Explore the inner workings of government, politics, and democracy through a series of engaging animated lectures. Delve into topics such as executive orders, impeachment, money laundering, McCarthyism, and the jury system. Examine the appointment process for US Supreme Court justices, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and effective protest strategies. Investigate the history of the US Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence. Analyze the concepts of power, value of currency, and historical figures like Richard Nixon and Vladimir Lenin. Learn about pivotal moments in US history, including the Boston Tea Party, Louisiana Purchase, and first American election. Understand the complexities of voting systems, the Electoral College, and gerrymandering. Discover the origins of Labor Day, Title IX, and the three branches of US government. Explore economic concepts like recessions and monetary policy. Examine controversial topics such as Prohibition, modern populism, and the US bail system. Investigate lesser-known aspects of American history, including wilderness ownership, New Deal programs, and the Chinese Exclusion Act.
Overview
Syllabus
How do executive orders work? - Christina Greer.
How does impeachment work? - Alex Gendler.
How does money laundering work? - Delena D. Spann.
What is McCarthyism? And how did it happen? - Ellen Schrecker.
What happened to trial by jury? - Suja A. Thomas.
How do US Supreme Court justices get appointed? - Peter Paccone.
The history of the Cuban Missile Crisis - Matthew A. Jordan.
How to turn protest into powerful change - Eric Liu.
Why wasn’t the Bill of Rights originally in the US Constitution? - James Coll.
Why is the US Constitution so hard to amend? - Peter Paccone.
What did democracy really mean in Athens? - Melissa Schwartzberg.
History vs. Richard Nixon - Alex Gendler.
How to understand power - Eric Liu.
What you might not know about the Declaration of Independence - Kenneth C. Davis.
What gives a dollar bill its value? - Doug Levinson.
History vs. Vladimir Lenin - Alex Gendler.
How one piece of legislation divided a nation - Ben Labaree, Jr..
History vs. Andrew Jackson - James Fester.
The fight for the right to vote in the United States - Nicki Beaman Griffin.
Why do Americans and Canadians celebrate Labor Day? -Kenneth C. Davis.
Equality, sports, and Title IX - Erin Buzuvis and Kristine Newhall.
How is power divided in the United States government? - Belinda Stutzman.
The story behind the Boston Tea Party - Ben Labaree.
Inventing the American presidency - Kenneth C. Davis.
The historical audacity of the Louisiana Purchase - Judy Walton.
The oddities of the first American election - Kenneth C. Davis.
Does your vote count? The Electoral College explained - Christina Greer.
A 3-minute guide to the Bill of Rights - Belinda Stutzman.
Gerrymandering: How drawing jagged lines can impact an election - Christina Greer.
The Making of the American Constitution - Judy Walton.
Why do Americans vote on Tuesdays?.
What causes an economic recession? - Richard Coffin.
Which voting system is the best? - Alex Gendler.
Prohibition: Banning alcohol was a bad idea... - Rod Phillips.
The rise of modern populism - Takis S. Pappas.
The problem with the U.S. bail system - Camilo Ramirez.
Who owns the "wilderness"? - Elyse Cox.
What few people know about the program that "saved" America - Meg Jacobs.
The dark history of the Chinese Exclusion Act - Robert Chang.
Why can’t governments print an unlimited amount of money? - Jonathan Smith.
Taught by
TED-Ed
