Podcasts about National Constitution Center

In this episode, legal scholars Jonathan Adler, Greg Garre, Katherine Mims Crocker, and Howard Wasserman discuss the state of civil discourse inside the Supreme Court and in public debate about the Court. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. This conversation was recorded live in Philadelphia on July 7, 2026, as part of the National Constitution Center's 2026 Supreme Court Review, which is presented in partnership with the Center on the Structural Constitution at Texas A&M University School of Law. The program featured three panels with scholars of differing perspectives examining the Court's 2025–2026 term, its approach to executive power, and civil discourse surrounding the Court.    Resources  2026 Supreme Court Review: Key Decisions, Executive Power, Civil Discourse, National Constitution Center  “Retired Justice Kennedy laments coarse discourse of Trump era and its effects on the Supreme Court,” Associated Press, Oct. 8, 2025  “Justice Thomas Bemoans Incivility as Security Prompts Cancellation of In-Person Speech,” The New York Times, Feb. 27, 2026  “Justices Hint at Strains as Supreme Court Comes Under Scrutiny,” The New York Times, May 18, 2026  “Takeaways From Rare Congressional Testimony by Two Supreme Court Justices,” The New York Times, July 15, 2026 Stay Connected and Learn More  Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.  Questions or comments? Email ⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠.  Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and ⁠sign up⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.  Support our important work by making a donation today.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

In this episode, legal scholars Gillian Metzger, Julian Mortenson, and Ilya Somin discuss the Supreme Court's approach to executive power in recent decisions. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates. This conversation was recorded live in Philadelphia on July 7, 2026, as part of the National Constitution Center's 2026 Supreme Court Review, which is presented in partnership with the Center on the Structural Constitution at Texas A&M University School of Law. The program featured three panels with scholars of differing perspectives examining the Court's 2025-2026 term, its approach to executive power, and civil discourse within and concerning the Court.    Resources 2026 Supreme Court Review: Key Decisions, Executive Power, Civil Discourse, National Constitution Center  Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump (2026) Trump v. Slaughter (2026) Trump v. Cook (2026) Trump v. Illinois (2025) Stay Connected and Learn More  Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.  Questions or comments? Email podcast@constitutioncenter.org.  Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.  Support our important work by making a donation today.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

As a bonus, today we're sharing a special episode of The Blessings of Liberty, a new podcast from Open to Debate debater Jeffrey Rosen and our friends at FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. In celebration of America's 250th anniversary, Jeffrey sits down with award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns, walking through the Declaration of Independence, clause by clause, to encapsulate the big ideas at the heart of the American story. The Blessings of Liberty is a weekly podcast hosted by Jeffrey Rosen — CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, professor of law at George Washington University Law School, and senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Learn more and subscribe on Substack, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. To continue the conversation, visit Open to Debate's Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff.  Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Monday and Lauretta has her mind on preparing for the next 250 Years of America.  She's focused on this after having celebrated our great nation, the United States of America this past weekend.  After her shout out to her prayer warriors requesting ongoing prayers for our nation, for peace, for the war with Iran, for the Ukrainian/Russian war, for Jimmy Li who remains in jail in Japan and for world leaders for peace, she congratulates Pope Leo XIV on receiving the Liberty Medal this past weekend.  This honor is bestowed on individuals that strive to secure the blessings of liberty world-wide by the National Constitution Center.  Lauretta goes on to share some of Pope Leo's words from his acceptance speech, some of his activities this past weekend as well as sharing how Pope Leo celebrated our nation on the Fourth of July.  During the second half of the show, Lauretta focuses on discussing what she identifies as the greatest threat to our nation, communism.  She discusses what it is, what it looks like and how to educate yourself so you can identify it when you see it coming. She offers suggestions on how to educate yourself in preparation for this and encourages you to get involved civilly. St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish 

Pope Leo today received the National Constitution Center's liberty medal and gave an acceptance speech via livestream from the Vatican. Colleen Dulle recaps his message. Links from the show: Read: Pope Leo's message to the United States on its 250th anniversary Subscribe to America Magazine (use promo code VATICAN for $10 off an annual digital subscription) Fill out our listener survey! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Richard Epstein and Martha Jones discuss the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Trump v. Barbara, which struck down President Trump's Executive Order on birthright citizenship. At issue in the case was whether the Constitution guarantees citizenship to children born to parents unlawfully or temporarily present in the United States. The Court concluded that it did. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.    Resources  Trump v. Barbara (2026)  Brief of Amicus Curiae Professor Richard A. Epstein  Brief of Historians Martha S. Jones and Kate Masur as Amici Curiae  “Supreme Court strikes down Trump's birthright citizenship executive order in landmark decision,” Scott Bomboy for the National Constitution Center's Constitution Daily Blog  “In birthright citizenship opinions, a major constitutional disagreement,” Marcia Coyle for the National Constitution Center's Constitution Daily Blog  United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898), National Constitution Center  The Citizenship Clause, National Constitution Center Stay Connected and Learn More  Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.  Questions or comments? Email podcast@constitutioncenter.org.  Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.  Support our important work by making a donation today.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton fought for independence and they also fought each other. Jeffrey Rosen, former president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the battles Jefferson and Hamilton had over concepts of liberty and freedom, where they landed on states' rights vs. a powerful federal government, and why their arguments still frame political battles we have today. His book is “Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle over Power in America.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A divided Supreme Court ended its term by delivering a series of blockbuster rulings on birthright citizenship, transgendered participation in sports, and campaign finance restrictions, reshaping the nation's legal and political landscape. FOX News Sunday anchor Shannon Bream joins to discuss the intense 14th Amendment debate surrounding birthright citizenship, the court's decision allowing states to ban transgender athletes from female sports, and how the court's unique ideological splits impact the administration's major policy wins and losses. Bream also discusses the political implications of the High Court's historic decisions. As the nation prepares to celebrate its landmark 250th birthday, Americans are descending on the National Mall in D.C. to reflect on the vast history and the values that shaped our democratic experiment. But if the Founding Fathers stepped into 2026, what would they actually think of the country they built? Jeffrey Rosen, CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, joins FOX's Lucas Tomlinson to discuss his book, Pursuit of Liberty, and how the clashing visions of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson ignited a timeless struggle for control. PLUS, commentary by FOX News contributor Joe Concha. PHOTO CREDIT: AP IMAGES Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A divided Supreme Court ended its term by delivering a series of blockbuster rulings on birthright citizenship, transgendered participation in sports, and campaign finance restrictions, reshaping the nation's legal and political landscape. FOX News Sunday anchor Shannon Bream joins to discuss the intense 14th Amendment debate surrounding birthright citizenship, the court's decision allowing states to ban transgender athletes from female sports, and how the court's unique ideological splits impact the administration's major policy wins and losses. Bream also discusses the political implications of the High Court's historic decisions. As the nation prepares to celebrate its landmark 250th birthday, Americans are descending on the National Mall in D.C. to reflect on the vast history and the values that shaped our democratic experiment. But if the Founding Fathers stepped into 2026, what would they actually think of the country they built? Jeffrey Rosen, CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, joins FOX's Lucas Tomlinson to discuss his book, Pursuit of Liberty, and how the clashing visions of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson ignited a timeless struggle for control. PLUS, commentary by FOX News contributor Joe Concha. PHOTO CREDIT: AP IMAGES Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A divided Supreme Court ended its term by delivering a series of blockbuster rulings on birthright citizenship, transgendered participation in sports, and campaign finance restrictions, reshaping the nation's legal and political landscape. FOX News Sunday anchor Shannon Bream joins to discuss the intense 14th Amendment debate surrounding birthright citizenship, the court's decision allowing states to ban transgender athletes from female sports, and how the court's unique ideological splits impact the administration's major policy wins and losses. Bream also discusses the political implications of the High Court's historic decisions. As the nation prepares to celebrate its landmark 250th birthday, Americans are descending on the National Mall in D.C. to reflect on the vast history and the values that shaped our democratic experiment. But if the Founding Fathers stepped into 2026, what would they actually think of the country they built? Jeffrey Rosen, CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, joins FOX's Lucas Tomlinson to discuss his book, Pursuit of Liberty, and how the clashing visions of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson ignited a timeless struggle for control. PLUS, commentary by FOX News contributor Joe Concha. PHOTO CREDIT: AP IMAGES Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

