Episodes

  • When a flag is against the rules... or the law

    When a flag is against the rules... or the law
    Jun 23 2026
    In recent years, flag restriction rules, policies and laws have been cropping up across the country. Whether the government is telling you what you can fly or what you cannot, there's always something behind the flag. We dig into how, why and when it's legal for the government to decide what you can or cannot fly and hear from Halifax, Massachusetts, about what a flag controversy revealed about that town. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    29 mins
  • Lessons from the American Revolution (with Ken Burns)

    Lessons from the American Revolution (with Ken Burns)
    Jun 16 2026
    Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein spent nearly a decade making a twelve-hour documentary on the American Revolution. This is what they learned from the thousands of stories and events that resulted in the United States of America. It's a story of world-changing ideas, contradictory figures, myths that do us no good and what it means to be in pursuit of a more perfect union. You can watch Ken Burns The American Revolution on PBS, PBS.org and the free PBS app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • How to Make Things Better

    How to Make Things Better
    Jun 9 2026
    Today we complete our trio of episodes in collaboration with iCivics, where we explore why people of myriad groups are having a tough time, civics-wise. In this episode, we tell you how to eradicate your cynicism and make a difference. First, we share Jill Lepore's presentation on conventions; how we used to interact with our many constitutions. And then, we talk with Eitan Hersh. Eitan is the author of Politics Is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action, and Make Real Change. He tells us what works (and what doesn't) when it comes to engaging in politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 mins
  • How did we get so red, white and blue?

    How did we get so red, white and blue?
    Jun 2 2026
    Whether you fly it, wear it or want nothing to do with it, the American flag says a lot in and about the United States. Red, white and blue is far from exclusive to our nation and yet it is very much our brand... and very much branded on anything we can think to put it on. So where did the American obsession with our flag come from? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 mins
  • Why Students Are Having a Tough Time

    Why Students Are Having a Tough Time
    May 26 2026
    Today we share our second installment on why things are tough in the civics world. Specifically, we talk about how students are doing in civics classrooms and on national assessments. But! It's not all bad news. Shawn Healey (Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer at iCivics) takes us through the myriad state bills that are currently in the legislative process which will affect civic education, and we hear from three students (Ava-June Tackett, Shreya Raman, and Ben Kurian) on what they think can improve civic learning and reduce partisanship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 mins
  • How making people wait sparked the American Revolution

    How making people wait sparked the American Revolution
    May 19 2026
    Once upon a time, American British colonists were separated from power, decision-making, culture and information by thousands of miles and many weeks. As Helena Yoo-Roth puts it, time flowed evenly outward from the homeland. This is the story of waiting, longing and realizing that time might just be on our side as we approached the American Revolutionary War. Helena Yoo-Roth is the author of the forthcoming American Timelines: Imperial Communications, Colonial Time-Consciousness, and the Coming of the American Revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 mins
  • Why Teachers Are Having a Tough Time

    Why Teachers Are Having a Tough Time
    May 12 2026
    This is the first episode in a series we are doing with iCivics, who invited us to their National Forum for Civic Learning Week. Today we share the many conversations we had with civics and social studies teachers from across the country, and we explore the results from a nationwide survey on what they're going through right now. And, finally, what could be done to help them? To learn more about iCivics and their myriad resources for teachers and students, visit them at https://ed.icivics.org. To read about the survey conducted by iCivics, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    29 mins
  • What did the world really think about the Declaration of Independence?

    What did the world really think about the Declaration of Independence?
    May 5 2026
    For Americans today, it's a treasure. Scripture. The thing that made us. It wasn't always that way, though. This is the story of the Declaration of Independence before it was enshrined in our collective national consciousness. Back when it was a news headline and we had no control what others thought of it. Our guest is Emily Sneff, author of When the Declaration of Independence was News. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins