Podcast appearances and mentions of Sanford Levinson

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Sanford Levinson to discuss the current state of the Supreme Court, recent efforts by Joe Biden to propose reforms, and how effective these proposals would be in practice. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, “The Judges.” Sanford Levinson, who holds the W. St. John Garwood […]

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In this week's episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Sanford Levinson to discuss the 2000 election, the Supreme Court decision that finalized it, and how this decision has had ramifications throughout modern history. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "The Court Has Stopped the Count" Sanford Levinson, who holds the W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law, joined the University of Texas Law School in 1980. Previously a member of the Department of Politics at Princeton University, he is also a Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Texas. Levinson is the author of approximately 400 articles, book reviews, or commentaries in professional and popular journals--and a regular contributor to the popular blog Balkinization. He has also written six books: Constitutional Faith (1988, winner of the Scribes Award, 2d edition 2011); Written in Stone: Public Monuments in Changing Societies (1998); Wrestling With Diversity (2003); Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (and How We the People Can Correct It)(2006); Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance (2012); An Argument Open to All: Reading the Federalist in the 21st Century (2015); and, with Cynthia Levinson, Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and teh Flaws that Affect Us Today (forthcoming, September 2017). Edited or co-edited books include a leading constitutional law casebook, Processes of Constitutional Decisionmaking (6th ed. 2015, with Paul Brest, Jack Balkin, Akhil Amar, and Reva Siegel); Nullification and Secession in Modern Constitutional Thought (2016); Reading Law and Literature: A Hermeneutic Reader (1988, with Steven Mallioux); Responding to Imperfection: The Theory and Practice of Constitutional Amendment (1995); Constitutional Stupidities, Constitutional Tragedies (1998, with William Eskridge); Legal Canons (2000, with Jack Balkin); The Louisiana Purchase and American Expansion (2005, with Batholomew Sparrow); Torture: A Collection (2004, revised paperback edition, 2006); and The Oxford Handbook on the United States Constitution (with Mark Tushnet and Mark Graber, 2015). He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Law and Courts Section of the American Political Science Association in 2010. He has been a visiting faculty member of the Boston University, Georgetown, Harvard, New York University, and Yale law schools in the United States and has taught abroad in programs of law in London; Paris; Jerusalem; Auckland, New Zealand; and Melbourne, Australia. He was a Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton in 1985-86 and a Member of the Ethics in the Professions Program at Harvard in 1991-92. He is also affiliated with the Shalom Hartman Institute of Jewish Philosophy in Jerusalem. A member of the American Law Institute, Levinson was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2001. He is married to Cynthia Y. Levinson, a writer of children's literature, and has two daughters and four grandchildren.

When I first heard of the book, Fault Lines in the Constitution: I was excited for the opportunity to learn the reason and development of writing this book. And basically, their WHY?  Many of the political issues we struggle with today have their roots in the US Constitution. Husband-and-wife team Cynthia and Sanford Levinson take readers back to the creation of this historic document and discuss how contemporary problems were first introduced—then they offer possible solutions. Think Electoral College, gerrymandering, even the Senate. Many of us take these features in our system for granted. But they came about through haggling in an overheated room in 1787, and we're still experiencing the ramifications. The authors have written a book that approachably zooms in on issues that foundationally impacted our government from the beginning and highlights how these same issues rise up as challenges today.  Without picking sides of an argument, Cynthia and Sanford Levinson articulate a complex topic in an accessible way for readers young and old. Cynthia Levinson holds degrees from Wellesley College and Harvard University She is a former teacher and educational policy consultant and researcher. Her husband Sandy Levinson or Sanford Levinson is an American legal scholar, a professor in the Law School and the Department of Government at the University of Texas Written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789, the United States Constitution is the world's longest surviving written charter of government. Its first three words – “We The People” – affirm that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens. The supremacy of the people through their elected representatives is recognized in Article I, which creates a Congress consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The positioning of Congress at the beginning of the Constitution affirms its status as the “First Branch” of the federal government. The Constitution assigned to Congress responsibility for organizing the executive and judicial branches, raising revenue, declaring war, and making all laws necessary for executing these powers. The president is permitted to veto specific legislative acts, but Congress has the authority to override presidential vetoes by two-thirds majorities of both houses. The Constitution also provides that the Senate advise and consent on key executive and judicial appointments and on the approval for ratification of treaties. “Opinionated, may be controversial, but should spark a national dialogue about our Constitution and the nation's future.” —Dan Rather “When one of the nation's foremost constitutional scholars teams up with one of the nation's favorite young adult authors, the result is a highly educational, readable and entertaining look at the United States Constitution, warts and all. Cynthia and Sanford Levinson's “Fault Lines in the Constitution,”  could not be more timely and thought provoking.” — Ted McConnell, Executive Director, Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, Assistant to Chairman, Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution 1986-1990. As always leave a review if you enjoyed these stories and follow us on Instagram or visit the webpage of the Wyoming Humanities! Sign up for the podcast newsletter using the QR code of follow this link: http://eepurl.com/igy4fH

