Civics 101 Videos On Demand

Executive Branch

The Governor serves as the Executive of Pennsylvania. He or she is responsible for approving or vetoing laws passed by the General Assembly, subject to a two-thirds override.

Civics 101: Lt. Gov. Austin Davis

Civics 101: Gov. Mark Schweiker

Civics 101: Gov. Ed Rendell

Civics 101: Gov. Tom Wolf

To learn more about the Executive Branch, click here for Politics and Policy on PCN.

General Assembly

Pennsylvania's General Assembly consists of two bodies, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The main task of these two bodies is to make laws.

Civics 101: Rep. Matt Bradford, D-Majority Leader

Civics 101: Sen. Jay Costa, D-Minority Leader

Civics 101: Sen. Vincent Hughes, D-Minority Appropriations Chair

Civics 101: How a Bill Becomes a Law

Civics 101: PCN Tours the Capitol

To learn more about the Legislative Branch, click here for Politics and Policy on PCN.
Find your local state legislators: https://www.legis.state.pa.us/

Judicial Branch

Pennsylvania's Judicial Branch is responsible for interpreting the state Constitution, and deciding cases.

Civics 101: PA Bar Association with Nancy Conrad

Civics 101: PA Supreme Court with Justice Kevin Brobson

Civics 101: PA Supreme Court Tour

Public Access to Court Proceedings 03/06/24

Civics 101: Remote Court Arguments

Civics 101: Judge Marjorie Rendell, U.S. Court of Appeals. Third Circuit

Civics 101: Jury Duty

Civics 101: Lower Courts

To learn more about the Judicial Branch, click here for PA Courts on PCN.

Elections

Pennsylvanians are called to vote as part of their civic duty in a democratic government. To register to vote in Pennsylvania, you must be 18 years of age and a resident of the district you wish to vote in for at least 30 days prior to the election.

Civics 101: How to Fill out a Mail-in Ballot

How to Run for Office

Citizenship Challenge 01/18/24

Civics 101: How to be a Poll Worker in Pennsylvania

Civics 101: How to Volunteer for a Campaign

Civics 101: Why is it Important to Vote?

To learn more about PCN's coverage of politics and policy click here.
Register to vote: https://www.votespa.com/Pages/default.aspx

Media

The Media are responsible for covering events and reporting information to the public through various means, including print, electronic, and digital channels.

Civics 101: Freedom of the Press, Angela Couloumbis

Civics 101: Freedom of the Press, Dennis Owens

Public Access to Court Proceedings 03/06/24

Journalist Role in Democracy 09/20/23

Civics 101: The Role of the Media in Government

To learn more about the Media, click here for Journalists Roundtable on PCN.

Continuing Education

This section includes panels and forums centered on topics of interest to adults. Themes include voting, judicial independence, and the Constitution.

Citizens Law School: Criminal Law 201 Wrongful Convictions

Citizen’s Law School: Judicial Conduct and Misconduct

Citizens Law School: Why Has Public Confidence in the Courts & the Media Decreased?

Citizens Law School: Right-to-Know Law and Open Records

Citzens Law School: Protecting Journalists, First Amendment and Shield Law

Citizens Law School: The Lawyers Guide to Legalese and Covering Civil Litigation

Navigating and Understanding PA Courts and Judicial Elections

PA State 2023 National Civics Bee 2023-06-15

Civics 101: State of Civics Education in PA

Constitution 101, National Constitution Center

How Government Works

Judicial Independence, Widener University

Voting in America

Why Courts Matter, NAACP

To learn more about Continuing Education, click here for the PCN homepage.

More Civics 101

More Civics 101 includes a broader look at civics and civic engagement, aimed at the student level.

Civics 101: The Importance of Local Government

Civics 101: Civility in Politics

Civics 101: Local Governments - Boroughs

To learn more about More Civics 101, click here for the PCN homepage.