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...
TED Talks
Jarrell Daniels: What prosecutors and incarcerated people can learn from each other
A few weeks before his release from prison, Jarrell Daniels took a class where incarcerated men learned alongside prosecutors. By simply sitting together and talking, they uncovered surprising truths about the criminal justice system and...
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,...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: How do US Supreme Court justices get appointed? - Peter Paccone
There's a job out there with a great deal of power, pay, prestige, and near-perfect job-security. And there's only one way to be hired: get appointed to the US Supreme Court. But how do US Supreme Court Justices actually get that honor?...
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...
TED Talks
TED: Want a more just world? Be an unlikely ally | Nita Mosby Tyler
A more equal world starts with you. Citing a formative moment from her own life, equity advocate Nita Mosby Tyler highlights why showing up and fighting for others who face injustices beyond your own lived experience leads to a fairer,...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: The philosophy of Stoicism - Massimo Pigliucci
What is the best life we can live? How can we cope with whatever the universe throws at us and keep thriving nonetheless? The ancient Greco-Roman philosophy of Stoicism explains that while we may not always have control over the events...
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...
TED Talks
TED: Want to change the world? Start by being brave enough to care | Cleo Wade
Artist and poet Cleo Wade recites a moving poem about being an advocate for love and acceptance in a time when both seem in short supply. Woven between stories of people at the beginning and end of their lives, she shares some truths...
TED Talks
TED: 3 things men can do to promote gender equity | Jimmie Briggs
It is time for a gender reckoning, beginning with men authentically confronting our internal selves and each other, says essayist and intersectional justice advocate Jimmie Briggs. In this call to action for gender equity, he unpacks how...
Crash Course
Martin Luther King, Jr: Crash Course Black American History
Today we're going to learn about perhaps the best-known leader in the Civil Rights Era, Martin Luther King, Jr. From his rise to notoriety during the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, his leadership of the Southern Christian Leadership...
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...
TED Talks
TED: The power of citizen video to create undeniable truths | Yvette Alberdingk Thijm
Could smartphones and cameras be our most powerful weapons for social justice? Through her organization Witness, Yvette Alberdingk Thijm is developing strategies and technologies to help activists use video to protect and defend human...
TED-Ed
Who were Las Mariposas, and why were they murdered? | Lisa Krause
For over 30 years, thousands of people were imprisoned, tortured, and murdered under Rafael Trujillo's dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. Three sisters would go on to lead an underground revolution. But while their courage inspired...
TED Talks
TED: What role does luck play in your life? | Barry Schwartz
Chance plays a far bigger role in life than we're willing to admit, says psychologist Barry Schwartz. Of course, working hard and following the rules can get you far -- but the rest could boil down to simple good fortune. Schwartz...
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
The Norse Pantheon: Crash Course World Mythology
This week, we're headed north. To check out the gods of the Northmen. Or the Norse. That's right, we're talking Thor, Loki, Freyr, Freya, Odin, Frigg, Baldr, and Tyr. And Fenrir. And the Frost Giants. There's a lot to cover here, and...
TED Talks
Michael Sandel: The lost art of democratic debate
Democracy thrives on civil debate, Michael Sandel says -- but we're shamefully out of practice. He leads a fun refresher, with TEDsters sparring over a recent Supreme Court case (PGA Tour Inc. v. Martin) whose outcome reveals the...