Liberty and Justice for All

July 06, 2026 8:23am 1:04

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 kno...

Untethered Tangent on Quoting the Constitution

June 22, 2026 10:30am 9 min

What is Continuity of Government?

June 08, 2026 9:10am 1:09

Steve shows up prepared, Mack drops a bombshell or two, and Anne gets wasted. REFERENCES It’s when the vase of flowers is suddenly on the left-hand side of the screen: Film Draft. “What is Continuity in Film? Definitions...

Does the Constitution Have an Escape Clause?

May 25, 2026 9:58am 1:20

The Twenty-Fifth Amendment: Mack derides, Steve chides, Anne makes asides, and everyone switches sides. REFERENCES The great Constitutional scholars on the interwebs are talking about the Twenty-Fifth Amendment: Constitu...

Untethered Tangent on Arresting a Ship

May 11, 2026 9:04am 6 min

Untethered Tangent on Star Chamber

April 20, 2026 9:18am 6 min

Is This Behavior Warranted?

April 06, 2026 9:02am 1:18

Steve commits murder, Anne pursues him to the full extent of the law, and Mack is on a mission from God. REFERENCES So, by warrant here, we’re talking about honest-to-gosh legal warrants: Legal Information Institute. “Wa...

Untethered Tangent on Driverless Cars

March 16, 2026 9:14am 11 min

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch…

March 02, 2026 8:32am 1:07

VOTE IN THE MARCH 3 TEXAS PRIMARY ELECTION. In this episode, we head back to Texas and discuss why this isn’t as off a year as you might think. Also, if you haven’t done it yet, VOTE! References March 3 are the primaries...

Untethered Tangent on the Freedom of the Seas

February 16, 2026 9:29am 7 min

What are the President’s War Powers?

February 02, 2026 9:00am 1:12

Steve points out the squishiness, Mack plays Devil’s advocate, and Anne declares war on Switzerland. REFERENCES The executive power shall be vested in a President: Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S1.C1.1 Overview of Execu...

Untethered Tangent on Unlawful Orders

January 19, 2026 9:25am 11 min

Is All Fair In Love and War?

January 12, 2026 9:05am 1:33

In this episode, we tackle war crimes. Please note that we record episodes in the month before they are posted—just in case you are wondering why we aren’t talking about one big event in particular. REFERENCES People hav...

Untethered Tangent on Lead Bricks

December 22, 2025 7:00am 21 min

Everything You Wanted to Know About Federalism But Were Afraid to Ask

December 08, 2025 8:36am 1:07

Steve, Mack, and Anne dig into the power dynamics of these United States. REFERENCES What about Washington, D.C.? Duignan, Brian. “What State Is Washington, D.C. In?” June 13, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com...

Untethered Tangent on Populism

November 17, 2025 8:58am 11 min

What’s Going On Here?

November 03, 2025 8:51am 1:30

Get out your dictionaries, folks! It’s time to figure out what’s happening in the U.S. of A. In this listener-suggested episode of Civics, we look at -archies, -acracies, and -isms. REFERENCES Oligarchy: https://www.merr...

Untethered Tangent on the Budget Process

October 20, 2025 8:47am 6 min

What is Congress Supposed To Do?

October 06, 2025 9:24am 1:16

Mack, Steve, and Anne get into what one branch of the government isn’t doing right now. REFERENCES Congress is defined in Article I of the Constitution: Constitution Annotated. “Article I.” https://constitution.congress....

Untethered Tangent on Term Limits and Qualifications

September 15, 2025 8:45am 10 min