logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2024
49m 23s

Why is Marbury v. Madison in Trump’s Sup...

NHPR
About this episode
You might think you know why Marbury v Madison is important: it set the precedent whereby the Supreme Court decides whether laws are constitutional or not, a power known as judicial review. But what else does this landmark decision say? And why is this case from more than two hundred years ago cited so prominently in former president Donald Trump's current S ... Show More
Up next
Apr 14
How did federal income taxes get this way?
We haven't always had a federal income tax, and in the beginning, it only applied to the very richest Americans. So how did we end up with the permanent income tax we have today, with all its complicated rules about everything from pre-tax income to deductions and credits? And wh ... Show More
39m 32s
Apr 9
What is the 25th Amendment?
Sometimes, news happens in the real world, and suddenly a political or civics topic becomes very top of mind for members of the public. And when that happens, we at Civics 101 often say, hey…we have an episode about that. One of those conversations happened this week, after a twe ... Show More
29m 16s
Apr 7
The Raw Milk Question
Today we bring you a story from our sister podcast Outside/In, produced and reported by Marina Henke. In 2009, the state of Maine ordered farmer Dan Brown to stop selling his raw milk. It kicked off a five-year legal battle that stoked the flames of Maine’s dairy wars. But, after ... Show More
36m 56s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2017
Citizens United
tail spinning
1 h
Sep 2025
The Rise of the Supreme Court’s So-Called Shadow Docket
<p>The Supreme Court has cleared the way for President Trump to remake American government, siding with the president again and again. But many of those rulings have lacked something fundamental: an explanation for why the most important judges in the country came to their decisi ... Show More
26m 17s
Sep 2021
Federal Judges on Major Supreme Court Cases
We’re back with new episodes sharing our fall programming! On September 17—Constitution Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution—three judges from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals joined host Jeffrey Rosen for a panel. The judges shared an inside look into some o ... Show More
57m 5s
Jul 2023
The Supreme Court's Past, Present, and Future: A Conversation with John Yoo
It has been a momentous few weeks for the Supreme Court. What better time to discuss the Court's history and future? We are therefore launching our "Summer of Law" series to shed light on the legal world . Kicking the series off is John Yoo, the Heller Professor of Law at the Uni ... Show More
53m 19s
Jul 2024
The Supreme Court Is Not Done Remaking America
<p>When the Supreme Court wrapped up its term last week, much of the focus was one the ruling that gave former President Donald J. Trump sweeping immunity from criminal prosecution. But another set of rulings that generated less attention could have just as big an impact on Ameri ... Show More
25m 21s
Oct 2025
New SCOTUS Term & Thomas Disses Precedent
Former United States Solicitor General Gregory Garre, a partner at Latham & Watkins, discusses the upcoming Supreme Court term. Constitutional law professor David Super, of Georgetown Law, discusses Justice Clarence Thomas’ comments downplaying the importance of precedent. June G ... Show More
38m 22s
May 2023
FDR Tries to Pack the Court
June 1, 1936. The Supreme Court hands down its last decision of the term. The justices have dealt blow after blow to President Roosevelt’s New Deal legislation, and today is no different: they rule against FDR again. It’s the last straw. Roosevelt is going to do something drastic ... Show More
29m 14s
Apr 2025
A Constitutional Crisis, Due Process, & the Rule of Law
What is a constitutional crisis? For some, a constitutional crisis is when the president defies the Supreme Court, for others it is when a president simply defies a federal judge’s order. Under the reign of President Trump and his administration, the country has dealt with a numb ... Show More
36m 59s
May 2024
WTH is Going On With Trump’s Trials? John Yoo Explains
Former president Donald Trump is on trial in New York over hush money payments made before the 2016 election. The only problem? Hush money payments as part of non-disclosure agreements are not illegal. New York state prosecutor Alvin Bragg alleges that by improperly filing the pa ... Show More
55m 54s