HER 250, Episode 1:This country is turning 250. But whose independence are we actually celebrating?In the opening episode of HER 250, Dr. Crystallee Crain pulls back the curtain on America's founding to ask a question the parades won't: where were the women of color when this nation was born — and why were their stories left out of the textbooks?Dr. Crain tells the story of Ona Judge, a 22-year-old woman enslaved by George Washington who escaped his household in 1796 rather than be given away as a wedding gift, and who evaded the first president's repeated attempts to recapture her for the rest of her life.[1] She introduces Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman, who sued for her freedom in Massachusetts in 1781 using the state's own constitutional language — and won, becoming the first African American woman to do so.[2]The episode turns to the Indigenous women erased from the founding narrative entirely, including Lozen, the Apache warrior and prophet known as "a shield to her people," who fought alongside her brother Chief Victorio and died a prisoner of war.[3] Dr. Crain also confronts the federal Indian boarding school system — a policy that operated from 1819 into the 1960s and has been linked to hundreds of confirmed child deaths and dozens of burial sites, according to a 2022–2024 federal investigation.[4]The episode closes by connecting this history directly to the present: today's stark racial disparities in maternal health outcomes, Dr. Crain argues, are not an accident — they're the long shadow of a founding that never accounted for these women in the first place.[5][1] Ona Judge's escape from George Washington's household, the circumstances surrounding it, and Washington's repeated attempts at recapture are documented by the National Park Service ("Ona Judge Escapes to Freedom," nps.gov), George Washington's Mount Vernon ("Ona Judge," mountvernon.org), and Smithsonian Magazine. Judge's own account is drawn from her 1845 interview published in The Granite Freeman.[2] Elizabeth Freeman's 1781 freedom suit, Brom and Bett v. Ashley, is documented by the National Constitution Center ("Elizabeth Freeman, her case for freedom, and the Massachusetts Constitution," constitutioncenter.org) and the National Women's History Museum (womenshistory.org).[3] Lozen's role in the Apache Wars, her relationship to Chief Victorio, and her death in U.S. custody at Mount Vernon Barracks, Alabama in 1889 are documented via historian Eve Ball's recorded oral histories (In the Days of Victorio, University of Arizona Press, 1970) and the New Mexico Historic Women Marker Program (nmhistoricwomen.org).[4] Federal Indian boarding school data is drawn from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report, Volume 1 (May 2022, doi.gov) and the 2024 follow-up findings reported by the Equal Justice Initiative (eji.org), confirming 408 federal schools across 37 states/territories (1819–1969), at least 973 confirmed child deaths, and 74 identified burial sites at 65 schools.[5] Maternal mortality disparities are drawn from the CDC National Center for Health Statistics, "Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2024" (cdc.gov/nchs), reporting a rate of 44.8 deaths per 100,000 live births for Black women versus 14.2 for white women.Sound:Epidemic Sound - Timelapse Title: nothanks

Jeffrey Rosen is a legal scholar and the President of the National Constitution Center. He's the author "the Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America."

