Foreign Policy Live A U.S. Shutdown and a Constitutional Crisis
31 snips
Oct 3, 2025 
Jill Lepore, a Harvard historian and author of 'We the People', dives into the complexities of the U.S. Constitution amid rising political polarization. She discusses the challenges of amending the Constitution, linking it to the framers' supermajority requirements and modern partisanship. Lepore highlights the implications of government shutdowns on foreign policy and the erosion of democratic norms. The conversation touches on originalism, the relationship between income inequality and civic engagement, and the urgent need for constitutional evolution.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Amendment Mechanism Is Unusually Hard
- The U.S. Constitution has an unusually high amendment difficulty that the framers thought was 'just right' but proved too strict.
- Polarization today makes formal amendment effectively impossible.
Polarization Tracks Income Inequality
- Polarization accelerated after the late 1960s and parallels rising income inequality.
- State constitutions still amend frequently while the national constitution stalls.
Court Fills The Amendment Void
- Because amendments rarely work, the Supreme Court has become the primary engine of constitutional change.
- That shifts enormous pressure and political stakes onto the judiciary.
