciation of "praline?" Send us an email!

CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! 

To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.

Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

President-elect Donald Trump has said, "the most beautiful word in the dictionary is tariff, and it’s my favorite word." So what are they? Why might the United States raise or lower a tariff on goods from another country? How has America used tariffs throughout our history? And how might Donald Trump's proposed tariffs affect the cost of goods in the US?

Taking us through tariffs is Dr. Shannon O'Neil, senior vice president and director of studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! 

To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.

Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

Authoritarianism and autocracies take many forms. So how do you know it when you see it? Our guide to the erosion of choice, rights, truth and power is Anne Applebaum, author of several books including, most recently, Autocracy, Inc..

CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! 

To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.

Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

Former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius talks about the powers - and limits - of the role in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump's pick of RFK Jr. for the role. This episode was brought to us by the podcast Tradeoffs, hosted by former NHPR health reporter Dan Gorenstein.

CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! 

To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.

Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

In 1906, the Supreme Court stayed a man's execution. That same day, his town murdered him. Then SCOTUS held it's first and only criminal trial for those who had allowed it to happen. This is the story of a wrongful conviction that was only the beginning of injustice and the students who learned that story in June of 2024. It's also the story of what happens when you realize your government is closer than you think.

Click here learn more about the Supreme Court Historical Society's Hometown program.

Learn more about Ed Johnson.

CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! 

To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.

Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

Whenever there's an incoming administration, there's a big to-do about Cabinet nominations. So what does The Cabinet DO? How has it evolved since  Washington's administration? What is the process for appointing someone to the cabinet? And finally, how could a president appoint someone without approval from the Senate?

Taking us through all the cabinetry is Dan Cassino, professor of government and politics at Farleigh Dickinson University. 

CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! 

To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.

Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!

President Elect Donald Trump has said he won't be a dictator "except for day one." We take a look at all of the "day one" promises he's made over the course of his campaign and explain how he might get them done. Or not.

For a sense of how many times Donald Trump made these promises, check out the Washington Post's data here.

Click HERE to buy tickets for NHPR's Holiday Raffle! 

NHPR’s Holiday Raffle is open to any United States resident 18 years or older in any state where the Raffle is not prohibited by state, local or other laws. (States where raffles are not permitted: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina, and Utah.) (edited) 

CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! 

To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro.

Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it!