Happiness is a complex emotion and mental state that can be achieved through virtue or pleasure. But should it be for the good of the individual or society? Those in favor of virtue point to the Stoics and the Founding Fathers, saying you should strive for a life of moral virtue and rationality. Those in favor of pleasure say everyone should be able to experience it and define their sources of happiness. Now we debate: The Pursuit of Happiness: Virtue or Pleasure?  Arguing Virtue: Jeffrey Rosen, CEO & President of the National Constitution Center; Author of “The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America”  Arguing Pleasure: Roger Crisp, Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Oxford; Uehiro Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at St. Anne's College, Oxford  Nayeema Raza, Journalist at New York Magazine and Vox, is the guest moderator.  Join the conversation on Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff.  Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, David Blight, Robert P. George, and Annette Gordon-Reed explore the enduring ideas at the core of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution—including equality, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and government by consent—and examine how those principles have been debated, interpreted, and contested over time. Moderated by Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, the conversation invites audiences to engage deeply with the ideas that launched a nation and to consider how our shared constitutional story continues to unfold.    This conversation was recorded live in Philadelphia on June 8, 2026, as part of the NCC's America's Town Hall series. It is presented in partnership with the Organization of American Historians and the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute.    Resources  Annotated Declaration of Independence, National Constitution Center  Interactive Constitution, National Constitution Center  The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals  Stay Connected and Learn More Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. Questions or comments about the show? Email podcast@constitutioncenter.org Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. Support our important work by making a donation today. Donate

Willy sat down with Jeffrey Rosen, bestselling author, George Washington University law professor, contributing editor at The Atlantic, and CEO emeritus of the National Constitution Center, for a timely discussion about America's founding ideals as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.   Willy and Jeffrey explored the enduring relevance of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, from liberty, equality, and government by consent to the lasting tension between Hamiltonian federal power and Jeffersonian democracy. They also discussed the founders' warnings about faction, demagoguery, civic virtue, and the responsibility of citizens to preserve civil dialogue in a polarized age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, David Blight, Robert P. George, and Annette Gordon-Reed explore the enduring ideas at the core of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution—including equality, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and government by consent—and examine how those principles have been debated, interpreted, and contested over time. Moderated by Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, this conversation invites audiences to engage deeply with the ideas that launched a nation, and to consider how our shared constitutional story continues to unfold. Resources Annotated Declaration of Independence, National Constitution Center Interactive Constitution, National Constitution Center The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals Stay Connected and Learn More  Questions or comments? Email us at programs@constitutioncenter.org  Join us for another upcoming live programs from the NCC.  Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and subscribe to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate delivered right to your inbox.   Support our important work by making a donation today.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate⁠

The National Constitution Center recently published The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals (Simon & Schuster), a keepsake collection of essays bringing together leading thinkers from across perspectives to reflect on the ideals at the heart of the American experiment and what those principles have meant across generations of American life. In this episode, Professor Eric Slauter discusses his essay, “The Declaration's Promises,” which explores how the Declaration of Independence evolved from a justification of America's separation from the British Empire into a global charter of liberty. As Slauter writes, in 1776, “very few in the newly United States besides a small contingent of Black and white antislavery activists would have seen the Declaration as a document of radical egalitarianism or even as a founding document.” However, over time, figures like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr. transformed the phrase “all men are created equal” into a foundational national promise and a powerful tool for social change. As Slauter notes, “it is largely their Declaration, as much as Jefferson's or Congress's, that we continue to celebrate today.” Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.    Resources  Eric Slauter, “The Declaration's Promises”  National Constitution Center, The Declaration of Independence  Stay Connected and Learn More  Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.  Questions or comments? Email podcast@constitutioncenter.org.  Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.  Support our important work by making a donation today.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate 

The separation of powers, federalism, and the rule of law are critical elements of American constitutional democracy. Judge Bernice Donald, formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; Judge Robert Kugler, formerly of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court; and Judge Thomas Griffith, formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, explore the current state of these fundamental constitutional principles. Julie Silverbrook, the chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. This program was presented in partnership with Keep Our Republic's Article III Coalition, a bipartisan group of retired federal district and circuit court judges dedicated to safeguarding the separation of powers and preserving an independent judiciary. The Coalition's civic education work informs citizens why an independent judiciary matters, how courts safeguard rights and maintain constitutional checks and balances, and the critical role that impartial justice plays in keeping our republic. Resources  Constitution 101: Separation of Powers and Federalism, National Constitution Center Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

If you ask Americans to name the signers of the Declaration of Independence, they will probably mention John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams. But what about the other 52 delegates from the 13 colonies who signed the document?  Men like Thomas McKean, Lyman Hall, George Walton, Francis Lewis, Benjamin Rush, and Roger Sherman? Historian Carol Berkin, one of the nation's leading scholars of the founding era and the author of the National Constitution Center's definitive short biographies of all 56 signers, joins the Center to explore the stories of these lesser-known signers. Berkin reveals these figures not as distant icons, but as real people whose lives were marked by ambition, sacrifice, hardship, resilience, and public service. As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, Berkin explains why understanding the full cast of characters behind American independence can deepen our appreciation of the nation's founding and the ongoing work of constitutional self-government. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.    Resources  Josiah Bartlett (New Hampshire), National Constitution Center  Elbridge Gerry (Massachusetts), National Constitution Center  Button Gwinnett (Georgia), National Constitution Center  Lyman Hall (Georgia), National Constitution Center  Francis Lewis (New York), National Constitution Center  Thomas McKean (Delaware), National Constitution Center  Robert Morris, Jr. (Pennsylvania), National Constitution Center  Benjamin Rush (Pennsylvania), National Constitution Center  Roger Sherman (Connecticut), National Constitution Center  Richard Stockton (New Jersey), National Constitution Center  George Walton (Georgia), National Constitution Center  Biographies of all the Declaration's Signers, National Constitution Center Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

In this episode, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, honorary co-chair of the National Constitution Center, and his co-author and former law clerk Janie Nitze join the Center to discuss their new children's book, Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence (HarperCollins; May 5, 2026). Designed for families and learners of all ages, this Civic Story Hour program invites audiences into the human stories behind the Declaration of Independence. Heroes of 1776 introduces readers to both familiar figures such as Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere, as well as lesser-known participants in the American story, including Caesar Rodney, Thomas Paine, and Mary Katharine Goddard. Together, their stories highlight the risks, choices, and debates that shaped the nation's founding. Blending vivid storytelling with historical detail, the book centers the lived experiences behind the founding era and invites young readers to consider the enduring ideals of the Declaration. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources  Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

In this episode, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, retired, honorary co-chair of the National Constitution Center, joins to discuss The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals, a new keepsake volume from the National Constitution Center. Justice Breyer, who wrote the book's foreword, reflects on the enduring constitutional ideals explored in the volume and their continued relevance today. He is joined by the Honorable Cheryl Ann Krause, judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and member of the National Constitution Center Board of Trustees.  This conversation was streamed live from Philadelphia as part of the NCC's America's Town Hall series on May 16, 2026.  Resources   The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals  Justice Stephen G. Breyer, “It's up to us whether the American experiment succeeds,” (USA Today, May 11, 2026)  Justice Neil Gorsuch, “How Imperfect People Form a More Perfect Union,” (Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2026)  Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals: A Conversation with Justice Stephen Breyer , National Constitution Center, America's Town Hall  Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

It is an honor to introduce the initial episode of our new sister podcast: The Blessings of Liberty, hosted by Jeffrey Rosen, president emeritus of the National Constitution Center and Professor of Law at GW.  Prof. Rosen begins with a bang, as he holds a discussion with US Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, including two books newly authored or contributed to by Justice Gorsuch.  We precede this with our own interview of Jeff Rosen, discussing the mission of his new podcast and his special passion for history, the Constitution, and the American idea.  Meanwhile, listen, too, for a special EverScholar opportunity for our loyal podcast audience.  CLE credit is available for lawyers and judges from podcast.njsba.com.

In this episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and National Constitution Center Semiquincentennial Scholar Jon Meacham joins the Center to discuss The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals. Presented by the National Constitution Center, The Promise of America is an inspirational collection of essays exploring the founding principles that continue to shape American democracy from the nation's leading constitutional scholars. This print volume builds on the foundation of the Center's Interactive Declaration of Independence and America at 250 Civic Toolkit, bringing together new essays, primary sources, and interpretive scholarship in a lasting, portable format designed to support deeper reflection and shared civic dialogue. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources  The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

The National Constitution Center recently published The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals (Simon & Schuster), a keepsake collection of essays bringing together leading thinkers from across perspectives to reflect on the ideals at the heart of the American experiment and what those principles have meant across generations of American life. In this episode, Professor David Armitage discusses his essay, “The Declaration's Influence Around the World,” which explores the document's international legacy as a powerful blueprint for collective rights and national self-determination, and its ever-evolving domestic legacy as a touchstone for individual rights and human equality. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.    Resources  David Armitage, “The Declaration's Influence Around the World”  National Constitution Center, The Declaration of Independence  Lemuel Haynes, “Liberty Further Extended” (1776)  Vermont Declaration of Independence (1777)  French Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789)  Haitian Declaration of Independence (1804)  Venezuelan Declaration of Independence (1811)  Greek Declaration of Independence (1822)  Belgian Declaration of Independence (1830)  New Zealand Declaration of Independence (1835)  Texas Declaration of Independence (1836)  Liberia Declaration of Independence (1847)  Declaration of Sentiments (1848)  Hungary Declaration of Independence (1849)  Proclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (1945)  Israel Declaration of Independence (1948)  Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)  Unilateral Declaration of Independence of Southern Rhodesia (1965)  The Black Declaration of Independence (1970)  Kosovo Declaration of Independence (2008)  Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

In this episode of Liberty + Leadership, Roger Ream sits down with Stock Executive Search CEO and TFAS alumnus Toby Stock to discuss leadership, civic culture and the habits that shape successful careers and institutions. Toby reflects on his work with prominent public intellectuals and organizations including the American Enterprise Institute, the National Constitution Center, Harvard Law School and The Dispatch, where he helped launch the media company alongside Jonah Goldberg and Steve Hayes. Together, they discuss the qualities that define effective leaders, the difference between management and leadership, the importance of courage and integrity in public life and why developing sound judgment matters more than ever for young professionals. The conversation also explores America 250, the current state of civic education, Congress and institutional incentives and the opportunities and risks presented by artificial intelligence. Toby also shares practical advice for students and young professionals seeking careers in Washington and beyond.The Liberty + Leadership Podcast is hosted by TFAS president Roger Ream and produced by Podville Media. If you have a comment or question for the show, please email us at podcast@TFAS.org. To support TFAS and its mission, please visit TFAS.org/support.Support the show

In this episode, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer (Ret.), honorary co-chair of the National Constitution Center, joins to discuss The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals, a new keepsake volume from the National Constitution Center. Justice Breyer, who wrote the book's foreword, reflects on the enduring constitutional ideals explored in the volume and their continued relevance today. He is joined in conversation with the Honorable Cheryl Ann Krause, judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and member of the National Constitution Center board of trustees. Resources  The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals Justice Stephen G. Breyer, “It's up to us whether the American experiment succeeds,” (USA Today, May 11, 2026) Justice Neil Gorsuch, “How Imperfect People Form a More Perfect Union,” (Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2026) Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

In this episode, Michael Auslin joins to discuss his new book, National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America, a sweeping and vivid history of the Declaration of Independence from its drafting to its enduring role in American life today. Tracing the remarkable journey of this iconic document—from a Philadelphia boarding house to wartime hiding places and its place as a national symbol—Auslin explores how its ideals of liberty and equality have inspired generations and continue to shape the American experiment. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.  This program was streamed live on May 6, 2026, as part of the NCC's Book Club Series.  Resources  Michael Auslin, National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America (2026) National Constitution Center, Interactive Declaration of Independence Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

WB Ted Cross returns to announce a free course this summer on American History! Starting June 8th, you can join Brothers from across New York State in the "What the Founders Meant by Happiness” online course from Arizona State University in collaboration with the National Constitution Center. Dr. Cross shares the course outline; our Founding Fathers intent that Americans explore happiness not as the personal pursuit of feeling good but as an idea closely tied to character, civic responsibility, leadership, and participation in a constitutional democracy.Show notes and links: Join us on Patreon. Start your FREE seven day trial to the Craftsmen Online Podcast and get instant access to our bonus content! Whether it's a one time donation or you become a Patreon Subscriber, we appreciate your support.Visit the Craftsmen Online website to learn more about our FREE American History "Summer School" online course with Arizona State University, New York Masonic History, and our Masonic Education blog!Follow the Craftsmen Online Podcast on Spotify.Subscribe to the Craftsmen Online Podcast on Apple Podcasts.Follow Craftsmen Online on YouTube, hit subscribe and get notified the next time we go LIVE with a podcast recording!Yes, we're on Instagram.Get our latest announcements and important updates in your inbox with the Craftsmen Online Newsletter.Email the host, RW Michael Arce! Yes, we will read your email and may even reach out to be a guest on a future episode.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/craftsmen-online-podcast--4822031/support.

In this episode, Michael Auslin joins to discuss his new book, National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America, a sweeping and vivid history of the Declaration of Independence from its drafting to its enduring role in American life today. Tracing the remarkable journey of this iconic document—from a Philadelphia boarding house to wartime hiding places and its place as a national symbol—Auslin explores how its ideals of liberty and equality have inspired generations and continue to shape the American experiment. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Michael Auslin, National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America National Constitution Center, Interactive Declaration of Independence Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

In this episode, Jonathan Adler of William & Mary Law School and Stephen Vladeck of Georgetown University Law Center explore a part of the Supreme Court's work that has drawn growing public attention: its emergency, or “shadow,” docket. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.    Resources Jonathan Adler, “Reading the Clean Power Plan "Shadow Papers" in Context,” The Volokh Conspiracy (April 22, 2026)  Jonathan Adler, “Mifepristone Returns to the Shadow Docket,” The Volokh Conspiracy (May 3, 2026)  Stephen Vladeck, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic (2024)  Stephen Vladeck, “Chief Justice Roberts and the Clean Power Plan,” OneFirst (April 20, 2026)  City of Los Angeles v. Lyons (1983)  Massachusetts v. EPA (2007)  Winter v. NRDC (2008)  West Virginia v. EPA (2016)  Biden v. Texas (2022)  United States v. Texas (2023)  FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (2024)  Trump v. CASA (2024)  NIH v. American Public Health Association (2025) Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

Sai Prakash joins to discuss his new book, The Presidential Pardon: The Short Clause with a Long, Troubled History. The Constitution's Pardon Clause grants the president a power unmatched in scope and consequence. In The Presidential Pardon, Prakash explores how this brief clause has grown into the most expansive and controversial tool of the modern presidency. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Additional Resources  Sai Prakash, The Presidential Pardon: The Short Clause with a Long, Troubled History National Constitution Center, Article II and the Pardon Clause National Constitution Center, The Nixon pardon in constitutional retrospect National Constitution Center, 10 famous people who received presidential pardons Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

On April 29, 2026, in Louisiana v. Callais, the Supreme Court invalidated a Louisiana congressional map, holding that racial considerations cannot predominate in the drawing of electoral districts. The ruling narrowed Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by requiring plaintiffs to show intentional discrimination, not just discriminatory effects. In this episode, we explore the Court's 6-3 decision and what it means for the future of the Voting Rights Act with two leading election law scholars: Edward Foley of The Ohio State University and Michael Morley of Florida State University College of Law. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.    Resources  Edward Foley, “The Supreme Court's indefensible evisceration of the Voting Rights Act,” SCOTUSblog, May 5, 2026  Michael Morley, “Voting Rights Case Sets Stage for 2050's Multiracial Democracy,” Bloomberg Law, May 6, 2026  Louisiana v. Callais (2026)  Allen v. Milligan (2023)   Robinson v. Ardoin (2022)  Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee (2021)  Shelby County v. Holder (2013)  Thornburg v. Gingles (1986)  Voting Rights Act (1965)  National Constitution Center, “The Supreme Court's Callais decision sets new framework for racial gerrymandering” (April 30, 2026)  National Constitution Center, Voting Rights Classroom Resources  National Constitution Center, Elections and Voting in the Constitution (Constitution 101 Curriculum) Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

Sarah Isgur joins for a conversation on her new book, Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today's Supreme Court. Drawing on history, law, and current debates, Sarah Isgur offers an engaging look at the Supreme Court, exploring its unique role in American democracy, how the Court became the nation's “last branch standing,” and what its growing power means for the future of the Constitution. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources   Sarah Isgur, Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today's Supreme Court  Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

“For Jefferson, Hamilton is not a hated enemy to be opposed or destroyed, but a respected adversary to be debated with. And that is the spirit we have to get back to today.” — Jeffrey Rosen Jeffrey Rosen is one of the most respected constitutional scholars in America — CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, professor of law at George Washington University Law School, contributing editor at The Atlantic, and the author of nine books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Pursuit of Happiness and The Pursuit of Liberty. In this conversation, Rosen traces the Hamilton–Jefferson rivalry from the founding era to the Roberts Court, asks whether the current administration looks more like Caesar or Andrew Jackson, makes the case that deep reading may be the last best hope for democracy, and previews his forthcoming biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It is the kind of conversation that reminds you what civic discourse, at its best, can actually look like. Calls to Action ✅ If this conversation resonates, consider sharing it with someone who believes connection across difference still matters. ✅ Subscribe to Corey's Substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen: ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics ✅ Subscribe to Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other on your favorite podcast platform. ✅ Watch the full conversation and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion Key Takeaways Caesar or Jackson? Rosen frames the central question about the current administration: is this a Caesar who subverts the separation of powers and rules by whim rather than law, or a Jackson-style populist who attacks elites and large institutions but ultimately operates within the constitutional system? The distinction, Rosen argues, matters enormously. The Hamilton–Jefferson divide is still very much alive. The debate between liberal and strict construction of the Constitution did not begin with originalism. It began with the bank. Hamilton argued Congress could imply powers beyond what's enumerated; Jefferson said no. John Marshall sided with Hamilton, and that fault line runs directly through today's Supreme Court. The pursuit of happiness meant something very different to the Founders. For Jefferson, Madison, and their classical sources, happiness was not about feeling good. It was about being good — cultivating temperance, prudence, courage, and justice, and using reason to moderate unproductive emotions like anger, envy, and fear. Social media is Madison's nightmare. Madison designed a system of deliberative slowness. Social media's “enraged to engage” business model is the precise opposite. Rosen adds that AI compounds the problem by presenting a single probabilistic version of truth rather than fostering the clash of competing ideas that the Enlightenment depended on. Brandeis offers a way out of the left–right impasse. Suspicious of both big government and big business, and committed to industrial democracy and worker ownership, Louis Brandeis remains the historical figure who most persuasively bridges the divide between libertarians and progressives. Opposed in life as in death. Hamilton and Jefferson spent careers savaging each other. Yet after Hamilton's death, Jefferson placed a bust of Hamilton across from his own at Monticello. That image — honored adversaries, not enemies — is the model Rosen believes the country desperately needs to recover. About Our Guest Jeffrey Rosen is President and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, a professor of law at George Washington University Law School, and a contributing editor at The Atlantic. He is the author of nine books, including The Pursuit of Happiness, The Pursuit of Liberty, and Louis D. Brandeis: American Prophet. His essays and commentary have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The New Republic, and on NPR. He also served as an advisor for Ken Burns' The American Revolution on PBS. His forthcoming biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is part of the Yale Jewish Lives series. Links and Resources National Constitution Center - constitutioncenter.org GW Law - www.law.gwu.edu Jeffrey Rosen on X - @RosenJeffrey Connect on Social Media Corey is @coreysnathan on all the socials… Substack LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Twitter Threads Bluesky TikTok Thanks to our Sponsors and Partners Thanks to Pew Research Center (pewresearch.org) for making today's conversation possible. Proud members of The Democracy Group Now go talk some politics and religion — with gentleness and respect.

