Course Eight · The Complete Micro-Course

American government,
one idea at a time.

The whole introductory American government canon, rebuilt as 295 numbered videos — each one a single idea, each traced to the constitutional text, the case, or the primary document that settles it. Structure, not scorekeeping: how a seat is filled, how a threshold is set, how a power is checked.

295 lessons across eleven units0 of 295 live

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How the course works

Every idea has a number. Every number knows what comes before it.

Civics goes wrong in a particular way: an argument about the filibuster or the Electoral College turns out to rest on a mechanism nobody ever explained. This course is built so the way back is always visible. When a claim doesn’t land, you don’t rewatch a lecture — you follow the number back to the structure it depends on.

Two rules govern the whole course. It teaches structure, not the news: how a seat is filled, never who currently holds it — so no video goes stale between elections. And on contested questions it declares no verdict: the strongest version of each side is presented, and which one is right is left to you. Three kinds of video: atoms (one idea, about twenty seconds), procedures (one process, step by step — how a bill moves, how a case reaches the Court), and capstones (one real episode traced through several institutions at once).

The whole map

All 295 videos, in order.

New videos post daily until the course is complete. Live ones link straight to the short; the rest are on their way.

Unit 1

Foundations and the Constitution

001 What a Government Is Atom Soon
002 Public Goods Atom Soon
003 Common Goods Atom Soon
004 The Goods Grid Atom Soon
005 Democracy Atom Soon
006 Representative Democracy Atom Soon
007 Direct Democracy Atom Soon
008 ERROR: "The United States Is a Direct Democracy" Atom Soon
009 Oligarchy Atom Soon
010 Totalitarian Government Atom Soon
011 Elite Theory Atom Soon
012 Pluralist Theory Atom Soon
013 Civic Engagement Atom Soon
016 The Social Contract Atom Soon
017 Natural Rights Atom Soon
018 Republicanism Atom Soon
019 ERROR: "Republicanism Means the Republican Party" Atom Soon
020 The Declaration of Independence Atom Soon
021 ERROR: "The Declaration of Independence Is Binding Law" Atom Soon
022 The Articles of Confederation Atom Soon
023 ERROR: "The Constitution Was America's First Governing Document" Atom Soon
024 The Tax Weakness of the Articles Atom Soon
025 Shays' Rebellion Atom Soon
026 The Constitutional Convention Atom Soon
027 The Virginia Plan Atom Soon
028 The New Jersey Plan Atom Soon
029 The Great Compromise Atom Soon
030 The Three-Fifths Compromise Atom Soon
031 Separation of Powers Atom Soon
032 Checks and Balances Atom Soon
033 ERROR: "Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances Are the Same" Atom Soon
034 The Federalists Atom Soon
035 The Anti-Federalists Atom Soon
036 The Federalist Papers Atom Soon
037 The Bill of Rights Bargain Atom Soon
038 Reading a Constitutional Citation Atom Soon
039 Proposing an Amendment Atom Soon
040 Ratifying an Amendment Atom Soon
041 ERROR: "Two-Thirds of the States Ratify an Amendment" Atom Soon
042 Looking Up a Constitutional Claim Procedure Soon
043 From Articles to Constitution Capstone Soon
Unit 2

Federalism

056 Federalism Atom Soon
057 ERROR: "'Federal' Means Only the National Government" Atom Soon
058 Unitary System Atom Soon
059 Confederation Atom Soon
060 Enumerated Powers Atom Soon
061 The Elastic Clause Atom Soon
062 Reserved Powers Atom Soon
063 Concurrent Powers Atom Soon
064 The Supremacy Clause Atom Soon
065 ERROR: "States Can Nullify Federal Law" Atom Soon
066 The Commerce Clause Atom Soon
067 McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Atom Soon
068 Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) Atom Soon
069 Full Faith and Credit Atom Soon
070 Dual Federalism Atom Soon
071 Cooperative Federalism Atom Soon
072 ERROR: "Federal and State Spheres Stay Separate Today" Atom Soon
073 New Federalism Atom Soon
074 Categorical Grants Atom Soon
075 Block Grants Atom Soon
076 Creeping Categorization Atom Soon
077 Unfunded Mandates Atom Soon
078 States as Laboratories Atom Soon
079 Unequal Policy Across States Atom Soon
083 State Constitutions Atom Soon
084 The Mirrored Design of State Governments Atom Soon
085 Local Governments Are Creatures of Their States Atom Soon
086 Classifying a Power Procedure Soon
087 The Federal Bargain Capstone Soon
Unit 3

