Live At America's Town Hall

On Presidents Day, National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen moderated a discussion about the diverse cast of characters that helped to found the nation, including America’s early presidents. Jeff was joined by historians Joanne Freeman of Yale who is also a host of the podcast Backstory, Robert McDonald of West Point, and Peter Onuf of the University of Virginia—all of whom are contributors to the new volume Revolutionary Prophecies: The Founders and America’s Future. Additional resources and transcript available at constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/media-library Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

How can we “restore the guardrails” of democracy? We examine that question and consider ways to strengthen American constitutional and democratic institutions against current and future threats and insurrections in the aftermath of the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Leading commentators Anne Applebaum, SNF Agora Senior Fellow, Pulitzer-prize winning historian, and staff writer for The Atlantic; Daniel Ziblatt, political scientist and a professor at Harvard University and co-author of How Democracies Die; Pulitzer-prize winning journalist George Will; and political scientist William Allen, join moderator Jeffrey Rosen for a wide-ranging conversation.  This program is presented in partnership with the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University.  Resources and transcript available at constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/media-library Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

In the wake of election 2020, we partnered with the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law to present its annual symposium exploring the past, present, and future of presidential elections. Jeffrey Rosen moderates a three-part conversation. Panel one on the origins of presidential elections and the electoral college at America’s founding features: William Ewald, professor of law and philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. Kim Lane Scheppele, Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs and the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. Jack Rakove, emeritus William Robertson Coe Professor of History and American Studies, and Professor of Political Science and (by courtesy) Law at Stanford University Panel two on the more recent history of presidential elections, including the 2020 election, features: Edward Foley, the Ebersold Chair in Constitutional Law at The Ohio State University where he also directs the election law program Alexa

Attorneys General Phil Weiser of Colorado and Mark Brnovich of Arizona join for a bipartisan conversation on issues facing their states today, and what the Constitution—particularly the system of federalism—means to them and why it matters. They discuss everything from the founders’ vision of states’ rights to key Supreme Court cases on the subject, to issues they’re focused on and tackling in their states now, including managing coronavirus relief, elections and election reform, tech policy, consumer protection laws and lawsuits, and more. They also discuss the crucial roles that local governments and state AGs play in the constitutional system, and how state AGs can work together in bipartisan coalitions to fill in gaps left by the federal government on a number of issues. This program is presented in partnership with the Center for Excellence in Governance at the National Association of Attorneys General. Resources and transcript available at constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/media-library Q

In this 2016 conversation from our archives, leading constitutional scholar Akhil Reed Amar of Yale Law School shares foundational lessons about the Constitution. He discusses his book The Constitution Today: Timeless Lessons for the Issues of Our Era with National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen. Additional resources and transcript available at constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/media-library. Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

In an online program hosted earlier this year, bestselling historian Lynne Cheney discusses her new book, The Virginia Dynasty, a vivid account of the intersecting lives and accomplishments of the first four U.S. presidents from Virginia—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. Cheney explores how these friends and rivals led in winning independence, drafting the U.S. Constitution, and building a working republic. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Additional resources and a transcript are available at constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/media-library. Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Jane Mansbridge, author of the award-winning Why We Lost the ERA, Carol Jenkins, president and CEO of the ERA Coalition and Fund for Women’s Equality, and Inez Feltscher Stepman of the Independent Women’s Forum joined to explore the Equal Rights Amendment and discuss their differing viewpoints on it with National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen. They shared insights from their research and advocacy for and against the ERA, debated whether it has met the requirements under Article V to be adopted into the Constitution, discussed its recent ratification in Virginia and Nevada, and ongoing litigation surrounding it, as well as what’s next and what would change if, someday, the ERA were adopted.  This program is made possible through the generous support of the McNulty Foundation in partnership with the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership at Villanova University and as part of the Center’s yearlong initiative, Women and the Constitution, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the

A panel of experts dives into what the Founders—including Abigail and John Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Mercy Otis Warren, and Phyllis Wheatley—learned from the Greeks and Romans, from their early education through adulthood, and how that knowledge came to influence founding documents such as the Constitution as well as the American idea. They also explore the Founders’ philosophical understanding of passion versus reason, the meaning of “happiness,” and more. Historians and authors Caroline Winterer and Carl Richard and Pultizer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Ricks joined National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen.  Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

From Ben Franklin to George Washington to Abraham Lincoln—American founders and many early Americans read and revered Shakespeare. As a result, echoes of Shakespeare can be heard in some of the most fundamental documents in American history, including the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and Shakespearean themes and influences have resonated throughout some of America’s biggest crises, from the Civil War to COVID-19. Last week, three of America’s leading authorities on Shakespeare— Barry Edelstein of The Old Globe Theater in San Diego; Kevin Hayes, author of the new book, Shakespeare and the Making of America; and Lucas Morel of Washington and Lee University and author of Lincoln and the American Founding—joined National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen for a look at how Shakespeare has shaped the country, and how his work relates to American constitutional values today.   Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Religious freedom advocate Kristina Arriaga and scholar Stephanie Barclay of Notre Dame Law School joined constitutional scholars Erwin Chemerinsky and Howard Gillman, authors of The Religion Clauses: The Case for Separating Church and State, to debate what the Constitution says about the relationship between church and state and provide their take on the most recent religious liberty Supreme Court cases. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

