Eight teams from Spokane area high schools spent the winter hitting the books, and we did two, preparing hundreds of questions about civics, government, history and more.

This kind of dedication can only mean one thing... Civics Bowl is back.

Civics bowl is made possible by the Avista Foundation, The League of Women Voters of the Spokane area, and of Washington.

And by viewers like you.

Hi, everyone, and welcome to Civics Bowl 2026.

I'm your new host, Scott Leadingham.

I'm thrilled to be joining the team this season and can't wait to watch as these teams blow our minds with their knowledge of civics.

Let's take a look at the bracket.

We have eight teams joining the tournament this year from Spokane Public Schools, the Central Valley School District, and the Liberty School District today.

University High School and The Community School will face off.

The winner will move on to the semifinals.

Before I start launching questions of the teams, let's meet them from University High School.

Please welcome Gavin, Riley Y, Riley M, and Charles.

And in the audience, we also welcome University coaches Ryan Montang and Paul Schneider.

And, from The Community School, please welcome Evan, Emily, Elizabeth and Mattias.

We'd also like to welcome the TCS alternates, Lily and Marie, as well as coaches David Egly, Corrina Barrett, and Kenji Linane-Booey.

All right, it's time to get this tournament started.

The teams have reviewed the game rules, and we posted them on ksps.org as well.

We'll start with a toss up round.

Teams, I'll start by asking a toss up question to all players.

A correct answer gives that team a bonus question before we move on to another toss up.

All correct answers in this round are worth ten points.

Teams.

Are you ready?

Yes.

Yes.

All right, here we go.

Get those buzzers ready.

How many US presidents have served?

More than two terms.

Charles.

One.

Correct.

And here is your team's bonus.

Who was the only president to serve more than two terms?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Correct.

Back to the tossup.

In the 1760s, the King of England levied new taxes on the American colonies.

However, the colonies had no representation in the British Parliament.

What is this called?

Mattias.

Taxation without representation.

Correct your bonus.

Name three items.

The colonists were forced to pay new taxes on between 1761 and 1774.

Go ahead and answer.

Paper, stamps, and tea.

Yes.

Correct.

And back to a tossup on the monitor.

Now we have our first guest question presenter.

Hi, I'm Lisa Brown, the mayor of Spokane.

What form of city government is used in the city of Spokane?

Emily.

A strong mayor.

Correct.

Your bonus.

What is the basic organization of the mayor council form of city government?

Mayor, city council and district representation.

Incorrect.

It is that the mayor is the chief executive and the city council is the legislative body for the city.

They share power.

Here's another toss up from a guest presenter.

Hi, I'm Scott McCormick and president of Whitworth University.

In 1853, our founder, George Whitworth, a Presbyterian minister from the Ohio Valley, set out on a cross-country journey to serve as a missionary.

What well known pioneer trail did Whitworth and others take west Charles.

The Oregon Trail.

Correct.

Your bonus back to President McQuilkin Whitworth was founded in 1890, but up until 1926, we didn't have an official mascot.

As a Christian college, the athletic teams were often referred to as the Presbyterians or the preachers.

What perhaps unexpected mascot did a group of athletes suggest which carries on to today?

Pirates?

That is correct.

Back to a toss up.

Ratification of the US Constitution wasn't as easy as you might think.

Name the two political groups that emerged favoring and opposing ratification.

Elizabeth.

Federalist and Anti-Federalist.

Correct.

Your bonus.

Name one argument the Anti-Federalists used to argue against the Constitution.

The government have less power, and the power go to the people.

Correct.

And back to a toss up for both teams.

Who is the current president of the U.S.

Senate?

Riley M. John Thune.

Incorrect.

Emily JD Vance.

Correct.

The vice president of the US is the president of the Senate.

For your bonus as vice president, J.D.

Vance is also the Senate's presiding officer.

However, because he is not a senator, he cannot speak or debate on the floor or vote on bills in most cases.

What one exception allows him to vote?

Equal Tie.

Yes.

If there's a tie in the Senate and back to another tossup, it's another guest presenter.

Hi, I'm Warren Seyler, a local tribal historian and a member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians.

What does tribal sovereignty mean?

Emily.