Cynthia and Sanford Levinson are on the #ReadingWithYourKids #Podcast to celebrate their Non-fistion #MiddleGrade title Fault Lines In The Constitution. Sanford is a well respected law professor. Together with his wife Cynthia they have created a book to help kids, and their parents, understand some of the biggest issues facing our nation, and how a change in perspective could help us heal those divides. Click here to visit Cynthia's website - https://cynthialevinson.com/ Click here to visit our website - www.readingwithyourkids.com

In this week's episode, Sanford Levinson joins Lee and James to discuss constitutional reform. Levinson holds the W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law at the University of Texas Law School. He is also a professor in the Department of Government at the University of Texas. Levinson is the author of numerous articles and books, including Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (And How We the People Can Correct It) and Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Government. His most recent book is Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Graphic Novel (Macmillan, 2020).Is the United States Constitution undemocratic? Does its complex institutional structure prevent Americans from doing big things in politics? Or does it ensure that no one rules America? What would a more democratic Constitution look like? What does it take to change the Constitution? And can Americans change it without empowering a majority to rule? These are some of the questions Sandy, Lee, and James ask in this week's episode.

Any serious discussion about a peaceful political revolution in America would be incomplete if it did not include a conversation with today's guest. Sandford Levinson holds the W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law.  Previously a member of the Department of Politics at Princeton University, he is currently Professor of Government at the University of Texas in Austin. Levinson is the author of over 400 articles and book reviews as well as six books, including, Our Undemocratic Constitution; Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance; and co-author of the graphic novel along with Cynthia Levinson of, Fault Lines in the Constitution. He has edited or co-edited several leading constitutional law casebooks, including; Processes of Constitutional Decision making; Responding to Imperfection; Constitutional Stupidities, Constitutional Tragedies; Legal Canons; and The Oxford Handbook on the United States Constitution. Levinson has taught law at Georgetown, Yale, Harvard, New York University, Boston University, as well as the Central European University in Budapest, Panthéon-Assas University, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, London, Auckland, and Melbourne. In 2001, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.He has argued that the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution limits the government's authority to regulate private gun ownership. Levinson has called for term limits for Supreme Court justices along with a growing list of scholars across the ideological spectrum. He is also a vocal critic of the unitary executive and excessive presidential power. In the magazine Dissent, he argued that "constitutional dictators have become the American norm." He wrote an essay titled "The Decider Can Become a Dictator" in which he criticized a system which allows presidents to make dictatorial decisions of great consequence without providing ways to discipline those who display bad judgment. Levinson has criticized the Constitution for what he considers to be its numerous failings, including an inability to remove the President despite a lack of confidence by lawmakers and the public, the President's veto power as being "extraordinarily undemocratic", the difficulty of enacting Constitutional amendments through Article 5, and a lack of more representation in the Senate for highly populated states such as California. He has often called for a Second Constitutional Convention and the "wholesale revision of our nation's founding document."Levinson participates in a blog called Balkinization which focuses on constitutional, First Amendment, and other civil liberties issues, as well as a blog, called Our Undemocratic Constitution. With Jeffrey K. Tulis, he is co-editor of the Johns Hopkins Series in Constitutional Thought and also of a new series, Constitutional Thinking at the University Press of Kansas.  He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Political Science Association in 2010. I began my quest for a genuine solution to the political dysfunction in the United States over ten years ago when I first opened the cover of his book, Framed. It has proven itself to be not only relevant today but required reading for anyone interested in addressing the failures and shortcomings of our uniquely undemocratic American Political system.

