Live at the National Constitution Center

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.

The National Constitution Center and the Center on the Structural Constitution at Texas A&M University School of Law present a U.S. Supreme Court review symposium featuring leading constitutional law scholars and commentators analyzing the Court’s most significant rulings of the term. Panel 3: Covering the CourtJess Bravin, Supreme Court Correspondent, The Wall Street JournalJan Crawford, chief legal correspondent, CBS NewsFred Smith Jr., professor of law, Stanford Law SchoolModerator: Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO, National Constitution Center 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. Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen. Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠live program⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠. Support our important work. ⁠⁠Donate

The National Constitution Center and the Center on the Structural Constitution at Texas A&M University School of Law present a U.S. Supreme Court review symposium featuring leading constitutional law scholars and commentators analyzing the Court’s most significant rulings of the term. Panel 2: The Roberts Court and Executive PowerStephen Vladeck, Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Federal Courts, Georgetown University Law CenterDaniel Walters, associate professor of law, Texas A&M University School of LawKeith Whittington, David Boies Professor of Law, Yale Law SchoolModerator: Neil Siegel, David W. Ichel Professor of Law and Professor of Political Science, Duke Law School 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. Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen. Join us for an upcoming ⁠⁠live program⁠⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠. Support our important work. ⁠⁠Donate

The National Constitution Center and the Center on the Structural Constitution at Texas A&M University School of Law present a U.S. Supreme Court review symposium featuring leading constitutional law scholars and commentators analyzing the Court’s most significant rulings of the term. Panel 1: Supreme Court Term Review Jonathan Adler, Tazewell Taylor Professor of Law, William & Mary Law SchoolDaniel Epps, professor of law, Washington University School of LawSarah Isgur, editor, SCOTUSblog; legal analyst, ABC NewsFrederick Lawrence, distinguished lecturer, Georgetown University Law CenterModerator: Katherine Mims Crocker, professor of law, Texas A&M University School of Law 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. Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen. Join us for an upcoming ⁠live program⁠ or watch recordings on ⁠YouTube⁠. Support our important work. ⁠Donate

Akhil Reed Amar and David Blight of Yale University and Annette Gordon-Reed, president of the Organization of American Historians and Harvard professor, join National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen for a sweeping conversation about the Constitution and the debates that have shaped America—from the founding era to today. They explore transformative moments in American history and landmark Supreme Court decisions. This program is presented in partnership with the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute and the Organization of American Historians. 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. Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen. Join us for an upcoming live program or watch recordings on YouTube. Support our important work. Donate