Tribal sovereignty means that individual tribes are considered sovereign, governed governed individuals.

Yes.

Correct.

They have the right to govern themselves.

For your bonus.

In 1951, the Spokane Tribe officially became a recognized tribal government within the United States.

However, it would be many years before the relationships between the tribe and the state and the federal government would stabilize.

What is the name of the agreement that was signed in 1989 by Washington's governor and tribal representatives that said the state government would recognize tribal sovereignty?

Gulf Treaty.

Incorrect.

It's called the Centennial Accord.

And back to another tossup.

Let's welcome another university president.

Hi, I'm Sherry McMahon, the president of Eastern Washington University.

Did you know we have some notable alumni who graduated from EWU?

Which 2017 graduate and standout on the red turf is now a two time Super Bowl champ, most recently this year with the Seattle Seahawks.

Riley M Cooper Kupp.

That is correct.

And your bonus.

We're also proud to have a bestselling author on our alumni roster, which 1987 graduate and Spokane native is the author of 11 books, including Beautiful Ruins, The Cold Millions, and So Far Gone.

Williams.

Incorrect.

That is Jess Walter.

Great author and a former journalist at the Spokesman-Review.

And this is our last toss in this round.

Which amendment to the US Constitution states that all persons born in the United States are citizens of the United States and of the state where they reside.

Emily.

The 14th amendment.

Correct.

And here is your bonus.

The 14th amendment also outlined situations when a child not born in one of the 50 states could be a U.S.

citizen.

What is one of these situations?

Born in a territory of the United States?

Correct.

That will be the end of the first round.

That was a great job.

Teams, everyone.

Yeah.

And after that first round, let's go ahead and take a look at the scores.

We have University with 50 and The Community School with 100 points.

We have three more rounds to play.

The head to head round is next.

It's time for the question of the week.

An extra question to put your knowledge to the test.

When did the bald eagle become the official national bird of the United States?

A.

1776 B.

1789 C.

1815 D.

2024.

We'll have the answer later in the show.

Now back to the game.

It's always a good idea to get people moving a bit.

So we've moved for the head to head round.

Just like the name says, team members will go against one another one on one.

As with the last round.

Correct answers are worth ten points.

Are you ready for your first question?

Yes.

All right, here we go.

The body of the US Constitution is made up of seven articles.

What is the purpose of the first three articles?

To outline the judicial, executive and legislative branch.

Correct.

Who is Washington lieutenant governor?

Bob Ferguson.

Incorrect.

Michael Baumgarten.

No.

Denny Heck.

Which branch of the US federal government settles disputes?

Judicial.

Correct.

The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution.

What are these words?

We the people.

Correct.

What Native American confederation was formed to end conflicts among tribes and helped inspire the framers of the US Constitution.

The Council of Indians.

Judges.

Incorrect.

Okay.

Then.

It is the Iroquois League, or Iroquois Confederacy.

There's also a few other names.

Which amendment in the Bill of rights provides Americans the right to practice any religion or no religion, without fear of discrimination or persecution.

First amendment.

Correct.

What does POTUS stand for?

President of the United States?

Correct.

Who is the current Governor of Washington State?

Bob Ferguson.

Correct.

What is another word for a judicial decision that serves as a guide for settling later cases of a similar nature?

Precedent.

Correct.

If no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes, who votes to elect a president?

Senate.

Incorrect.

Congress.

Congress?

Can you be more specific?

The House of Representatives.

Correct.

Which amendment to the U.S.

Constitution says that a person accused of a federal crime must be tried by an impartial jury?

Seven.

Incorrect.

Six.

Correct.

This is the last question in this round.

The power to compel people into military service is considered an implied power of Congress.

under what expressed power?

Regulate the military, raise the military.

Incorrect.

I don't know.

It's called the war powers.

All right.

That was a great job.

Thank you.

So great job to both teams in that round.

Let's take a look at the score right now.

As it stands we have University with 100 points and The Community School with 140.

The category round is next.

Thanks to the generous support of the Selinger Shone Foundation the winning team of 2026 KSPS PBS Civics Bowl will receive scholarship funding that celebrates civic learning and service, and this is a first for civics bowl.