In 1905, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Jacobson v. Massachusetts, upholding a state's ability to enforce compulsory vaccination laws pursuant to its police powers and for the protection of its citizens. This precedent has recently come under scrutiny for its possible overbreadth. Two distinguished experts join us to discuss and debate the holding of the case, its merits, its relevance today, and ultimately, whether it should be limited or overruled. Featuring: -- Prof. Josh Blackman, Professor of Law, South Texas College of Law Houston-- Prof. Sanford Levinson, W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair and Professor of Government, University of Texas at Austin School of Law

On today's episode, David and Sarah take a quick look at an intriguing cert grant at the Supreme Court and then dive into a fascinating discussion about amending the Constitution with University of Texas law professor Sanford Levinson. He thinks the Constitution has some structural problems, and David and Sarah walk through his critiques. By the end, they ask, is there any constitutional reform that can save us if we're determined to be dysfunctional? Show Notes:-Sarah in Politico: “It's Time to Amend the Constitution”-Levinson: “The Iron Cage of Veneration”-Levinson explains The Democracy Constitution project-Democracy: “A New Constitution for The United States”-Levinson: “The Price of an Unchanging Constitution”

Tad and Tyler discuss the Constitution and the American Experiment through the lens of R. Sikoryak's Constitution Illustrated; Cynthia Levinson, Sanford Levinson, and Ally Shwed's Fault Lines in the Constitution; and Mira Jacob's Good Talk.Tad may go a little off the rails. You have been warned.Consider becoming a patron!

On March 4-5, 1988, The Federalist Society's University of Virginia student chapter hosted the National Student Symposium in Charlottesville, Virginia. The topic of the conference was "Are There Unenumerated Constitutional Rights? The third panel featured a discussion of "The Modern Role of the Privileges or Immunities Clause."Featuring:Michael K. Curtis, Smith, Patterson, Follin, Curtis, Jones and HarkavyProf. Lino Graglia, University of Texas School of LawProf. Sanford Levinson, University of Texas School of LawClarence Thomas, Chairman, Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionModerator: Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson, III, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit*******As always, the Federalist Society takes no particular legal or public policy positions. All opinions expressed are those of the speakers.

We welcome author, legal scholar, and professor, Sanford Levinson to the podcast to discuss the need for adjustments in our constitution, campaign finances, and election process. Sanford Levinson holds the W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law at the University of Texas Law School. His is the author of over 200 articles in professional and more popular journals and has written numerous books. TIMESTAMPS: :20 Where did our constitution fall short in checks & balances? 1:10 Why do we need campaign finance reform? 2:50 Introduce our guest and what are some of the provisions that promote unjust and ineffective government. Article 5, and why it’s near impossible to rewrite the constitution 4:00 Can we rewrite the constitution regardless of article five and how would that process look? 6:25 What would be the education level of the delegates would be chosen? 7:30 A recent constitution of California and how can we put the new constitution together? 9:20 Hamilton’s preference that the president would be a lifetime appointment and term limits… and a constitutional amendment over judicial revue 13:40 We have disenfranchised the majority with the electoral college 6:00 How can we amend the constitution regarding the electoral college 20:00 EL discusses his recent article regarding the constitutional power to declare war 21:45 Does congress hold the purse-strings regarding war and the military 24:05 The need for campaign finance reform 25:40 How would SL change the constitution regarding campaign finance 27:40 American voters have spoken but 74 million still voted for Trump and “Trumpism” and SL fear of his supporters 29:30 Will Trump run again in 2024? ---------------------- Learn More: Politics: Meet Me in the Middle Follow Us on Twitter: @politicsMMITM Hosted by: Bill Curtis, Ed Larson and Jane Albrecht Produced by: AJ Moseley Edited and Sound Engineering by: Joey Salvia Theme Music by: Celleste and Eric Dick A CurtCo Media Production See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do comics help us understand complex systems and processes? This episode looks at applied cartooning for healthcare, education, science, and government. Artists featured in this episode: Silvia Hidalgo Cathy Leamy Marek Bennett Rebecca Purchase Ally Shwed Chris Lanier Dan Nott Cara Bean Malaka Gharib Panels featured in this episode: Democracy How? Civics in Comics Protest, Plague, and Politics: 2020 in Comics Comics featured in this episode: How to Be an American: A Field Guide to Citizenship by Silvia Hidalgo The World is Made of Cheese: The Applied Cartooning Manifesto by Marek Bennett and James Sturm Science in Pictures by Rebecca Purchase An Anatomy of Institutional Racism by Chris Lanier Fault Lines in the Constitution by Cynthia Levinson, Sanford Levinson, and Ally Shwed Multiple Intelligences & Comics Education by Marek Bennett This Is What Democracy Looks Like: A Graphic Guide To Governance published by the Center for Cartoon Studies Let's Talk About It: A Graphic Guide to Mental Health published by the Center for Cartoon Studies A Kids' Guide To Staying Safe From The Coronavirus by Malaka Gharib Please find a full transcript at https://bit.ly/33CafCh. Learn more about MICE and consider making a donation at bostoncomicarts.org. Do you have a story to share? Contact us at thesqueak@bostoncomicarts.org.

