Live at the National Constitution Center

Conservative intellectual Yuval Levin discusses the decline in trust in American institutions as told in his new book A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream. He shares his findings on Americans’ growing distrust in institutions created by the Constitution—like Congress, the presidency, and the Supreme Court—as well as the press, political parties, universities, and religious institutions. He shares possible explanations for that distrust, its potential impact, and possible solutions. Levin is director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, and he joined National Constitution Center President Jeffrey Rosen via Zoom.Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Today we’re sharing a “live” program that, because the Center is temporarily closed, was held virtually, over Zoom. National Constitution Center President Jeffrey Rosen brought together Jesse Wegman, Amel Amed, and William Ewald to discuss the Electoral College. They detailed how the founders envisioned the Electoral College, how it’s evolved over time, and whether the system should remain or be reformed or replaced. Jesse Wegman is a member of The New York Times editorial board and the author of the book Let the People Pick the President: The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College. William Ewald is professor of philosophy and law at the University of Pennsylvania and an expert on James Wilson, one of the Founders involved in the earliest debates about how the president should be elected. Amel Ahmed is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She’s the author of numerous books and articles including “In Defense of the Electoral College.”If you enjoyed this constitutional conversation, please tune in to our virtual programs. Check out our schedule of upcoming programs and join them live from any device by registering at constitutioncenter.org/debate. You can also watch the programs after the fact in our media library at constitutioncenter.org/constitution, on our YouTube channel, or right here on the podcast in the coming weeks.Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

This week, we’re sharing another program held back in March before the National Constitution Center went remote. This program is part of our yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. It features New York Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Hochul and former Congresswomen Melissa A. Hart and Donna F. Edwards. They explore the unfinished work of women’s suffrage and how the fight for constitutional change shaped women’s involvement in public life. They also discuss why females make up less than a quarter of Congress and what needs to be done to improve women’s representation in government. The conversation is moderated by Lauren Leader, co-founder and CEO of All in Together, a non-profit organization that seeks to empower women to participate in civic and political life.Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Welcome to Live at the National Constitution Center, our newly-renamed podcast sharing live constitutional conversations held here at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and across America. The center is temporarily closed to the public due to coronavirus, but, before we went remote, we held a few programs that we’re excited to share here on the podcast in the coming weeks.This episode features conversations from an event held at the center in early March as part of our yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote.In the first panel (00:00-12:00), NCC President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen and Exhibit Developer Elena Popchock discuss the NCC’s forthcoming exhibit The 19th Amendment: How Women Won the Vote. (At the time of this conversation, the exhibit was set to open in June but may now open later this year.)Next (12:00-end) Elena joins a panel featuring historian Lori Ginzberg, author of Elizabeth Cady Stanton: An American Life. They share an interesting look into Stanton—one of the most the charismatic and complex characters that shaped American history and feminism— in conversation with National Constitution Center Senior Director of Content Lana Ulrich.During this public health crisis, the National Constitution Center is hosting a series of virtual constitutional conversations, which we’ll also share on the podcast in the coming weeks. You can watch videos of those programs here and see the full schedule of upcoming programs here.

We’re changing our name! to Live at the National Constitution Center. New name, same podcast bringing you live constitutional conversations held here at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, and across America. Check out these highlights from last season, and stay tuned for new episodes coming soon!Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.This trailer was engineered and produced by Jackie McDermott with production by Tanaya Tauber and Lana Ulrich and additional editing by Greg Scheckler.

Americans sometimes find themselves at the center of some of the biggest moments in constitutional history. John Tinker, one of the students who brought the lawsuit in the landmark student speech case Tinker v. Des Moines; Karen Korematsu, daughter of Fred Korematsu, petitioner in the Japanese internment case Korematsu v. United States; and Cheryl Brown Henderson, daughter of Reverend Oliver Brown, the petitioner in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, share what that’s like. They describe their families’ experiences bringing these landmark cases, how the outcome affected their lives, and how those cases shaped the Constitution and the country.February 24 was the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1969 decision in Tinker v. Des Moines.This program was recorded here at the National Constitution Center on Constitution Day 2017. We were lucky to have lots of students here at the Center and in the audience that day, so you’ll hear their questions for our panelists!Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

This time of year back in 1916, Senate confirmation hearings were beginning for Louis D. Brandeis. After a lengthy confirmation process, Brandeis was confirmed as the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice, and went on to write landmark opinions on free speech, privacy, and more. In this 2016 program, National Constitution Center President Jeffrey Rosen and Brandeis scholars Philippa Strum and Melvin Urofsky explain why Brandeis’ forward-thinking wisdom still matters today. They celebrated the launch of Jeff’s book Louis D. Brandeis: American Prophet – part of the Jewish Lives biography series. Jeff recently discussed the book on the Jewish Lives podcast, and you can listen to that interview here.Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

February 12th is President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, so we’re sharing a program that dives into one of the most pivotal periods of his political life. Sidney Blumenthal discusses his book Wrestling with his Angel: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln 1849-1856 – the years when Lincoln emerged from political defeat and began to build his career on the national stage – in conversation with National Constitution Center Scholar-in-Residence Michael Gerhardt. Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

 The Iowa Caucus kicked off the 2020 presidential primaries this week, so we’re sharing a primer on the history and influence of presidential campaigns. Communications scholar Geoffrey Cowan and historian David Greenberg explain how our primary system originated in the midst of Teddy Roosevelt’s quest for a third term, how campaigning and “spin” has evolved since then, and more in this program from 2016.  NCC President Jeffrey Rosen moderates. Jeff’s mic cuts out briefly around 15 minutes in (sorry!) but it just lasts a few minutes so please stick with us!  Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org. 

This Thursday is President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's birthday, so we’re sharing a program that explores how FDR and other presidents have dealt with America’s biggest constitutional crises. Historians and presidential biographers Annette Gordon-Reed, Sidney Blumenthal, and Sean Wilentz joined NCC President Jeffrey Rosen for this program held at Congress Hall, the first meeting place of the U.S. Congress, in Philadelphia in 2017. Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.