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

096 Civil Liberties Atom Soon
097 Civil Rights Atom Soon
098 ERROR: "Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Are the Same" Atom Soon
099 The Bill of Rights Atom Soon
100 Barron v. Baltimore (1833) Atom Soon
101 The Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause Atom Soon
102 Selective Incorporation Atom Soon
103 ERROR: "The Bill of Rights Has Always Bound the States" Atom Soon
104 The Establishment Clause Atom Soon
105 The Free Exercise Clause Atom Soon
106 ERROR: "'Separation of Church and State' Is Constitutional Text" Atom Soon
107 Freedom of Speech Atom Soon
108 Unprotected Speech Atom Soon
109 Freedom of the Press and Prior Restraint Atom Soon
110 Assembly and Petition Atom Soon
111 The Second Amendment Atom Soon
112 The Fourth Amendment Atom Soon
113 The Fifth Amendment: Self-Incrimination Atom Soon
114 Miranda v. Arizona (1966) Atom Soon
115 The Sixth Amendment: Counsel Atom Soon
116 The Eighth Amendment Atom Soon
117 The Inferred Right to Privacy Atom Soon
118 Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) Atom Soon
119 Roe v. Wade (1973) Atom Soon
120 The Undue Burden Standard Atom Soon
121 The Equal Protection Clause Atom Soon
122 The Rational Basis Test Atom Soon
123 Strict Scrutiny Atom Soon
124 Intermediate Scrutiny Atom Soon
125 Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Atom Soon
126 Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Atom Soon
127 ERROR: "Brown Ended Segregation Immediately" Atom Soon
128 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Atom Soon
129 The Voting Rights Act of 1965 Atom Soon
130 The Nineteenth Amendment Atom Soon
131 The Equal Rights Amendment Atom Soon
132 Native American Citizenship Atom Soon
133 Applying the Standards of Review Procedure Soon
134 Two Shields Capstone Soon
135 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022) Atom Soon
136 ERROR: "Dobbs Made Abortion Illegal Nationwide" Atom Soon
137 Lawrence v. Texas (2003) Atom Soon
138 Tracing an Inferred Right Procedure Soon
139 Engel v. Vitale (1962) Atom Soon
140 The Lemon Test Atom Soon
141 Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (2022) Atom Soon
142 ERROR: "The Lemon Test Still Governs" Atom Soon
143 The Sherbert Test Atom Soon
144 Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) Atom Soon
145 Employment Division v. Smith (1990) Atom Soon
146 ERROR: "A Religious Objection Defeats Any Law" Atom Soon
147 The Religious Freedom Restoration Act Atom Soon
148 City of Boerne v. Flores (1997) Atom Soon
149 Applying the Religion Clauses Procedure Soon
150 The Two Clauses and Their Tests Capstone Soon
Unit 4

Public Opinion and Political Beliefs

161 Public Opinion Atom Soon
162 Political Socialization Atom Soon
163 Agents of Socialization Atom Soon
164 Political Ideology Atom Soon
165 The Ideological Spectrum Atom Soon
166 ERROR: "Ideology and Party Are the Same" Atom Soon
167 Party Identification Atom Soon
168 Scientific Polling Atom Soon
169 Random Sampling Atom Soon
170 ERROR: "A Bigger Sample Beats a Random Sample" Atom Soon
171 The Margin of Error Atom Soon
172 Question Wording Atom Soon
173 The Bradley Effect Atom Soon
174 The Delegate Model Atom Soon
175 The Trustee Model Atom Soon
176 The Presidential Approval Pattern Atom Soon
180 Reading a Poll Procedure Soon
181 The Measured Public Capstone Soon
Unit 5