In less than 60 days the United States 2020 Election will take place and there could be no better time to present my next two guests. Cynthia and Sanford Levinson are the authors of Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and The Flaws That Affect Us Today.  Their book will be as part of a line of civics graphic novels from the acclaimed publisher First Second. Alley Shwed illustrated the 228-page graphic novel edition of Fault Lines on sale September 22nd. Cynthia and Sanford explain how despite the Framers of the Constitution's best intentions, there are faults in the Constitution that still impact and impede our political process today.   Among the issues we discuss are the Electoral College system, the disproportionate representation between small and large states and a lack of representation of states' population diversity within the Senate. With the current back the drop of the Black Lives Matter movement, I am very fortunate to have Cynthia also discuss two of her other books We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March and The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey  Faye Hendricks.  Cynthia explains what compelled her to write these two books and how children made a difference in Black America's fight for equality and civil rights in the 1960s. On a lighter note when I Kick Back With the Creator, I learn Cynthia and Sanford's island book and their beverage of choice. Pay attention, there are some great drink recipes I know I'm going to try!   Please rate and review Creator Talks on Apple Podcasts About Fault Lines In The Constitution About Cynthia Levinson Creator Talks Theme Song: "Jazz Relax" by LoopsLab       

On this episode, Tom speaks with UT's own Professor Sparrow about his 2015 book on legendary multi-administration US National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft who sadly passed away recently on August 6th, 2020. This is a great conversation, remembering the unassuming but brilliant strategist who was so integral during the late Cold War period. Hope you enjoy! ABOUT THE GUEST https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/540586625.webp?mw=900&mh=507&q=70 Dr. Sparrow is the author of The Strategist: Brent Scowcroft and the Call of National Security, a biography of the former U.S. national security advisor. He is previously the author of The Insular Cases and the Emergence of American Empire; Uncertain Guardians: The News Media as a Political Institution; and From the Outside In: World War II and the American State. He is co-editor, with Sanford Levinson, of The Louisiana Purchase and American Expansion, 1803-1898 and, with Roderick Hart, of Politics, Discourse, and American Society: New Agendas. He has chapters in several edited volumes, and his articles have appeared in the American Political Science Review, Political Communication, Diplomatic History, the International Journal of Public Opinion Research, and other journals. He attended Dartmouth College, The University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Chicago. NOTE: This episode was recorded via Zoom on August 20th, 2020. CREDITS Host/Co-Producer: Tom Rehnquist (Connect on Twitter: @RehnquistTom) Co-Producer: Matthew Orr (Connect: facebook.com/orrrmatthew) Associate Producer: Cullan Bendig Associate Producer: Lera Toropin Assistant Producer: Samantha Farmer Assistant Producer: Milena D-K Assistant Producer: Katherine Birch Assistant Producer/Administrator: Kathryn Yegorov-Crate Development Assistant: Luis Camarena Executive Editor/Music Producer: Charlie Harper (Connect: facebook.com/charlie.harper.1485 Instagram: @charlieharpermusic) www.charlieharpermusic.com (Additional clips of Brent Scowcroft from RFE/RL and "Remembering Brent Scowcroft" video on YouTube) Executive Producer & Creator: Michelle Daniel (Connect: facebook.com/mdanielgeraci Instagram: @michelledaniel86) www.msdaniel.com DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this episode do not necessarily reflect those of the show or the University of Texas at Austin. Special Guest: Bartholomew Sparrow.

