Civics on the Rocks: Daily Summaries Delivered

Impeachment, Redux

It’s a rerun, y’all! Enjoy this classic episode and consider how the conversation might be different if we were having it today! References What is impeachment? USA.Gov. “How federal impeachment works.” Last updated February 2, 2024. https://www.usa.gov/impeachment Learn about the impeachment of King Charles I: Paradis, Michel. “Three Lessons From the First Time a Head of State Was Impeached.” October 3, 2019. Lawfare. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/three-lessons-first-time-head-state-was-impeached How impeachment works between the House and Senate: United States Senate. “About Impeachment.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/impeachment.htm About the impeachment of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas: Mascaro, Lisa. “House votes to impeach Mayorkas in a historic rebuke of a sitting Cabinet member.” February 13, 2024. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/house-votes-to-impeach-mayorkas-in-a-historic-rebuke-of-a-sitting-cabinet-member What’s a writ of mandamus? Legal Information Institute. “Mandamus.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/mandamus The only other time a cabinet member was impeached: United States Senate. “Impeachment Trial of Secretary of War William Belknap, 1876.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/impeachment/impeachment-belknap.htm The bit on “60 Minutes” with the Clinton’s: 60 Minutes. “Hilary Clinton’s first 60 minutes interview.” 1992. https://youtu.be/-UqKNgrwK8E?si=FM8Fw4Yz6MQMvft6 Not familiar with Senator Gary Hart? Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Gary Hart.” May 1, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gary-Hart How did Gerald R. Ford define impeachment? Davis, Kenneth C., “The history of American impeachment.” The Smithsonian Magazine, June 12, 2017. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-you-need-know-about-impeachment-180963645/ Want to learn more about immigration issues in the U.S.? Kobucista, Claire, Cheatham, Amelia, and Roy, Diana. “The U.S. Immigration Debate.” Last updated June 6, 2023. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-immigration-debate-0 Senator Chuck Schumer’s formal response to the Mayorkas impeachment: Senate Democrats. “Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks on the Impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas.” April 17, 2024. https://www.democrats.senate.gov/news/press-releases/majority-leader-schumer-floor-remarks-on-the-impeachment-trial-of-secretary-mayorkas Read about how the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas was deemed unconstitutional: Pecorin, Allison and Hutzler, Alexandra. “Senate kills Mayorkas impeachment trial, votes both articles ‘unconstitutional’.” April 17, 2024. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senators-sworn-jurors-impeachment-trial-dhs-secretary-mayorkas/story?id=109349278 What’s malfeasance? Legal Information Institute. “Malfeasance.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/malfeasance The impeachment book that Steve referenced: Charles R. Black. Impeachment: A Handbook. (Yale University Press, 2018). Learn about President Nixon’s near impeachment: Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S4.4.7 President Richard Nixon and Impeachable Offenses.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S4-4-7/ALDE_00000695/ The Watergate trials that happened prior to that: United States Senate. “Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/investigations/watergate.htm</

Untethered Tangent on Voting

Why is it so Hard to Vote?

Steve defiles a chicken, Anne misrepresents Swedish fish, and Mack imitates a raven. Oh, and we talk about voting. MAKE YOUR PLAN TO VOTE: https://www.vote411.org/ REFERENCES There has been a trend among both parties to encourage people to get out and vote: Carnegie Corporation of New York. “Voting Rights: A Short History.” Updated March 2025. Andrew Carnegie Foundation. https://carnegie.org/article/voting-rights-timeline/ Public schools have a responsibility to make sure that high schoolers that are of age, that we get them registered to vote: Texas Secretary of State. “High School Deputy Registrar FAQs.” https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/laws/high-school-frequently-asked-questions.shtml The name of the multistate database to help coordinate voter rolls is the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC): ERIC. “What is ERIC?” https://ericstates.org/about/ This is a far cry from where we started: University of North Texas. “A Brief History of Voting in America.” https://guides.library.unt.edu/voting/history-of-voting-America In the Constitution, this is still true, states on their own decide who gets to vote: Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S4.C1.2.1 States and Elections Clause.” Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S4-C1-2/ALDE_00013577/ There have been times that states allowed foreign residents to vote: Castellanos Canales, Arturo. “The Myths and Truths of Noncitizen Voting in the United States.” May 7, 2024. Forum. https://forumtogether.org/article/the-myths-and-truths-of-noncitizen-voting-in-the-united-states/ There’s also been a change in the meaning of the word citizen throughout time: National Museum of American History. “Defining Citizenship.” Smithsonian. https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/american-democracy/online/creating-citizens/defining-citizenship The word citizen is mentioned several times in the Constitution including as a requirement to become a member of the House and Senate, or to serve as President. Read your Constitution, kids. The Dred Scott case: Oyez. “Dred Scott v. Sandford.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/60us393 There was no secret ballot: Wasley, Paula. “Back When Everyone Knew How You Voted.” Fall 2016. National Endowment for the Humanities. https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2016/fall/feature/back-when-everyone-knew-how-you-voted Especially when you have political machines and bosses: Britannica Editors. “Political Machine.” Updated February 20, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/topic/political-machine And this brings us to Edgar Allen Poe: Poetry Foundation. “Edgar Allan Poe.” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/edgar-allan-poe It’s one theory: Geiling, Natasha. “The (Still) Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe.” October 7, 2014. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/still-mysterious-death-edgar-allan-poe-180952936/ The practice of voter fraud that Mack describes was called cooping: Lapham’s Quarterly. “Miscellany.” https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/democracy/miscellany/man-was-used The case of Dred Scott v. Sandford: Urofsky, Melvin I. “Dred Scott Decision.” Updated September 26, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Dred-Scott-decision The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at the time was a guy called Roger Taney: Schumacher, Alvin J. “Roger B. Taney.” Updated July 9, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Roger-B-Taney The idea of state’s rights: Drake, Frederick Dean. “State’s Right