Voting, Elections, and Campaigns

201 Voter Registration Atom Soon
202 Making Registration Easier Atom Soon
203 Voter Turnout Atom Soon
204 The Three Denominators Atom Soon
205 ERROR: "There Is One True Turnout Number" Atom Soon
206 Who Votes Atom Soon
207 Turnout in Comparison Atom Soon
208 The Nomination Stage Atom Soon
209 Primaries Atom Soon
210 Caucuses Atom Soon
211 Delegates and Conventions Atom Soon
212 The General Election Atom Soon
213 Plurality Rule Atom Soon
214 ERROR: "Most Votes Means a Majority" Atom Soon
215 The Electoral College Atom Soon
216 ERROR: "The National Popular Vote Elects the President" Atom Soon
217 The Electoral Calendar Atom Soon
218 Coattails Atom Soon
219 The Initiative Atom Soon
220 The Referendum Atom Soon
221 The Recall Atom Soon
230 Reading Election Returns Procedure Soon
231 The Machinery of Choosing Capstone Soon
Unit 6

Media, Parties, and Interest Groups

251 The Media Atom Soon
252 The Watchdog Role Atom Soon
253 Agenda Setting Atom Soon
254 ERROR: "The Media Tell People What to Think" Atom Soon
255 Framing Atom Soon
256 Priming Atom Soon
257 Sunshine Laws Atom Soon
258 Political Parties Atom Soon
259 ERROR: "The Constitution Establishes Political Parties" Atom Soon
260 The Three-Part Party Atom Soon
261 The Two-Party System Atom Soon
262 Winner-Take-All and Duverger's Law Atom Soon
263 Third Parties Atom Soon
264 Divided Government Atom Soon
265 Partisan Polarization Atom Soon
266 Interest Groups Atom Soon
267 ERROR: "Parties and Interest Groups Are the Same" Atom Soon
268 The Collective Action Problem Atom Soon
269 Free Riding Atom Soon
270 ERROR: "Bigger Groups Organize More Easily" Atom Soon
271 Overcoming Collective Action Atom Soon
272 Lobbying Atom Soon
273 Grassroots Strategies Atom Soon
274 Political Action Committees Atom Soon
290 Reading a Crosstab Procedure Soon
291 The Linkage Institutions Capstone Soon
Unit 7

Congress

311 The First Branch Atom Soon
312 The House of Representatives Atom Soon
313 The Senate Atom Soon
314 ERROR: "Senators Have Always Been Popularly Elected" Atom Soon
315 The Identical-Bills Requirement Atom Soon
316 Congressional Oversight Atom Soon
317 Congressional Districts Atom Soon
318 Redistricting Atom Soon
319 Gerrymandering Atom Soon
320 ERROR: "All Gerrymandering Is Illegal" Atom Soon
321 The Incumbency Advantage Atom Soon
322 The Speaker of the House Atom Soon
323 Senate Floor Leaders Atom Soon
324 Standing Committees Atom Soon
325 Select, Joint, and Conference Committees Atom Soon
326 The Committee Graveyard Atom Soon
327 ERROR: "Most Bills Become Laws" Atom Soon
328 The Filibuster Atom Soon
329 Cloture Atom Soon
330 ERROR: "The Filibuster Is in the Constitution" Atom Soon
331 The Veto and the Override Atom Soon
340 Tracing a Bill Procedure Soon
341 The First Branch at Work Capstone Soon
Unit 8