Guest speakers include David Barnes, Paul Rozin, Chris Knittel, Robert Vargas, Sanford Levinson, Allen Guelzo, and James Campbell.

A graphic novel adaptation has just been published of This important work by Sandford and Cynthia Levinson is disccussed here for  @KGNU with @ClaudiaCragg in view of the fact that, now, each day seems to bring another Constitutional crisis in the US.    With so many contentious issues seemingly shaking the very foundation of its Democracy today, many citizens are asking, "How did we get here?"     by author Cynthia Levinson and constitutional law scholar Sanford Levinson and illustrated by Ally Shwed, selects current problems and ties them directly to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers' thoughts and challenges. The book also offers alternative ideas pulled directly from other countries' governments. The medium of graphic novel brings these ideas to life and makes this book a fun, digestible lesson in history and civics.    The idea of using graphic novel to convey important but somewhat dense information to engaged readers is a growing trend. Titles such as Influencing Machine by Brooke Gladstone, The Mueller Report Illustrated, The 9/11 Report, and The Warren Commission Report are all examples of books aimed to inform and educate citizens in a way that is easier to absorb. Topics covered are:- Scheduling the Federal Election Gerrymandering and Voting Rights The Census The Electoral College Presidential Impeachment The DREAM Act Confirming Supreme Court Justices Presidential Pardons  Why they decided to publish a graphic novel and more. . .   With colorful art, compelling discourse, and true stories from the United States' past and present, Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Graphic Novel (First Second; September 22, 2020; Adult Graphic Novel; Hardcover; $28.99; ISBN: 978-1250211613) sheds light on how today's political struggles have their origins in the decisions of our Founding Fathers. 

What will it take to make the United States a more fully-functioning democracy, and how can we, as citizens, bring about that change? By host and producer John Biewen, with series collaborator Chenjerai Kumanyika. Interviews with Michael Waldman, Jennifer Cohn, and Sanford Levinson. The series editor is Loretta Williams. Music by Algiers, John Erik Kaada, Eric Neveux, and Lucas Biewen. Music consulting and production help from Joe Augustine of Narrative Music. 

Sanford Levinson is a law professor from Texas who is very critical of our Constitution’s “structural flaws.” We interviewed him several years ago on this topic. Now, he’s teamed up with his wife, Cynthia, an author of children’s books, to explain his arguments to a younger audience. Hey, you're never too young to start becoming a good citizen.

Sandy Levinson joins this edition of Liberty Law Talk for a conversation about his latest book, An Argument Open to All: Reading The Federalist in the 21st Century.

Investigating the Investigators is a Putin Tactic and the Hallmark of a Banana Republic; The Death of the Head of ISIS; The Status of the Impeachment Inquiry backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Host Cyrus Webb welcomes back Cynthia Levinson and Sanford Levinson to #ConversationsLIVE to discuss their book FAULT LINES IN THE CONSTITUTION: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws That Affect us Today. Visit www.faultlinesintheconstitution.com.  Get your copy of the book on Amazon here. 

The United States constitution has been written and argued about for over two centuries. And there are some who think a lot of those arguments are being put to the test as we speak. Today on the Best of Our Knowledge, a constitutional scholar tells us how he thinks the old document is doing. We'll […]

This week’s topic covers the Supreme Court and Democracy. How has the the Supreme Court contributed to and detracted from American democracy? What are the prospects for the coming years? Zachary begins with a scene-setting poem, “Closing the Tab.” Sanford Levinson, who holds the W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial […]