We are deeply grateful to Doctor Samuel and Rosemary Selinger for investing in the next generation of engaged citizens.

Thank you very much.

As if asking these students to study for months wasn't enough, we also asked each to share a video about their school.

In Spokane Valley, Washington.

There's a place where more than 1300 students come together not just to learn, but to belong.

This is University High School, home of the Titans, where school spirit isn't just something you see, it's something you feel in the stands, on the field, on the stage, from the classroom to performing and visual arts, to clubs built by students, for students.

There's something here for everyone and more importantly, we show up for each other from every corner of our school.

We're behind you because at U High, you belong.

We show up.

We support each other.

We take pride in who we are.

It's more than a school.

It's a community.

It's another great day to be a Titan.

Good luck Civics Bowl.

We do have a bit of a scoring update.

The judges have decided to accept University's answer in the head to head round about war powers.

The score is now Community School 140, University 110, and so on to the category round.

This round does involve some strategy.

It's the first round where points are deducted for wrong answers.

However, you can decline or choose not to answer a question or toss a question to the other team.

The receiving team must then answer the question and will either win or lose the associated points.

So use those tosses wisely, and here are the categories you'll be choosing from.

Christopher Columbus, Before the Constitution, Amending the Constitution, The President's Cabinet, and Go Zags.

University, you get to select first.

We'll go with Before the Constitution for 15.

Before the Constitution for 15.

The First and second Continental Congresses rested on no legal base.

What document gave the new government a structure?

Constitution.

Incorrect.

That is the Articles of Confederation.

Community school.

Will take Amending the Constitution for 15.

For 15.

Which article of the US Constitution defines the methods to formally amend it?

Need an answer.

The first article.

Incorrect, it's the article five.

University, Amending the Constitution for 20 points.

How many amendments to the US Constitution have been ratified?

27.

Correct.

Community School.

Lets go.

Christopher Columbus for 15.

What was Christopher Columbus goal as he sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean?

To find a better route to India.

Correct.

University.

Amending the Constitution for 25.

Article five of the US Constitution outlines two methods for proposing amendments.

Name one.

Proposed by at least two thirds of both houses of Congress.

Correct.

Community School.

Amending the Constitution for 30.

Last in that category.

Proposing an amendment.

Takes a two thirds vote in each House of Congress, or by two thirds of state legislatures.

What fraction of state legislatures must vote to ratify an amendment?

Two thirds.

Incorrect.

Three fourths.

University.

Before the Constitution.

For 20.

The Articles of Confederation only set up one of our current three branches of government.

What sole body did the government establish?

Congress.

Correct.

Community school.

The president's cabinet for 15 points.

The cabinet is an advisory body to the US president.

Name three of the departments that make up the cabinet.

Need an answer.

Agriculture.

Department of Defense and Homeland Security.

Correct.

There's many others.

You won't go through them all, but you got three of them.

University.

The president's cabinet for 20.

Who is the current U.S.

secretary of State?

Marco Rubio.

Correct.

University Excuse me, Community.

The president's cabinet.

Who is the current US Secretary of Health and Human Services?

Robert F Kennedy, Jr.

Correct.

University.

President's cabinet for 30.

Who is the current US secretary of Agriculture?

Wed like to toss the question.

To Community School, and you have to answer this.

Need an answer.

Robert F Kennedy Jr.

Not quite.

If any of your parents work for the U.S.

Forest Service, their ultimate boss would be Brooke Rawlins.

Community school that stays with you to pick.

Christopher Columbus for 20.

Even though Christopher Columbus was Italian, it was a different country that supported his journey.

What country was this?

Spain.

Correct.

University.

Before the Constitution of 25.

Name two powers.

The Articles of Confederation gave to Congress.

We'd like to toss.

They will toss to community.

Can you repeat the question?

Name two powers the Articles of Confederation gave to Congress.

The ability to make a militia and make federal laws.

That is correct.

And it will stay with community school to pick Christopher Columbus for 25 points.

Name the Spanish king and queen who sponsored Christopher Columbus journey.

Toss.

Toss.

University.

Have to answer.

Ferdinand and Isabella.

That is correct.

And it will stay with University.

Christopher Columbus for 30.

Closing out that category instead of Columbus Day.