The Presidency and the Bureaucracy

356 The Presidency's Design Atom Soon
357 Qualifications and the Two-Term Limit Atom Soon
358 Commander in Chief Atom Soon
359 The Appointment Power Atom Soon
360 The Treaty Power Atom Soon
361 ERROR: "The President Alone Makes Treaties" Atom Soon
362 The Pardon Power Atom Soon
363 Impeachment Atom Soon
364 ERROR: "Impeachment Means Removal" Atom Soon
365 The All-or-Nothing Veto Atom Soon
366 ERROR: "The President Can Veto Part of a Bill" Atom Soon
367 The Cabinet Atom Soon
368 The Executive Office of the President Atom Soon
369 The Growth of the Office Atom Soon
370 Going Public Atom Soon
371 Executive Orders Atom Soon
372 ERROR: "Executive Orders Are Permanent Like Statutes" Atom Soon
373 Executive Agreements Atom Soon
374 Signing Statements Atom Soon
380 The Bureaucracy Atom Soon
381 The Spoils System Atom Soon
382 The Pendleton Act Atom Soon
383 ERROR: "Federal Jobs Go to the Winner's Supporters" Atom Soon
384 The Civil Service Today Atom Soon
385 The Four Types Atom Soon
386 Cabinet Departments Atom Soon
387 Independent Regulatory Agencies Atom Soon
388 Government Corporations Atom Soon
389 Rulemaking Atom Soon
390 Overseeing the Bureaucracy Atom Soon
400 Classifying an Agency Procedure Soon
401 The Executive Branch Entire Capstone Soon
Unit 9

The Courts

411 The Third Branch Atom Soon
412 Judicial Independence Atom Soon
413 Judicial Review Atom Soon
414 Marbury v. Madison (1803) Atom Soon
415 ERROR: "Judicial Review Is Written into Article III" Atom Soon
416 The Dual Court System Atom Soon
417 Criminal and Civil Cases Atom Soon
418 The Three Federal Tiers Atom Soon
419 District Courts Atom Soon
420 Courts of Appeals Atom Soon
421 The Nine Justices Atom Soon
422 Certiorari Atom Soon
423 The Rule of Four Atom Soon
424 ERROR: "The Supreme Court Must Hear Appeals" Atom Soon
425 Precedent Atom Soon
426 Opinions of the Court Atom Soon
427 Restraint and Activism Atom Soon
428 The Solicitor General Atom Soon
429 Purse and Sword Atom Soon
430 ERROR: "Court Rulings Enforce Themselves" Atom Soon
440 Reading a Supreme Court Decision Procedure Soon
441 The Guardians and Their Limits Capstone Soon
Unit 10

Domestic and Foreign Policy

451 Public Policy Atom Soon
452 The Policy Stages Atom Soon
453 Distributive Policy Atom Soon
454 Regulatory Policy Atom Soon
455 Redistributive Policy Atom Soon
456 Entitlements Atom Soon
457 Discretionary Spending Atom Soon
458 The Deficit and the Debt Atom Soon
459 ERROR: "The Deficit and the Debt Are the Same" Atom Soon
460 Fiscal and Monetary Policy Atom Soon
461 Foreign Policy Atom Soon
462 The Instruments Atom Soon
463 ERROR: "Foreign Aid Is a Large Share of Federal Spending" Atom Soon
464 Hard and Soft Power Atom Soon
465 Isolationism Atom Soon
466 Liberal Internationalism Atom Soon
467 Idealism and Realism Atom Soon
475 Tracing a Policy Procedure Soon
476 The Outputs of Government Capstone Soon
Unit 11

Capstones

481 The Fourteenth Amendment's Long Arc Capstone Soon
482 The Counting Rules Capstone Soon
483 Who Governs, Revisited Capstone Soon
484 The Anatomy of Civic Error Capstone Soon
485 The Complete Circuit of Checks Capstone Soon
486 The Audit Toolkit Capstone Soon
487 One Pass Through the Republic Capstone Soon

The receipts

Check my work.

Constitutional claims cite the Constitution Annotated by article, section, and clause. Case holdings cite the opinions themselves. Founding-era claims cite the National Archives and the Federalist Papers. The anchor is an openly licensed university text — OpenStax’s American Government — read against an independently authored open text, so where the two differ the difference is noted rather than smoothed over. Every source is public and free, so every claim here is one you can check yourself.

Spot an error? Tell me the video number and the claim — corrections get made in the open, and a verified correction gets pinned credit.

Follow along

New videos daily.

The course releases in order on YouTube — one idea at a time until all 295 are live. Subscribe to catch each one, or leave your email for an occasional note when a course finishes.

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