Sarah Isgur joins for a conversation on her new book, Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today's Supreme Court. Drawing on history, law, and current debates, Sarah Isgur offers an engaging look at the Supreme Court, exploring its unique role in American democracy, how the Court became the nation's “last branch standing,” and what its growing power means for the future of the Constitution. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.    This conversation was originally streamed live as part of the NCC's Book Club series on April 27, 2026.    Resources  Sarah Isgur, Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today's Supreme Court (2026)  Civic Parenting, a new podcast from the National Constitution Center Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

Psychedelics are knocking on the door again. It is the generational visit of psychedelics with some people seeing the potential and others seeing the danger and consequences. In this episode, a look at Executive Order 14401 and what is proposed for the treatment of serious mental health conditions. Let me be clear about this. I take no position pro or con in the upcoming debates or discussions about psychedelics. I am learning as I move through this unexpected (for me) treatment option.    I have concerns. Big whomping concerns. I also have distrust and I'm noticing that certain stock markets and pharmaceutical companies are taking interest in this topic.    What I'm trying to say I have biases, both conscious and unconscious. This episode is what I've discovered learning about the topic. My first steps. Psychedelically, you might be further down the road.    One more thing. Dear public relations people. I have never had a guest on the show. I do not plan to in the future. Please peddle your guests to a more appropriate forum. Resources Mentioned:  Psychedelic Information Resources   From Psychology Today What the New Executive Order Means for Psychedelics, A federal policy shift puts psychedelics in the spotlight for mental health.   PBS.org story about the executive order and some of the pros and cons. Like insurance? Nope.   One of the things the Petrie-Flom Center looks at is Health Law Policy. This is a Q&A on the Executive Order on Psychedelics with I. Glenn Cohen and Mason Marks.   FDA Right to Try Fact Sheet  and Congress.gov page on Expanded Access and Right to Try: Access to Investigational Drugs   The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Drug Scheduling with a list of the drug schedules. Information about executive orders, their history and how to obtain them.   National Constitution Center information page on What is an Executive Order?   The American Bar Association's website has an explainer from a legal perspective on what an executive or is, the format of the document and how to retrieve the official version.   National Archives and Records Administration Archive of all things related to the U.S. government. Maintains a digital index of executive orders that is searchable by date, number, or topic. The orders may be viewed as PDFs or text, in the Federal Register, or within Title 3 of the U.S. Code.   American Presidency Project  is an archive maintained by the University of California Santa Barbara includes text of almost all executive orders, searchable by year of issue back to the early nineteenth century.   Emergency Resources The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  

In this episode, scholars Nicholas Cole and Robert Williams examine how American constitutional democracy is rooted in the crafting of Revolutionary-era state constitutions. Beginning in May 1776, Americans gave independence meaning by writing state constitutions, experimenting with self-government, and rooting political authority in the people. Cole and Williams explore this critical and often overlooked chapter of the founding era and how these early state constitutions shaped ideas about rights, government, and limits on power, helping to define the nation's constitutional tradition and set its trajectory for generations to come. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Nicholas Cole, Quill Project  Robert Williams, The Law of American State Constitutions (2023)  Constitution of New Hampshire (January 5, 1776)  Constitution of South Carolina (March 26, 1776)  Constitution of Virginia (June 29, 1776)  Constitution of New Jersey (July 2, 1776)  Constitution of Delaware (September 10, 1776)  Constitution of Pennsylvania (September 28, 1776)  Constitution of Maryland (November 11, 1776)  Constitution of North Carolina (December 18, 1776)  Constitution of Georgia (February 5, 1777)  Constitution of New York (April 20, 1777)  Constitution of Vermont (July 8, 1777)  Constitution of South Carolina (March 19, 1778)  Constitution of Massachusetts (June 15, 1780)  Constitution of Vermont (July 4, 1786)  Marbury v. Madison (1803)  Alison L. LaCroix, The Interbellum Constitution: Union, Commerce, and Slavery in the Age of Federalisms (2024)  Gordon S. Wood, The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787 (1998)  Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

Acclaimed historians Mary Beth Norton, the Mary Donlon Alger Professor Emerita of American History at Cornell University, and Rosemarie Zagarri, distinguished university professor of history at George Mason University, examine how women influenced the political, social, and intellectual currents of the American Revolution. The conversation explores how women's experiences and contributions deepen and expand our understanding of America's founding. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.    This program was streamed live from Philadelphia on March 23, 2026, as a part of the NCC's America's Town Hall Series.  Resources  Mary Beth Norton, Founding Mothers & Fathers: Gendered Power and the Forming of American Society  Mary Beth Norton, 1774: The Long Year of Revolution  Rosemarie Zagarri, Revolutionary Backlash: Women and Politics in the Early American Republic  Rosemarie Zagarri, “The Declaration's Grievances Against the King”  Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