Some states, including Washington, Mark what holiday on the second Monday in October.

Indigenous Peoples Day.

That is correct.

And some people know Native American Heritage Day occurs in November.

It's different than Indigenous Peoples Day in October.

Back to Community School.

Before the Constitution.

Before the Constitution for 30 points.

Name one power Congress did not have in the articles of Confederation.

Taxes Correct, did not have the ability to tax.

And we're going to the zags category.

The only one left for university with 15 points.

For this category.

We have some guests from Gonzaga University.

Hi, I'm Oscar Rashed, I play tennis at Gonzaga University.

Gonzaga first intercollegiate teams were simply called the blue and white.

But in 1921, a sportswriter was impressive.

Gonzaga bulldog like tenacity and the name Bulldogs stuck with sport.

Was the reporter watching?

Here's a hint.

The sport is no longer played at GU.

We'd like to toss the question.

Go to Community School.

American football?

Yes, that is correct.

Football was played at Gonzaga from 1892 to 1942.

And back to the Community School.

Your stay.

This is the final question in this round.

Go zags.

This is going to be for 20 points from Samantha at GU.

Hi, I'm Samantha Sabin, a member of the women's rowing team at Gonzaga University.

What is the official nickname or mascot of Gonzaga Athletics?

Bulldog.

And that is correct.

And with that, we have reached the end of the round.

Let's look at the score.

University 235.

Community school 230.

Very close.

The lightning round is next.

Do you think you know the answer to this week's question of the week?

When did the bald eagle become the official national bird of the United States?

It might surprise you that the answer is D 2024.

For the past 250 years, the bald eagle has been a national symbol, but not officially the national bird until recently chosen for its majesty, strength, and longevity.

The bald eagle only officially received the designation in late 2024, after Congress passed a bill, and President Biden signed it into law.

Teams, you have one round left to score as many points as you can in the Lightning Round.

We'll put 90s on the clock.

Questions are worth 20 points, and points are deducted for wrong answers.

Teams.

Are you ready?

Yeah.

Yep.

The clock starts when I finish reading the first question.

Here it is.

How many amendments are in the Bill of rights?

Riley M. Ten.

Correct.

True or false?

When the Bill of rights was ratified, all people were given equal rights under the law.

Emily.

False.

Correct.

Which branch of the U.S.

federal government enforces laws?

Riley Y. Executive.

Correct.

What term can be applied to a state without government?

Riley M. Sovereign.

Incorrect.

Anarchy.

What is the name of the early 18th century intellectual movement based on reason.

Riley M. Great awakening.

Incorrect.

The enlightenment.

In what city does the Washington State Legislature meet?

Riley Y. Washington, DC.

Incorrect.

Olympia.

Who was the first woman Vice President of the United States?

Elizabeth?

Kamala Harris.

Correct.

Kamala Harris.

Who was the first chief justice of the US Supreme Court?

Charles.

John Roberts.

Incorrect.

John Jay.

Who is the only president in American history to serve unaffiliated with a political party.

Riley M. George.

Washington.

Correct.

Spokane County is in which U.S.

congressional district?

Fifth.

Correct.

The fifth.

Which amendment to the US Constitution protects people from unreasonable search and seizure?

Riley M. Fourth.

Correct.

Which branch of the federal government has the power to admit new states into the Union?

Charles.

Legislative.

Correct.

What is the minimum number of representatives guaranteed to a state, no matter its population?

Charles.

Two.

Incorrect.

One.

Well, that was a great job, everyone.

The time is up, and we have a winner for the first match of civics for 2026.

And that is the Community School.

And let's go ahead and take a look at the bracket for the rest of the season.

This means that community school will face the winner of Liberty High School and Central Valley High School in the semifinals.

You all did great today and University, I want to thank you for your commitment to civic health and for being here today.

This season of Civics Bowl is just getting started.

Next week we'll see that matchup between Liberty and Central Valley.

Follow the action Monday night at seven.

You can also stream episodes at ksps.org, on the PBS app, or on YouTube.

From all of us here at KSPS PBS.

Thank you for playing along.

Good night.

Civics Bowl is made possible by the Avista Foundation, the League of Women Voters of the Spokane area and of Washington.

And by viewers like you.