For nearly 200 years of our nation’s history, the Second Amendment was an all-but-forgotten rule about the importance of militias. But in the 1960s and 70s, a movement emerged — led by Black Panthers and a recently-repositioned NRA — that insisted owning a firearm was the right of each and every American. So began a constitutional debate that only the Supreme Court could solve. That didn’t happen until 2008, when a Washington, D.C. security guard named Dick Heller made a compelling case. Sean Rameswaram interviews Black Panther co-founder Bobby Seale on the roof of the Oakland Museum of California, where “All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50” was on display earlier this year. (Lisa Silberstein, Oakland Museum of California)  Joseph P. Tartaro, president of the Second Amendment Foundation, at his desk in Buffalo, New York. (Sean Rameswaram) The key voices: Adam Winkler, professor at UCLA School of Law, author of Gunfight Jill Lepore, professor of American history at Harvard University Stephen Halbrook, attorney specializing in Second Amendment litigation Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party John Aquilino, former spokesman of the National Rifle Association Joseph P. Tartaro, president of the Second Amendment Foundation Sanford Levinson, professor at the University of Texas Law School  Clark Neily, vice president for criminal justice at the Cato Institute, represented Dick Heller in District of Columbia v. Heller Robert Levy, chairman of the Cato Institute, helped finance Dick Heller’s case in District of Columbia v. Heller Alan Gura, appellate constitutional attorney, argued District of Columbia v. Heller on behalf of Dick Heller Dick Heller, plaintiff in District of Columbia v. Heller Joan Biskupic, author of American Original: The Life and Constitution of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia  Jack Rakove, professor of history and political science at Stanford University  The key cases: 2008: District of Columbia v. Heller The key links: Black Panther Party protest the Mulford Act at the California State Capitol in Sacramento Dick Heller and his hat outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. (Sean Rameswaram) Dick Heller and his gun on the job at a federal building in Washington, D.C. (Sean Rameswaram) Special thanks to Mark Hughes, Sally Hadden, Jamal Greene, Emily Palmer, Sharon LaFraniere, Alan Morrison, Robert Pollie, Joseph Blocher, William Baude, Tara Grove, and the Oakland Museum of California. Leadership support for More Perfect is provided by The Joyce Foundation. Additional funding is provided by The Charles Evans Hughes Memorial Foundation. Supreme Court archival audio comes from Oyez®, a free law project in collaboration with the Legal Information Institute at Cornell.

This week on Talk Nation Radio: two authors of an excellent new book called Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws that affect us today by Cynthia Levinson and Sanford Levinson. Cynthia Levinson is a former teacher and educational policy consultant and researcher and the author of several books for young readers. Sanford is a professor in the law school and the dept of govt at the University of Texas and a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. See: https://faultlinesintheconstitution.com

Host Cyrus Webb welcomes Cynthia Levinson and Sanford Levinson to #ConversationsLIVE to discuss their new thought-provoking book FAULT LINES IN THE CONSTITUTION. 

Episode 10 features Cynthia Levinson, author of We've Got a Job; Watch Out for Flying Kids: How Two Circuses, Two Countries and Nine Kids Confront Conflict and Build Community; Hillary Rodham Clinton: Do All the Good You Can; The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Henricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist (illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton) and the forthcoming Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights and the Flaws that Affect us Today (with co-author Sanford Levinson) and Donna Janell Bowman, author of Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness (illustrated by Daniel Minter) and the forthcoming En Garde! Abraham Lincoln's Dueling Words (illustrated by S.D. Schindler) and King of the Tightrope: When the Great Blondin Ruled Niagra (illustrated by Adam Gustavson).   Our Porchlight conversation with Cynthia and Donna explores their love of discovering true stories through research and finding fascinating hidden histories. They discuss their publishing journey, as well as how illustrations enhance the tone of picture book biographies. Focus is primarily on Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness and The Youngest Marcher; including excerpts read by the authors. Both these books focus on individuals who influenced change in the world: Doc Key helped start the humane movement and Audrey Henricks played a role in ending segregation during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Discussion of craft aspects including creative nonfiction, using direct quotes, structure, conveying emotional resonance with the characters and decisions about whether a story is best suited for a picture book or middle grade audience.   Thank you for listening. Please share your comments and thoughts on the podcast with us. Rate us on iTunes, Google Play or Sticher—share the Porchlight with  others. And remember to retreat, create and celebrate. Show Notes: Cynthia Levinson  Illustrator Vanessa B Newton Live Illustration with Vanessa from the New York Times Kirkus Review of The Youngest Marcher   Donna Janell Bowman Illustrator Daniel Minter Daniel Minter Process Video Starred Review from Kirkus Reviews Starred Review from Booklist  

Redesigning the United States Constitution: Is it Desirable? Is it Feasible?

