Civics In A Year
What do you really know about American government, the Constitution, and your rights as a citizen?
Civics in a Year is a fast-paced podcast series that delivers essential civic knowledge in just 10 minutes per episode. Over the course of a year, we’ll explore 250 key questions—from the founding documents and branches of government to civil liberties, elections, and public participation.
Rooted in the Civic Literacy Curriculum from the Center for American Civics at Arizona State University, this series is a collaborative project supported by the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership. Each episode is designed to spark curiosity, strengthen constitutional understanding, and encourage active citizenship.
Whether you're a student, educator, or lifelong learner, Civics in a Year will guide you through the building blocks of American democracy—one question at a time.
Civics In A Year
Kids Version: America's First Rulebook
Remember when you were a kid and tried to build something complicated for the first time? It rarely worked perfectly on the first attempt. The United States had a similar experience with its first government system.
The Articles of Confederation represented America's first attempt at self-government after winning independence from Britain. While this early rulebook successfully brought the thirteen colonies together during the Revolutionary War and established Congress as a meeting place for state representatives, it quickly revealed critical flaws. The national government couldn't collect taxes, enforce laws, or effectively resolve disputes between states. Essentially, America operated more like thirteen separate countries loosely connected rather than one unified nation.
These weaknesses created real-world problems that threatened the young country's survival. Without funding, the government couldn't pay soldiers or build essential infrastructure. States frequently ignored Congressional decisions they didn't like, and interstate conflicts went unresolved. As conditions deteriorated, forward-thinking leaders recognized that something had to change.
What started as a meeting in Philadelphia to repair the Articles transformed into the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where delegates crafted an entirely new governing document. The Constitution addressed the Articles' shortcomings by creating three balanced branches of government, establishing taxation authority, and finding that delicate balance between federal power and state rights. This remarkable pivot from a failing system to the enduring framework we still use today demonstrates the founders' pragmatism and vision.
Curious about other pivotal moments in American history? Subscribe to Civics in a Year Kids Edition for more bite-sized lessons that make complex government concepts accessible for young learners and their families. What other historical transitions would you like us to explore in future episodes?
Check Out the Civic Literacy Curriculum!
School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership
Hello learners, welcome back to Civics in a Year Kids Edition. Today we're asking what was the Articles of Confederation and how is it different from the Constitution? After the Revolutionary War, the United States needed rules for how to work together. Their first rulebook was called the Articles of Confederation. What was good about it? It showed the states could come together and agree on something. It set up Congress where states could send representatives to meet and make decisions. It helped guide the country during the Revolutionary War and through winning independence.
Speaker 1:But the Articles also had problems Under them. The national government was very weak. It could not collect taxes, so it had no money. It couldn't make strong laws for all the states and it couldn't easily settle arguments between the states. The states were acting more like separate countries than one united nation. These weaknesses caused trouble. United Nation these weaknesses caused trouble. The national government couldn't pay soldiers or build important things like roads. States argued and sometimes refused to work together and when Congress passed a law, states could just ignore it. Leaders started to worry the United States might not last.
Speaker 1:In 1787, leaders met in Philadelphia. At first they thought they might fix the Articles, but they decided to write something new instead the Constitution. The Constitution gave the national government more power while still protecting the rights of states. For example, the national government could collect taxes. It created three branches of government Congress to make the laws, the president to enforce the laws and the courts to decide what's fair. It set up a strong system to keep the states working together as one country. So here's the big difference. The Articles of Confederation were America's first rulebook. They had some good ideas, like bringing states together during the Revolution, but they left the national government too weak. The Constitution replaced it with a stronger plan and it's the rulebook we still use today. That's it for today's Civics in a Year kids edition. Thanks for listening and we'll see you next time.
