History

An understanding of our history is as crucial to a successful democratic society as it is essential to the well-examined life of the individual. As historian Howard Zinn told Bill Moyers, “I think the more people learn about the past… the more that they will understand that it is possible for people to change the world.” Start your understanding with some of the series and specials below.

EXPLORE History

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What the Founding Fathers Wanted
September 14, 2012 | Cartoons

Mark Fiore ponders what life might be like if we literally lived the way Americans did around the time our founding fathers drafted the Constitution. Continue reading

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The Powell Memo: A Call-to-Arms for Corporations
September 14, 2012

In this excerpt from Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer — and Turned Its Back on the Middle Class, authors Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson explain the significance of the Powell Memorandum, a call-to-arms for American corporations … Continue reading

Karl Rove talks in his mobile phone as he walks across the floor before the second session of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Book Excerpt: Boss Rove: Inside Karl Rove’s Secret Kingdom of Power
September 14, 2012
An excerpt from Craig Unger's new book, framing Karl Rove as Republican Party kingmaker.
Chief justice Earl Warren addresses a national crime conference in 1967. (AP Photo)
Essay: The One Percent Court
September 13, 2012 | On Democracy

Bill Moyers and Bernard Weisberger document the Supreme Court’s history of supreme power to the present day. Continue reading

Abraham Lincoln, George Wallace, Ralph Nader
Third-Party Candidates from Lincoln to Nader
September 7, 2012
Take a look at some "also-rans" who have influenced the outcome of elections or shifted the national conversation.
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Ralph Reed: From Purgatory to Power
August 31, 2012

Does the former Christian Coalition leader’s resurgence signal a new revolution or an old racket? Continue reading

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What You (Really) Need to Know About 501(c)(4)s
August 31, 2012
Social welfare organizations — or 501(c)(4)s — are shaping up to be the major players in this year's election. Find out more about them.
Republican presidential nominee Richard M. Nixon, left, and his running mate Spiro T. Agnew, are seen at the Republican National Convention at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Florida, Aug. 23, 1972. (AP Photo)
Timeline: The Religious Right and The Republican Platform
August 31, 2012

Watch the GOP platform grow from 1972 — when the party platform didn’t contain one reference to God — to today. Continue reading

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and his vice presidential running mate Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. wave to their supporters after posing a group picture with their campaign staff at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Romney Plays Platform Politics at Tampa Convention
August 30, 2012 | Connecting the Dots
The most conservative platform in the Republican party's history challenges Romney and Ryan to foster familiarity and keep their distance at the same time.
About 100 immigrant janitors marched through downtown Houston to protest a local cleaning company accused of withholding paychecks from its employees and not paying them for all hours they worked. The march took place after a federal lawsuit was filed against Houston-based Professional Janitorial Service. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
What is a Living Wage?
August 24, 2012 | Q&A

Economist Robert Pollin explains why it’s important not to sacrifice the welfare of workers in tough economic times. Continue reading

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