In this episode, historian Emily Sneff discusses her new book, When the Declaration of Independence Was News, which focuses on the nation's founding document at the moment of its creation in 1776, before anyone knew what the legacy of the Declaration would be or if the United States would win the war against Great Britain. The book explores how the Declaration was communicated to people in the new nation and across the Atlantic world and reveals the stories of the many people involved in declaring independence, from printers to soldiers to diplomats to translators. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources  Emily Sneff, When the Declaration of Independence Was News (2026)  “‘When the Declaration of Independence Was News' Review: Breaking Story,” Wall Street Journal (April 3, 2026)  Dunlap Broadside (First printing of the Declaration of Independence)  Goddard Broadside (First printing of the Declaration of Independence with signers' names)  National Constitution Center, Annotated Declaration of Independence Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

Acclaimed historians Mary Beth Norton, the Mary Donlon Alger Professor Emerita of American History at Cornell University, and Rosemarie Zagarri, distinguished university professor of history at George Mason University, examine how women influenced the political, social, and intellectual currents of the American Revolution. The conversation explores how women's experiences and contributions deepen and expand our understanding of America's founding. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources  Mary Beth Norton, Founding Mothers & Fathers: Gendered Power and the Forming of American Society  Mary Beth Norton, 1774: The Long Year of Revolution  Rosemarie Zagarri, Revolutionary Backlash: Women and Politics in the Early American Republic  Rosemarie Zagarri, “The Declaration's Grievances Against the King”  Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

In this episode we're sharing a live conversation that explores James Madison's vision for the constitution with Mary Sarah Bilder of Boston College Law School, Robert P. George, of Princeton University, and Jonathan Rauch of The Brookings Institution. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.  This conversation was recorded on February 20, 2026, as part of the NCC's President's Council Retreat in Miami, FL.    Resources  Mary Sarah Bilder, Madison's Hand: Revising the Constitutional Convention (2017)   Mary Sarah Bilder, Female Genius: Eliza Harriot and George Washington at the Dawn of the Constitution (2022)  Robert P. George, Making Men Moral: Civil Liberties and Public Morality (1995)  Robert P. George, Natural Rights, the Common Good, and the American Revolution (America at 250) (2026)  Jonathan Rauch, Cross Purposes: Christianity's broken bargain with democracy (2025)  Jonathan Rauch, The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth (2021)  Federalist 10 (1787)  Robert Tracy McKenzie, We the Fallen People: The Founders and the Future of American Democracy (2021)  National Constitution Center, What the Founders Meant by Happiness: A Journey Through Virtue and Character  Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

In celebration of Women's History Month, award-winning historian Ellen DuBois, author of Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A Revolutionary Life, discusses the life, ideas, and legacy of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the decades-long struggle for women's suffrage. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Ellen Carol DuBois, Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A Revolutionary Life (2026) Ellen Carol DuBois, Suffrage: Women's Long Battle for the Vote (2020)  Ellen Carol DuBois, Eighty Years and More: Reminiscences 1815-1897 (2020)  Minor v. Happersett (1875)  National Constitution Center, The 19th Amendment   Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

In celebration of Women's History Month, award-winning historian Ellen DuBois, author of Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A Revolutionary Life, joins to discuss the life, ideas, and legacy of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the decades-long struggle for women's suffrage. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  This conversation was originally streamed live as part of the NCC's America's Town Hall series on March 23, 2026.  Resources  Ellen Carol DuBois, Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A Revolutionary Life (2026) Ellen Carol DuBois, Suffrage: Women's Long Battle for the Vote (2020)  Ellen Carol DuBois, Eighty Years and More: Reminiscences 1815-1897 (2020)  Minor v. Happersett (1875)  National Constitution Center, The 19th Amendment Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and National Constitution Center Semiquincentennial Scholar Jon Meacham joins to discuss his book American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union. The book brings together pivotal speeches, letters, and essays from across American history to illuminate the enduring tensions that shape our democracy. Meacham reflects on the questions and challenges that faced America and continue to inform our national legacy. Vince Stango, interim president and chief executive officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Jon Meacham, American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at programs@constitutioncenter.org Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming live program or watch recordings on YouTube Support our important work Donate

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerard O'Connell and Colleen Dulle discuss Pope Leo's consistent statements pushing for peace and an end to armed conflicts worldwide. In the second part of the show, Colleen and Gerry unpack a few brief stories including Pope Leo receiving the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center, his new home in the apostolic palace and the Vatican's appeals court's decision for a partial re-trial in the “Trial of the Century.” 0:00 Intro 1:50 Did Pope Leo tell American leaders to go to confession? 5:43 Pope Leo calls for ceasefire 8:18 Wars are becoming video games 10:53 Leo's phone call with Palestinian president 14:44 Pope Leo's laser focus on peace and unity 17:30 Vatican's soft power in conflicts 19:26 Pope Leo turns down invite to the US 23:13 Pope Leo moves to the Apolostic Palace 27:30 Update on the Vatican's “Trial of the Century” 32:34 Pope Leo meets with Gareth Gore 33:26 Outro Links: What the Middle East needs: Not more bombs, but ‘hard, focused diplomacy' Pope Leo to journalists: Don't become agents of propaganda during wartime Pope Leo to warring nations in the Middle East: ‘Cease fire!' Pope Leo to accept Liberty Medal and address Americans on July 3rd Follow Gerry on X: @gerryorome  Follow Colleen on Instagram: @colleendulle  Support Inside the Vatican by becoming a subscriber to America Magazine! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Center marks the 250th anniversary of the nation, we're taking a closer look at the people, events, and ideas that set the American Revolution in motion and ultimately led to the creation and adoption of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution. This moment invites us to broaden the story of the founding by exploring not only the familiar figures we often study, but also the wider community of thinkers who helped shape the principles of our constitutional democracy.  In this episode Mary Sarah Bilder of Boston College Law School and Sara Georgini of the Massachusetts Historical Society join the program to discuss two remarkable women central to 18th-century intellectual life whose ideas influenced many of the era's most notable figures: Catharine Macaulay and Mercy Otis Warren. Julie Silverbrook, Chief Content and Learning Officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources  Mary Sarah Bilder, Madison's Hand: Revising the Constitutional Convention (2017)  Mary Sarah Bilder, The Transatlantic Constitution: Colonial Legal Culture and the Empire (2008)  Mary Sarah Bilder, Female Genius: Eliza Harriot and George Washington at the Dawn of the Constitution (2022)  Mary Sarah Bilder, Hater of Kings: Catharine Macaulay's Constitutional Regicide and the Declaration of Independence,” Boston College Law School Legal Studies Research Paper No. 654, (July 23, 2025)  Sara Georgini, Household Gods: The Religious Lives of the Adams Family (2022)  Sara Georgini (series editor), Adams Papers Digital Edition, Massachusetts Historical Society  Karen Green (editor), The Correspondence of Catharine Macaulay (2019)  Mercy Otis Warren Letter to Catharine Macaulay, August 24, 1775, Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