Sanford Levinson, a professor at the University of Texas Law School, and Philip Bobbitt, director of the Center for National Security at Columbia Law School, discuss the latest news in the fallout from the firing of James Comey as FBI director. They speak with June Grasso and Greg Stohr on Bloomberg Radio's "Bloomberg Law." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Sanford Levinson, a professor at the University of Texas Law School, and Philip Bobbitt, director of the Center for National Security at Columbia Law School, discuss the latest news in the fallout from the firing of James Comey as FBI director. They speak with June Grasso and Greg Stohr on Bloomberg Radio's "Bloomberg Law."

We discuss the common law and originalism with law, literature, and history scholar Bernadette Meyler. Some of today’s most intense constitutional controversies revolve around the proper sources of interpretive tools. Some forms of originalism, believing judging is legitimate only if it foregoes political choice and instead adopts the choices made by democratically accountable institutions, attempt to locate the sole meanings that constitutional text, whether “natural born citizen,” “habeas corpus,” or “ex post facto,” had in the common law at the time of its adoption. Bernie’s research reveals that the common law itself, rather than speaking with one voice, exhibited some of the same diversity of interpretation and opinion that we see in debates about meaning today. Nonetheless, she believes that interpretation that gives weight to those original debates, rather than non-existent singular meanings, is better justified than unmoored living constitutionalism. She calls this method “common law originalism.” This show’s links: About Bernadette Meyler and her writing Follow-up from Matthew Butterick, in which he reminds us that the podcast app we mentioned last week, Overcast, uses his typeface, Concourse Ed Mazza, Nearly 1,000 Chickens Killed (a story of animal victimization related to our conversation with Matthew Liebman) Background on the common law About Sir Edward Coke and his Law Reports, which can be browsed here Calvin’s Case as reported by Coke About Dr. Bonham’s Case Background on originalism; see also here Antonin Scalia, Common-Law Courts in a Civil-Law System: The Role of United States Federal Courts in Interpreting the Constitution and Laws (upon which he expands in A Matter of Interpretation Lawrence Solum, Semantic Originalism (an originalist theory that includes “the idea of the division of linguistic labor”) Bernadette Meyler, Accepting Contested Meanings Bernadette Meyler, Defoe and the Written Constitution (compare with Andrew Coan, The Irrelevance of Writtenness in Constitutional Interpretation) Walt Whitman, Song of Myself Oliver Wendell Holmes: “A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged, it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in color and content according to the circumstances and the time in which it is used.” Towne v. Eisner (1918) Sanford Levinson, Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (And How We the People Can Correct It Special Guest: Bernadette Meyler.

Recent mass shooting tragedies have renewed the national debate over the 2nd Amendment. Gun ownership and homicide rates are higher in the U.S. than in any other developed nation, but gun violence has decreased over the last two decades even as gun ownership may be increasing. Over 200 years have passed since James Madison introduced the Bill of Rights, the country has changed, and so have its guns. Is the right to bear arms now at odds with the common good, or is it as necessary today as it was in 1789? The debaters are Alan Dershowitz, David Kopel, Sanford Levinson, and Eugene Volokh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our constitution serves as the foundation and charter to the United State’s system of government. It has created a resilient and adaptive system, but there are signs of stress emerging in that system. Some question whether the centuries-old system is up to facing today’s global issues, and if perhaps it is time for significant reform. Speakers: Pamela S. Karlan, Sanford Levinson, Richard A. Pildes, Jed Rubenfeld, Richard Wilhelm

From the Greek, “rule of the people,” “democracy” is a form of government wherein all the citizens of a nation determine policy: laws and actions. Does it work? Speakers: David Gergen, Sanford Levinson, Russell Muirhead, David M. Kennedy

Is it time to rewrite the Constitution? Perspective from the University of Texas Law School's Sanford Levinson, author of OUR UNDEMOCRATIC CONSTITUTION.