The presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. New Deal legislation. Agencies created in response to crises. Changes to programs resulting from criticism of New Deal. The effect of policies on various groups, including women and minorities. 

An investigative reporter gains information that could lead to the conviction of an accused rapist, but only if the reporter is willing to divulge the source of her information. Theme: Freedom of the press. 

Of all the topics in psychology, there is none more vigorously debated than consciousness. In this lesson, researchers in neuroscience debate the mystery of consciousness and investigate the dimensions of awareness, circadian rhythms, as well as sleep and dreams. Sleep disorders are also discussed, including recent discoveries about narcolepsy, and the canines that suffer from this mysterious disorder.  

The race for a City Council seat causes deep divisions, especially among black residents of the district. Theme: Popular sovereignty; the right to vote, hold office and participate in the political process. 

American mobilizes for World War II. Strategies employed on both the Pacific and European fronts. U. S. becomes arsenal of allies; residual effects of economic boom. War, the American people and their culture: minorities, women, and labor. Internment of Japanese Americans. 

Diversifying foreign policy. Confrontations with the Soviet Union. The agony of Viet Nam. The traumas of 1968: the Tet offensive, King and Kennedy assassinations, political turmoil. 

Explosion of U. S. industry after Civil War, and factors which motivate unprecedented growth. Power and wealth amassed by corporate magnates. Recruitment of labor force. Women and children in the workforce. Workers attempts to organize for better wages and working conditions. Measures used to stifle worker discontent. 

Peace Treaty (1783) with Great Britain negotiated by Richard Oswald, John Jay, and Benjamin Franklin. Uncertainties facing young country. Effects of war on new nation's people, politics, and economy. Difficulty of functioning as "nation" under Articles of Confederation. Partial resolution of controversies related to western lands, but not problem of mounting national debt. Annapolis Convention to modify Articles of Confederation fails to attract enough delegates. 

One national government; fifty state governments; town, city, and county governments…international visitors are often overwhelmed by the complexity of the U. S. system of government. There are various ways of ordering relations between central governments and local units. Federalism is one of them. Understanding federalism and how it differs from other forms of government is critical to understanding the American political system. 

Conventional wisdom suggests that behavior "outside the norm" can be considered deviant. But can we really define deviant behavior? Differing views on sexuality and violent crime are explored in the lesson, as are some of the moral, religious and psychological factors that play a role in understanding deviant behavior. 

Why do people grow old? Is it possible to slow down the aging process? These questions may one day be answered. But for now, the inevitability that each person will grow old is the one thing that all human beings have in common. This episode focuses on the psychological and physiological aspects of aging, and factors that assist older people in maintaining their health and functional independence. 

Air examines the environmental threat to the thin band of life-supporting oxygen in the atmosphere around Earth. Visiting power plants in the U.S. and abroad, learners study the treatment of emissions from coal-burning plants and look at the effect of fossil fuels on the air. This episode also highlights the application of stationary and mobile fuel cell technology, from manufacturing facilities in Canada to prototype buses rolling down the streets of Chicago. 

Whether a small group or a multinational corporation, every organization has its own culture. This lesson looks at organizational behavior and includes discussion around the ideas of Frederick Taylor and "scientific management," corporate culture and the pitfalls of bureaucracy. 

Alternating Current explores alternating current and how the rationale was developed to use it for electric power transmission. Program includes the history of the transformer and the contributions of Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. 

American politics today cannot be understood apart from the nation's heritage. Government does not begin over again with each generation; it builds on the past. In the case of the United States, the most significant link between past and present lies in the nation's founding ideals. This episode examines the key principles that have shaped American politics since the country's earliest years. 

Angular Momentum develops the ideas of angular momentum and torque through applications to planetary motion, whirlpools, tornadoes, and spinning ice skaters. 

Are Interpretations True? asks how it is possible for us to interpret and understand each other. Is there a true or correct way of interpreting the meaning of what people say or write? Explores the views of Schleiermacher, Gadamer and Wittgenstein on language and meaning. 

Are We Social Beings? looks at the relationship between personality and sociocultural context, and contrasts atomistic and situational views of the self, represented by Descartes and Hegel and using the endangered culture of the Laplanders in Sweden. Contemporary philosophers include Charles Taylor. 

There are numerous ways to make your views known in a democracy, so why is it some people don't have equal voice? Too often government only hears from those with access to money and education. The result can be inequality in housing, jobs, education and health care. This lesson looks at social stratification and its impact on politics. 

This episode focuses on the economic role of government: its promotion and regulation of economic interests, its fiscal and monetary policies, the politics of economic decision making, and the management of the public debt.