Curated Video
Congressional Elections: Crash Course Government and Politics
This week Craig Benzine talks about the importance of elections. But he isn’t going to focus on presidential elections, but instead those of the strongest part of our government: congressional elections. Craig will talk about the...
Crash Course
Interest Group Formation: Crash Course Government and Politics
So last week we talked about what special interest groups are and how they influence the political system, and today we’re going to focus on why we even have them in the first place. As to avoid getting too cynical, we’re going to focus...
Crash Course
Public Opinion: Crash Course Government and Politics
So today, Craig is finally going to start talking about politics. Now up until this point we've specifically been looking at government - that is answering the questions of who, what, and how in relation to policies. But politics is...
Crash Course
Presidential Powers 2: Crash Course Government and Politics
This week Craig continues our conversation on presidential powers by looking at those NOT found in the Constitution - implied or inherent powers. We’ll talk about how the president uses his or her power to negotiate executive agreements,...
Crash Course
Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances: Crash Course Government and Politics
In which Craig Benzine teaches you about the US Governments Separation of powers and the system of checks and balances. In theory, the Legislative Branch, the Executive Branch, and the Judicial Brach are designed to keep each other in...
Crash Course
Introduction: Crash Course U.S. Government and Politics
In which Craig Benzine introduces a brand new Crash Course about U.S. Government and Politics! This course will provide you with an overview of how the government of the United States is supposed to function, and we'll get into how it...
Crash Course
Party Systems: Crash Course Government and Politics
Today, Craig is going to dive into the history of American political parties. So throughout most of United States history our political system has been dominated by a two-party system, but the policies and the groups that support these...
Crash Course
Freedom of Religion: Crash Course Government and Politics
Today, Craig is going to take a look at the First Amendment and your right to freedom of religion. We’ll examine some significant Supreme Court decisions and talk about how they’ve affected our interpretations of the law with respect to...
Curated Video
Election Basics: Crash Course Government and Politics
This week Craig is going to give you a broad overview of elections in the United States. So as you may have noticed, there are kind of a lot of people in the U.S, and holding individual issues up to a public vote doesn't seem...
Crash Course
Interest Groups: Crash Course Government and Politics
Today, Craig is going to talk about something you fans out there have been demanding for months - money in politics. Specifically, we're going to talk about special interest groups and their role in the U.S. political system. Special...
Crash Course
How Voters Decide: Crash Course Government and Politics
So today, Craig is going to try to get inside the heads of voters by discussing how voters make decisions. Now obviously, like all decision making, voter decisions are influenced by a multitude of factors, but the three we are going to...
Crash Course
Shaping Public Opinion: Crash Course Government and Politics
So today Craig is going to talk about where our political opinions come from. Of course, most people’s politics are grounded in their ideologies, but there are also other external influences such as the government itself, interest...
Crash Course
Judicial Review: Crash Course Government and Politics
Today, Craig Benzine is going to tell you about the Supreme Court's most important case, Marbury v. Madison, and how the court granted itself the power of judicial review. Judicial review is the power to examine and invalidate actions of...
Crash Course
Affirmative Action: Crash Course Government and Politics
So we've been talking about civil rights for the last few episodes now, and we're finally going to wrap this discussion up with the rather controversial topic of affirmative action. We'll explain what exactly affirmative action is, who...
Crash Course
How a Bill Becomes a Law: Crash Course Government and Politics
Oh my, Craig has his work cut out for him this week. The process of how a bill becomes a law can be pretty complex, fraught with potential bill-death at every corner. As if just getting through committee isn’t difficult enough, bills...
Crash Course
The Bicameral Congress: Crash Course Government and Politics
In which Craig Benzine teaches you about the United States Congress, and why it's bicameral, and what bicameral means. Craig tells you what the Senate and House of Representatives are for, some of the history of the institutions, and...
Crash Course
Congressional Committees: Crash Course Government and Politics
This week Craig Benzine clears up the role of committees in Congress. We’ll talk about standing committees, joint committees, conference committees, and caucuses (and not the candidate-choosing kinds) as well as the staff agencies that...
Crash Course
Political Parties: Crash Course Government and Politics
Today, Craig is going to talk about political parties and their role in American politics. So, when most people think about political parties they associate them with the common ideologies of the voters and representatives within that...
Crash Course
Civil Rights & Liberties: Crash Course Government
Today, Craig is going to give you an overview of civil rights and civil liberties. Often these terms are used interchangeably, but they are actually very different. Our civil liberties, contained in the Bill of Rights, once only...
Crash Course
Constitutional Compromises: Crash Course Government and Politics
In which Craig Benzine teaches you about the compromises met in ratifying the U.S. Constitution. The United State’s didn’t always have its current system of government. Actually, this is it’s second attempt. Craig will delve into the...
Wonderscape
Filibuster Reform: A Debate for Change
This video discusses the ongoing debate over filibuster reform in the U.S. Senate. It explores how filibusters can block significant legislation, the concept of the Nuclear Option, and the challenges of bipartisan unity. Learn how the...
Wonderscape
Understanding Gerrymandering: What It Means and How It Works
This video explores the concept of gerrymandering, explaining how it shapes election districts to favor certain political parties. Learn how the term originated, how redistricting affects representation, and the different types of...
Wonderscape
The Joint Committee: Creating a Compromise Bill
This video explains the role of the joint, or conference, committee in the lawmaking process. It discusses how members of the House and Senate work together to merge different versions of a bill into one compromise bill, which is then...
Wonderscape
How Committees Shape Laws: The Journey of a Bill
This video explains how bills are reviewed and amended by committees in the House of Representatives and Senate. It details how committees act as gatekeepers, deciding which bills move forward, make markups, or are set aside. Learn about...