While the complexities of the American political system have never been greater, the right visual aid can help students sift through them—and even develop a passion for the subject. This six-part series is an ideal tool for introducing and exploring key aspects of U.S. government and public policy. Using a combination of eye-catching graphics, dynamic video footage, and interviews with legal and political scholars, each episode celebrates a particular dimension of American democracy while equipping students to candidly discuss political issues.

Titles Include:

Citizenship and Civic Responsibilities
Is American citizenship all about personal freedom and the rights of the individual? Or should the concept of the “good citizen” take precedence, underscoring the duties and contributions an individual owes to society? The program explores citizen rights as given in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; iterations of federal immigration law through the years; the history of Ellis Island as a conduit into citizenship; civic responsibilities and “active citizenship”; civil liberties and their importance; equal protection under the law; and more.

The Constitution and Foundations of Government
This program explores the origins, outbreak, and outcome of the American Revolution, the major political texts which grew out of that struggle, and their ongoing significance today. Topics include the heavy British taxation that helped spark the Revolution; the spirit and structure of the Declaration of Independence; the short-lived Articles of Confederation; the drafting and ratification of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and their implications for U.S. government as we know it today.

Elections and Political Parties
A government of the people, by the people, and for the people isn’t possible without the laborious process of nominating and electing candidates, in a manner fair and free to all citizens. Using the 2000 election of George W. Bush and the uncertainties it exposed in the American electoral process as a departure point, this program examines how political parties were started, and why; methods and campaigns that were launched to elect different Presidents to office; and the history of voting and the Constitutional amendments that made voting possible for all Americans.

The Executive Branch
Many equate it with the presidency, but the executive branch of our government is far more complex than that. Containing departments and agencies that directly affect the health, safety, security, and prosperity of the American public, the Executive branch is an administrative mountain with the White House at its peak. This program familiarizes students with the most visible arm of U.S. leadership and its evolution through the years. Topics include the president’s roles as head of state, head of government, chief executive, and commander-in-chief; his or her responsibility to fill federal positions; relationships between the Executive branch and the other two branches, including the appointment of judges and the power to veto legislation; and more. Selected presidents, from Washington to Lincoln to Obama, are concisely profiled.

The Judicial Branch
September 24, 1789—the first United States Congress establishes the basic structure of the federal judiciary. With this act, the American legal system becomes an entity entwined with our fundamental notions of democracy and fair government, equal in power and authority to the executive and legislative branches. This program guides viewers through the history of the judiciary and illustrates how it works in theory and practice. Topics include the main purposes of the judicial branch—specifically, interpreting the law, determining if laws are unconstitutional, and applying the law to individual cases; the various divisions and levels of courts, such as lower, appellate, and specialized courts; the unique powers of the Supreme Court; summaries of famous Supreme Court cases; and more.

The Legislative Branch
Although the office of the president personifies American leadership, the legislative branch was actually designed to hold at least as much power as the executive, if not more. Many Founding Fathers envisioned Congress as the primary governing body, given its closeness, politically speaking, to the people. This program examines the origins, history, and activities of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Topics include the roots of today’s legislative branch in the Continental Congress of the Revolutionary period; the reasons why a bicameral legislature was ultimately deemed necessary; the unique characteristics of both legislative chambers; the specific functions of Congress, from writing and passing bills to ratifying treaties to declaring war; and more.