Live at the National Constitution Center

Join constitutional scholars Gerard Magliocca, Michael Rappaport, Stephen E. Sachs, and Sanford Levinson as they unpack the complexities of Article V. Magliocca reveals fears around limited conventions, while Rappaport discusses the importance and potential pitfalls of the convention amendment method. Sachs tackles interpretive puzzles and historical precedents, contrasting them with Levinson's call for a new constitutional convention to reflect on pressing national issues. Together, they navigate past traditions and future reforms in a lively conversation.

In this episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson discusses his newest book, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Still Matters. This book traces the idea of American independence in one pivotal year—1776—and explores why this year continues to hold significance today. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. This program is generously sponsored by Citizen Travelers, the nonpartisan civic engagement initiative of Travelers. Resources Ed Larson, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters (2025) Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776) John Adams, Thoughts on Government (1776) George Mason, First Draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776) 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 the⁠⁠⁠⁠America 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 bonus episode, we are sharing recordings from the Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness podcast launch event featuring a performance of Jeffrey Rosen’s The Golden Mean: Songs for the Pursuit of Happiness and Twelve Titans: Songs of the Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses in Philadelphia.   Jeffrey Rosen, author of The Pursuit of Happiness and host of the podcast, performs his original songs inspired by the book’s exploration of the classical writers on virtue that shaped the founders.    This performance features Jeffrey Rosen and pianist Jennifer Blyth with arrangements by Greg Strohman.  Resources  Listen to Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness on ⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠  Watch the full performance of the ⁠Pursuit of Happiness: Song Cycles⁠ by Jeffrey Rosen   Twelve Titans: Songs of the Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses, music and lyrics by Jeffrey Rosen [PDF]  Jeffrey Rosen, ⁠The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America⁠, (2024)   Jeffrey Rosen, ⁠The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America⁠, (2025)   Timeline Twelve Titans: Songs of the Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses [00:00] Episode Introduction  [01:14] Twelve Titans Introduction  [05:10] 1. Twelve Titans   [08:15] 2. Apollo, Helios, and Hyperion   [11:15] 3. Pythia   [14:49] 4. O Diana   [17:36] 5. Athena   [20:00] 6. Mighty Aphrodite   [22:42] 7. Mercury   [25:28] 8. The Three Fates   [28:25] 9. Apollo’s Rising   [31:04] 10. Dame Fortune   [33:29] 11. Enthusiasmos   [36:16] 12. Divinity Is One  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 the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America 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 bonus episode, we are sharing recordings from the Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness podcast launch event featuring a performance of Jeffrey Rosen’s The Golden Mean: Songs for the Pursuit of Happiness and Twelve Titans: Songs of the Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses in Philadelphia.   Jeffrey Rosen, author of The Pursuit of Happiness and host of the podcast, performs his original songs inspired by the book’s exploration of the classical writers on virtue that shaped the founders.    This performance features pianist Jennifer Blyth and baritone James Martin with arrangements by Greg Strohman.  Resources  Listen to Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness on ⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠  Watch the full performance of the ⁠Pursuit of Happiness: Song Cycles⁠ by Jeffrey Rosen ⁠The Golden Mean: Songs for the Pursuit of Happiness⁠, music and lyrics by Jeffrey Rosen [PDF] Jeffrey Rosen, ⁠The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America⁠, (2024) Jeffrey Rosen, ⁠The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America⁠, (2025)   Timeline  The Golden Mean: Songs for the Pursuit of Happiness [00:00] Episode Introduction  [01:33] 1. Order: The Golden Mean   [04:10] 2. Temperance: Calm Self-Mastery   [06:40] 3. Humility: Judge Not   [08:28] 4. Industry: Industry Alone   [11:06] 5. Frugality: Thomas Jefferson   [13:51] 6. Sincerity: The Light Within   [16:50] 7. Resolution: Just Do What You Resolve   [19:00] 8. Moderation: Alexander Hamilton   [21:05] 9. Tranquility: Security Is an Illusion   [23:57] 10. Cleanliness: John Quincy Adams   [26:55] 11. Justice: Love’s the Answer   [29:40] 12. Silence: Silence Is Golden   [32:37] 13. Coda: Song of Devotion and The Pursuit of Happiness  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 the⁠⁠⁠⁠America 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, Susan Stokes, author of The Backsliders: Why Leaders Undermine Their Own Democracies, and Cass Sunstein, author of On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom, explore the current challenges facing liberalism and why liberalism remains essential to freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  Resources  Susan Stokes, The Backsliders: Why Leaders Undermine Their Own Democracies (2025) Cass Sunstein, On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom (2025) 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 the⁠⁠⁠America 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 Native American Heritage Month, award-winning historian Kathleen DuVal discusses her new book, Native Nations: A Millennium in North America, tracing a thousand years of Native history—from the rise of ancient cities and the arrival of Europeans to today’s ongoing fights for sovereignty. Thomas Donnelly, chief scholar of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Kathleen DuVal, Native Nations: A Millenium in North America (2025) 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 the⁠⁠America 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

National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen and The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg discuss Rosen’s new book, The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America. The book explores how the opposing constitutional visions of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton have defined the nation since its founding, shaped presidents from Washington to Trump, and continued to drive today’s debates over government power. This program is presented in partnership with The Atlantic and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. Resources Jeffrey Rosen’s new book, Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle over Power in America, is out in October 2025. His other books include New York Times bestsellers The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America and Conversations with RBG: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law, as well as biographies of Louis Brandeis and William Howard Taft. 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 the⁠America 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, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Eric Foner discusses Our Fragile Freedoms, a new collection of essays exploring a range of topics, including debates over slavery and antislavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction, Jim Crow and the battle to dismantle it, and modern debates over the Constitution and how to teach American history. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Eric Foner, Our Fragile Freedoms(2025) Eric Foner, The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution (2019) Eric Foner, The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery (2010) Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 (1988) Richard Hofstadter, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life (1963) 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 theAmerica 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

Join Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a prominent U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice and author, as she shares her unique journey to the bench and her insights on constitutional interpretation. She discusses her deep-rooted values from New Orleans, the balance of her large family life, and her transition from English literature to law. Barrett delves into originalism, emphasizing the importance of public meaning over intent, and reflects on the role of history in recognizing unenumerated rights. Civility and collegiality in the Court's proceedings are also highlighted, offering a glimpse into her deliberative process.

Akhil Reed Amar, a Yale Law School professor and leading constitutional scholar, dives into the evolution of equality in America, as showcased in his book, Born Equal. He traces the origins of 'All Men Are Created Equal' and discusses Lincoln's interpretation of equality. Amar highlights the significance of the Reconstruction amendments in establishing birthright equality and analyzes influential figures like John Quincy Adams, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Frederick Douglass. He emphasizes the importance of understanding constitutional history to foster civic learning.