A panel of experts from across the ideological spectrum joined National Constitution Center President Jeffrey Rosen on November 11 to consider what the 2020 election and its aftermath demonstrates about the political parties, polarization, and the state of American democracy today. They also explored how debates over what “truth” means have grown over the last four years, how that manifested in the election and how people voted, and where we’re headed next, including the future of American values like free speech. The panel features Anne Applebaum and Yascha Mounk of the SNF Agora Institute and The Atlantic, David French of The Dispatch, and Charles Kesler of Claremont McKenna College. This program was presented in partnership with the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Authors Robert Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett joined National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen to discuss their book The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again. The authors shared what they learned tracing more than a century of American history. They expand upon their thesis that the country went from an individualistic “I” society to a more community-oriented “we” society, then back again—remaining individualistic, unequal, and divided today—and how we can learn from that experience to become a stronger, more unified nation going forward. As we asked in the intro—please rate, review and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or leave us a rating and review on Stitcher, and follow the show on Spotify. Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

How are social media platforms dealing with disinformation in the midst of election 2020? Experts joined host Jeffrey Rosen to explore that question as well as the complex, persistent issues surrounding the regulation of online speech and content, and how all of that relates to the First Amendment and free speech norms. The panel featured David Hudson, Jr., First Amendment Fellow at the Freedom Forum; Professor Kate Klonick of St. John’s University School of Law, who’s studied and written about the creation of the Facebook Oversight Board; John Samples, Vice President at the Cato Institute, who’s a member of the Oversight Board; and Professor Nate Persily, co-director of the Stanford Program on Democracy and the Internet. This program was presented in partnership with the Freedom Forum, and its chair, Jan Neuharth, delivers opening remarks. For more on the 2020 election and nonpartisan educational resources, check out our recent election-related episodes of Live at the National Constitution Center, and visit

The biggest immigration controversies of the last decade have involved policies produced by presidents. Earlier this month, legal scholars Cristina Rodriguez, Adam Cox, and Michael McConnell joined National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen to explore some of those controversies and consider what the president’s role in immigration law has been and should be, what the Constitution says, and how Congress fits in. Rodriguez and Cox are co-authors of the new book The President and Immigration Law.  Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

As the 2020 election approaches, this week we hosted program about the history of presidential elections. Experts Franita Tolson of USC Law, Edward Foley of Ohio State Law, James Ceaser of the University of Virginia, and Robert Lieberman of Johns Hopkins University joined National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen to discuss the most contentious elections in American history—including one of the first controversial elections—1800—pitting Thomas Jefferson against Aaron Burr; the election of 1860 which set the stage for the Civil War; and the 2000 election which led to the Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore. The panelists also explore the questions: How might controversy arise in the 2020 election, and what can we learn from history to try and avoid it? If you enjoyed this conversation, please check out last week’s episode to learn more about one of the elections covered in this conversation: The Hayes-Tilden Election of 1876. This program was presented in partnership with the SNF Agora Institute

This week, we partnered with Free and Fair with Franita and Foley, a podcast about democracy and elections hosted by election experts Professor Edward Foley of Ohio State Moritz College of Law and Professor Franita Tolson of USC Gould School of Law. They joined fellow elections scholar Professor Michael Morley of Florida State University College of Law and National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen for a live recording of their podcast—a discussion of one of the most contentious presidential elections in American history, the 1876 Hayes-Tilden election, and a history lesson about what it can teach us today. Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

The Constitution Drafting Project challenged three teams of leading constitutional thinkers from different ideological perspectives to draft their ideal constitutions. Earlier this week, “Team Progressive”—led by Caroline Fredrickson of Georgetown Law along with Jamal Greene of Columbia Law and Melissa Murray of NYU Law, and “Team Libertarian”—led by Ilya Shapiro along with Tim Sandefur of the Goldwater Institute and Christina Mulligan of Brooklyn Law—joined Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen to present their constitutions. They explained their writing and drafting process, how they decided whether to start from scratch or revise the existing Constitution, what they kept and what they changed, how the two constitutions are similar and different, and more. Read the libertarian and progressive constitutions https://constitutioncenter.org/debate/special-projects/constitution-drafting-project and stay tuned for a constitution from “Team Conservative,” coming soon. The Constitution Drafting Project was generou

The National Constitution Center recently hosted a special “Student Town Hall” with Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch. Justice Gorsuch spoke to students joining online from across the country about his career, the role of the judicial branch, and what it’s like to sit on the Supreme Court. Center President Jeffrey Rosen moderated. This conversation was recorded on September 17—Constitution Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. As Justice Gorsuch mentions, that evening, prior to her passing, the Center awarded Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg the 2020 Liberty Medal. Watch the Liberty Medal video mentioned by Jeff here https://constitutioncenter.org/liberty-medal.

Last week, before the passing of constitutional icon Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the National Constitution Center awarded Justice Ginsburg the 2020 Liberty Medal for her lifelong efforts to advance liberty and equality for all. Following the Liberty Medal Ceremony, National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen discussed the justice’s legacy both before and after joining the Supreme Court bench with two of her former clerks—Kelsi Corkran and Amanda Tyler. The Liberty Medal Ceremony included a video tribute featuring performances by internationally-renowned opera singers and tributes from special friends of Justice Ginsburg. You can watch it at constitutioncenter.org/liberty-medal. Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Last month, the National Constitution Center hosted a musical performance and conversation about the women who fought for the right to vote. On this episode you’ll hear the premiere performance of RESOLVED — a song cycle about the 19th Amendment and the American women’s suffrage movement—by composer/soprano/creator Patrice Michaels, performed by renowned mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges and pianist Laura Ward and produced by NBCUniversal. Next, you’ll hear a discussion featuring scholars Marcia Chatelain of Georgetown University and Gail Heriot of the University of San Diego School of Law, and Center Exhibit Developer Elena Popchock exploring some of the iconic women highlighted in the performance who fought for the 19th Amendment and the Equal Rights Amendment. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the Center, moderates. This program was presented in partnership with Vision 2020’s Women 100 and as part of the Center’s yearlong initiative, Women and the Constitution, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Ame