On February 28, President Trump announced “major combat operations in Iran.” The operation, known as Epic Fury, has renewed a long-standing debate about the scope of presidential war powers and who decides when the nation goes to war. Last week, Congress rejected legislation that sought to require President Trump to obtain congressional approval for military actions against Iran. The Constitution divides war powers between Congress, which has the authority to declare war, and the president, who serves as Commander in Chief.  In this episode, Harold Hongju Koh of Yale Law School and Michael D. Ramsey of San Diego Law School explore the constitutional foundations of war powers, as well as the War Powers Resolution of 1973, and how they inform the constitutional authority debates about the use of military force today. Julie Silverbrook, Chief Content and Learning Officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.    Resources   Article I, Section 8, Declare War Clause, NCC's Interactive Constitution   Article II, Section 2, Commander in Chief Clause, NCC's Interactive Constitution   War Powers Resolution, congress.gov  Michael D. Ramsey, “The Constitution's Check on Warmaking,” Law & Liberty, (January 27, 2026)  Michael D. Ramsey, “Textualism and War Powers,” University of Chicago Law Review 69, no. 4 (2002)   Harold Hongju Koh, The National Security Constitution: Sharing Power After the Iran-Contra Affair (Second Edition, 2024)   Harold Hongju Koh, “Humanitarian Intervention: Time for Better Law,” American Journal of International Law Unbound 111 (2017)   National Constitution Center, “Does the War Powers Resolution debate take on a new context in the Iran conflict?,”Constitution Daily Blog, (March 3, 2026)   National Constitution Center, “When Congress last used its powers to declare war,” Constitution Daily Blog, (December 8, 2018)  Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump (2026)  Dellums v. Bush (1990)  Prize Cases (1863)  Ange v. Bush, (D.D.C. 1990) Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

In celebration of Women's History month, we revisit a conversation that explores the life and legacy of women who have inspired Constitutional change throughout American history. Joining the conversation are Tomiko Brown-Nagin, author of Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality, and Elizabeth Cobbs, author of Fearless Women: Feminist Patriot. Jeffrey Rosen, CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  This conversation was originally streamed live as part of the NCC's America's Town Hall program series on April 25, 2023.    Resources  Tomiko Brown-Nagin, Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality (2023)  Tomiko Brown-Nagin, “Identity Matters: The Case of Judge Constance Baker Motley,” Columbia Law Review (2017)  Tomiko Brown-Nagin, Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement (2012)  Elizabeth Cobbs, Fearless Women: Feminist Patriots from Abagail Adams to Beyoncé (2023)  Q&A, “Elizabeth Cobbs,” C-SPAN (March 14, 2023)  Muller v. Oregon (1908)  National Constitution Center, “The Legality of Abortion Pills,” We the People podcast (April 13, 2023)  Brandon Burnette, "Comstock Act of 1873 (1873)," First Amendment Encyclopedia  National Constitution Center, “Women and the American Idea,” America's Town Hall series (April 25, 2023) Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠⁠live program⁠⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠⁠Donate

On February 20, the Supreme Court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, known as IEEPA, does not authorize President Trump's sweeping tariffs. In Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, and the consolidated case, the Court held that the statute does not grant the President the power to impose tariffs under a declaration of economic emergency.  In this episode, we explore what the Court held, why the Justices disagreed about the reasoning, and what this decision might tell us about the future of presidential emergency power. To help us explore these questions are two leading Court watchers and constitutional experts, Zachary Shemtob of SCOTUSblog and Ilya Somin of the George Mason University. Julie Silverbrook, vice president of civic education of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  Resources  Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump (2026)  “Supreme Court strikes down tariffs,” SCOTUSblog (2/20/2026)  Ilya Somin, “How the Supreme Court Spared America,” The Atlantic (2/21/2026)  Ilya Somin, “The Supreme Court Spurns a Presidential Power Grab,” The Dispatch (2/23/2026)  Ilya Somin, “Trump's new tariffs are another dangerous presidential power grab,” Boston Globe (2/24/2026)  Ilya Somin, “Not Everything Is an Emergency,” The Dispatch (1/31/2025)  “Are Trump's Tariffs Lawful?,” We the People (11/06/2025)  Biden v. Nebraska (2023)  Whitman v. American Trucking Associations, Inc. (2001)  Dames & Moore v. Regan (1981)  Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1953)  United States v. Yoshida International, Inc. (CCPA, 1975)  United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp. (1936)  Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States (1935) Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠live program⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Support our important work ⁠⁠Donate

New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie joins award-winning journalist Juan Williams for a conversation on Williams' latest book, New Prize for These Eyes: The Rise of America's Second Civil Rights Movement, exploring the emergence of a new civil rights era—from the 2008 election of President Obama to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Thomas Donnelly, chief scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.  This conversation was originally streamed live as part of the NCC's America's Town Hall series on February 26, 2025.  Resources Juan Williams, New Prize for These Eyes: The Rise of America's Second Civil Rights Movement (2025) Jamelle Bouie, “Discussing Trayvon Martin, Obama Embraces his Blackness,” The American Prospect (July 19, 2013) Jamelle Bouie, opinion columnist, The New York Times Civil Rights Movement Reconstruction Thomas Ricks, Waging a Good War: A Military History of the Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1968 (2022) Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠ Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore the ⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠ ⁠Sign up⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming ⁠live program⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠YouTube⁠ Support our important work ⁠Donate