Note to Our Listeners

Hey y’all. We apologize but we will not be posting a full episode this month. We have a great one recorded for you, but our editing team has suffered a loss in the family. Thank you for your understanding and we’ll talk to you again in October.

Untethered Tangent on Hitler

We’re Three!

Thanks for listening, folks! We loving having you here! Our birthday gift to you is A Slightly Tipsy Squirrel. Cheers!

Untethered Tangent on a Cocktail Idea

Liberty and Justice for All

Mack gives examples from real life, Steves waxes philosophical about liberty, and Anne pursues happiness. REFERENCES The idea of liberty and justice for all has been a thing from the beginning, but the phrase is best known from the Pledge of Allegiance: Greene, Charlotte. “The Pledge of Allegiance.” USConstitution.net. https://usconstitution.net/pledge-html/ Can we start with the property-owning white men: Johnston, Mindy. “Timeline of Voting Rights in the United States.” August 28, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Timeline-of-Voting-Rights-in-the-United-States A 700-year monarchy: Britannica Editors. “Kings and Queens of Britain.” Updated December 5, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Kings-and-Queens-of-Britain-1856932 Many of the states, on their own by the early to mid-1800s, are expanding who can vote: University of North Texas. “A Brief History of Voting in America.” https://guides.library.unt.edu/voting/history-of-voting-America Take the free exercise of religion: Constitution Annotated. “Amdt1.4.1 Overview of Free Exercise Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt1-4-1/ALDE_00013221/ Originally the Bill of Rights did not apply to states, that comes with the Fourteenth Amendment later: Legal Information Institute. “Fourteenth Amendment.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/fourteenth_amendment_0 Public schools in Massachusetts were run by the church: Roos, David. “What School Was Like in the 13 Colonies.” Updated March 19, 2026. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/13-colonies-school On their own, states are going away from the connection between the government and the state-sanctioned churches that they had: Baily, Ellen and Newton, Heather. “Separation of Church and State: Overview.” 2024. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/law/separation-church-and-state-overview Around the time of the Civil War: Weber, Jennifer L. “American Civil War.” Updated April 19, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Civil-War We’re recording this on Juneteenth: Britannica Editors. “Juneteenth.” Updated June 17, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Juneteenth/additional-info#history Wyoming in 1869: WyoHistory.org “Women’s Suffrage and Women’s Rights.” https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/topics/womens-suffrage-and-womens-rights The Nineteenth Amendment: National Archives. “19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Women’s Right to Vote (1920).” Reviewed February 8, 2022. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/19th-amendment When that amendment was ratified, around half the states already let women vote: Nelson Alexander, Brooke. “20 States Where Women Could Vote Before 1920.” Updated February 24, 2026. Reader’s Digest. https://www.rd.com/article/states-where-women-could-vote-before-1920/ Texas, nevertheless, ratified the Nineteenth Amendment: Dallas Historical Society. “Suffrage in Texas.” https://www.dallashistory.org/suffrage-in-texas/ Unless you’re in the South: Merrit, Keri Leigh. “Voting Rights and Restrictions in Pre-Emancipation America.” The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/voting-rights-and-restrictions-pre-emancipation-america There was a lot of variability: Olson, Grace. “The States Decide How Elections are Run.” July 9, 2025. National Conference of State Legislatures. https://www.ncsl.org/st