Join Professor Dennis Rasmussen and editor Melanie Randolph Miller as they dive into the life of Gouverneur Morris, the unsung Founding Father who penned the Constitution's preamble and staunchly opposed slavery. They discuss Morris's advocacy for a strong executive and his critical influence at the Constitutional Convention, revealing how his ideas still resonate today. Miller highlights the complexities of Morris's reputation, emphasizing his humanitarian legacy and the need to recognize his pivotal contributions to American governance.

In this episode, We explore religious liberty and the founders with Jane Calvert, author of Penman of the Founding: A Biography of John Dickinson, Vincent Phillip Muñoz, author of Religious Liberty and the American Founding: Natural Rights and the Original Meanings of the First Amendment Religion Clauses, and Thomas Kidd, author of God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution.  Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources The First Amendment, National Constitution Center exhibit Jane E. Calvert, Penman of the Founding: A Biography of John Dickinson (2024) Thomas Kidd, Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh (2022) Vincent Phillip Muñoz, Religious Liberty and the American Founding: Natural Rights and the Original Meanings of the First Amendment Religion Clauses (2022) Thomas Kidd, God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution (2010) Vincent Phillip Muñoz , God and the Founders: Madison, Washington, and Jefferson (2009) Letter From George Washington to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, (August 18, 1790) 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. 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In this episode, Christopher Cox, former U.S. congressman and author of the new book, Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn, and Professor Geoffrey Stone of the University of Chicago discuss Wilson’s presidential legacy, constitutional vision, and impact on American democracy. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.Resources Christopher Cox, Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn (2024) Espionage Act of 1917 and Sedition Act of 1918 Committee on Public Information, Free Speech Center (2009; updated 2024) The First Amendment, National Constitution Center exhibit Susan B. Anthony Amendment, National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House Justice Brandeis, Oyez Geoffrey Stone, “Woodrow Wilson, Princeton University, and the Battles We Choose to Fight,” Huffington Post (Nov. 21, 2015) Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcasts@constitutioncenter.org Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr. 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

Delve into the rich intersection of Native American history and Supreme Court rulings. Discover the evolution of plenary power from the 1880s to legal recognition today. Explore key cases like McGirt and Oliphant, and the ongoing struggle for tribal sovereignty. Learn about contrasting judicial philosophies and their impact on Indigenous rights. Unearth the philosophical teachings of the Anishinaabe and their relevance in today's legal landscape. Gain insights into recent successes in governance and education that are reshaping perspectives on Native rights.

Jesse Wegman, a member of the New York Times editorial board and author advocating for abolishing the Electoral College, teams up with Robert Hardaway, a law professor suggesting that the national popular vote could undermine democracy. They dive into the historical complexities of the Electoral College, examining its impact on swing states and the concept of political equality. The conversation also touches on potential reforms, the challenges of certifying election results, and the ongoing debate about majority rule versus state representation.

This month, the National Constitution Center convened the 2024 National First Amendment Summit, in partnership with FIRE and NYU’s First Amendment Watch. America’s leading legal thinkers joined for a vigorous discussion on the state of free speech in America and around the globe. This episode features a conversation about global free speech with Jason Rezaian of The Washington Post. He spent 544 days unjustly imprisoned by Iranian authorities until his release in January 2016. Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources: 2024 National First Amendment Summit  FIRE: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression  NYU’s First Amendment Watch  The Washington Post’s Press Freedom Partnership Jason Rezaian, Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison―Solitary Confinement, a Sham Trial, High-Stakes Diplomacy, and the Extraordinary Efforts It Took to Get Me Out (2019)  Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcasts@constitutioncenter.org Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr. 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 month, the National Constitution Center convened the 2024 National First Amendment Summit, in partnership with FIRE and NYU’s First Amendment Watch. America’s leading legal thinkers joined for a vigorous discussion on the state of free speech in America and around the globe. “Free Speech on Campus Today” features Mary Anne Franks, author of the new book Fearless Speech: Breaking Free from the First Amendment;  FIRE’s Vice President of Campus Advocacy Alex Morey; and Keith Whittington, author of You Can't Teach That!: The Battle over University Classrooms. “Free Speech In and Out of the Courts” features Nadine Strossen, author of Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know; Jonathan Turley, author of the new book The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage; and Kenji Yoshino of NYU School of Law and Meta's Oversight Board.  Resources: 2024 National First Amendment Summit  FIRE: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression  NYU’s First Amendment Watch  Mary Ann Franks, Fearless Speech: Breaking Free from the First Amendment (2024)  Keith Whittington, You Can’t Teach That!: The Battle over University Classrooms (2024)  Nadine Strossen, Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know (2023)  Jonathan Turley, The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage (2024)  Meta Oversight Board    Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcasts@constitutioncenter.org Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr. 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

David Greenberg’s new biography, John Lewis: A Life, chronicles the remarkable story of the civil rights activist and congressman. Professor Kenneth Mack of Harvard University joins Greenberg for a discussion of Lewis’ life and impact on American history, whose heroism during the Civil Rights Movement helped inspire America’s new birth of freedom. Lana Ulrich, vice president of content and senior counsel at the National Constitution Center, moderates.Additional Resources 2016 Liberty Medal Ceremony in honor of Representative John Lewis David Greenberg, John Lewis: A Life (2024) “Rep. John Lewis on MLK and ‘Good Trouble,’” Live at the National Constitution Center podcast (Jan. 2020) Boynton v. Virginia (1960) Civil Rights Era documents selected by Kenneth Mack and Christopher Brooks, NCC Founders’ Library Kenneth Mack, Representing the Race: The Creation of the Civil Rights Lawyer (2012) Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Bayard Rustin, “From Protest to Politics: The Future of the Civil Rights Movement” Voting Rights Act (1965) John Lewis, Remarks at the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (2016) 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. 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

Jonathan Gienapp, an associate professor at Stanford and author of "Against Constitutional Originalism," teams up with Harvard's Stephen Sachs, a noted constitutional scholar, for a spirited debate. They unpack the historical roots and assumptions behind constitutional originalism, contrasting it with the notion of a living Constitution. The conversation dives into critical cases like Fletcher v. Peck and the implications of originalism on contemporary issues, particularly regarding the Second Amendment and the evolving understanding of rights in governance.

On September 24, 2024 the National Constitution Center held its annual Liberty Medal ceremony honoring America’s storyteller, Ken Burns, for illuminating the nation’s greatest triumphs and tragedies and inspiring all of us to learn about the principles at the heart of the American idea. In this episode, Jeffrey Rosen and Burns’s co-director Sarah Botstein talk about Burns’s life and work, followed by Ken Burns’s inspiring acceptance speech. Burns then sits down with Rosen for a conversation about the American Idea.  Resources:  The National Constitution Center’s 2024 Liberty Medal Ceremony   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. 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