
Live at the National Constitution Center
Live constitutional conversations and debates featuring leading historians, journalists, scholars, and public officials hosted at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and across America. To watch National Constitution Center Town Halls live, check out our schedule of upcoming programs at constitutioncenter.org/townhall. Register through Zoom to ask your constitutional questions in the Q&A or watch live on YouTube at YouTube.com/ConstitutionCenter.
Latest episodes

May 28, 2024 • 1h 3min
America’s Confrontations With Illiberalism: From Past to Present
Steven Hahn, author of Illiberal America: A History, and Manisha Sinha, author of The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic: Reconstruction, 1860–1920, explored America’s historical encounters with illiberalism and its relevance to contemporary challenges confronting American democracy today. Thomas Donnelly, chief content officer at the National Constitution Center, moderated the conversation.Resources
Steven Hahn, Illiberal America: A History (2024)
Manisha Sinha, The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic: Reconstruction, 1860-1920 (2024)
Abraham Lincoln, “ "Speech to the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield” (1838), Founders’ Library
13th Amendment, Interactive Constitution
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, Founders’ Library
Steven Hahn, The Roots of Southern Populism: Yeoman Farmers and the Transformation of the Georgia Upcountry, 1850-1890 (1985)
Marcia Coyle, “The U.S. Supreme Court Cases Built on a ‘Rotten Foundation’,” Constitution Daily (May 2022)
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May 21, 2024 • 1h 2min
Constitutional Challenges in the Age of AI
Tech policy experts discuss the impact of AI on democracy, focusing on ethics, civil rights, and privacy. They explore creating a democratic AI aligned with democratic values. The podcast also covers legal challenges of machine learning, policy solutions for Deep Fix threats, and global efforts on AI governance. It delves into navigating AI policy and First Amendment challenges, empowering democracy in the AI age, and rethinking free speech in the digital era.

May 14, 2024 • 55min
Living Constitutionally: Insights From A.J. Jacobs and Jeffrey Rosen
A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution’s Original Meaning, in conversation with NCC President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen, author of the new book The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America. Listen to their discussion on what it means to live constitutionally today.Resources:
A.J. Jacobs, The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution’s Original Meaning (2024)
"Colonial America" fashion, Brittanica
Jonathan Gienapp, The Second Creation: Fixing the American Constitution in the Founding Era (2018)
Jud Campbell, “What Did the First Amendment Originally Mean?,” University of Richmond (2018)
Texas v. Johnson (1989)
NCC's We the People podcast, "The Modern History of Originalism," (August 2023)
NCC's We the People podcast, "What the Supreme Court's Opinion in NYSRPA v. Bruen Means for the Second Amendment," (August 2022)
"How a college term paper led to a constitutional amendment," Constitution Daily blog, (May 7, 2024)
NCC's Constitution Drafting Project
Walter Isaacson, Benjamin Franklin: A Life, (2004)
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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.
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Join us for an upcoming live program or watch recordings on YouTube.
Support our important work.
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Apr 30, 2024 • 1h 4min
Ensuring Election Integrity: Insights From Meta’s Oversight Board
As Meta surpassed 2 billion users in 2019, the company created an independent oversight board to review appeals of controversial decisions involving content moderation. Members of Meta’s Oversight Board Michael McConnell of Stanford Law School and Kenji Yoshino of New York University School of Law discuss the board’s recent work, including its efforts to ensure free and fair elections in advance of the 2024 presidential election. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.This program is made possible through the generous support of Citizen Travelers, the nonpartisan civic engagement initiative of Travelers.Additional Resources
Meta Oversight Board
Former President Trump's suspension, Meta Oversight Board decision (2021)
Meet the Board
Brazilian general's speech, Meta Oversight Board decision (2023)
Altered Video of President Biden, Meta Oversight Board decision (2023)
Oversight Board Announces New Cases on Israel-Hamas Conflict for Expedited Review (Dec. 2023)
United States posts discussing abortion, Meta Oversight Board decision, (2023)
Referring to Designated Dangerous Individuals as “Shaheed”, Meta Oversight Board decision, (2023)
Cambodian prime minister, Meta Oversight Board decision (2023)
Reporting on Pakistani Parliament Speech, Meta Oversight Board decision (2023)
How to Appeal to the Oversight Board
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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.
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Apr 23, 2024 • 1h 1min
America’s Most Consequential Elections: From FDR to Reagan
Michael Gerhardt, author of the new book FDR’s Mentors: Navigating the Path to Greatness, and Andrew Busch, author of Reagan's Victory: The Presidential Election of 1980 and the Rise of the Right, join Jeffrey Rosen to explore the pivotal elections of 1932 and 1980. They compare the transformative presidencies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, and trace how founding-era debates between Hamilton and Jefferson over the scope of federal and executive power re-emerged during the New Deal and Reagan Revolution. This program originally streamed live on April 16, 2024. Resources:
Michael J. Gerhardt, FDR’s Mentors: Navigating the Path to Greatness (2024)
Andrew E. Busch, Ronald Reagan and the Politics of Freedom (2001)
Andrew E. Busch, Reagan's Victory: The Presidential Election of 1980 and the Rise of the Right (2005)
Andrew E. Busch, The Constitution on the Campaign Trail: The Surprising Political Career of America’s Founding Document (2007)
Friedrich Hayek, “The Road to Serfdom,” Teaching American History (May 21, 2020)
Ronald Reagan, Remarks to Commonwealth Club members on March 4, 1983, Reagan Library (July 19, 2018)
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Undelivered Address Prepared for Jefferson Day, The American Presidency Project
Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org. Continue today’s conversation on social media @ConstitutionCtr and #AmericasTownHallSign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly. You can find transcripts for each episode on the podcast pages in our Media Library.

Apr 16, 2024 • 60min
The Legacy of Emmett Till: From Tragedy to Activism
Janai Nelson, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, joins Ronald Collins, author of Tragedy on Trial: The Story of the Infamous Emmett Till Murder Trial, to discuss the tragedy of Emmett Till’s murder, the shocking story of the trial that followed, and its impact on the Civil Rights Movement. Thomas Donnelly, chief content officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.Additional Resources
Ronald K. L. Collins, Tragedy on Trial: The Story of the Infamous Emmett Till Murder Trial (2024)
H.R.55 - Emmett Till Antilynching Act
President Joseph Biden,Remarks by President at Signing of H.R. 55 (March 29, 2022)
Joy-Ann Reid, Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America (2024)
Valerie Russ, “A former Temple U law professor speaks about how the Emmett Till murder trial shaped the Civil Rights Movement," The Philadelphia Inquirer (April 11, 2024)
Liz Fields, “The story behind Nina Simone’s protest song, 'Mississippi Goddam,'” PBS (Jan. 14, 2021)
Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley, National Monument
Stay Connected and Learn MoreContinue today’s conversation on social media @ConstitutionCtr and #AmericasTownHallSign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly.Please subscribe to Live at the National Constitution Center and our companion podcast We the People on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

Apr 9, 2024 • 1h 5min
Justice Stephen Breyer on Reading the Constitution
Justice Stephen Breyer discusses his book on constitutional interpretation, advocating for pragmatism over textualism. He explores the complexities of legal interpretation, challenges in historical language interpretation, and the implications of anti-regulatory views. Breyer emphasizes the importance of unity and empowering the next generation in upholding democracy's founding ideals.

Apr 2, 2024 • 1h 1min
Lincoln’s Lessons: Then and Now
Acclaimed Lincoln historians Sidney Blumenthal, author of the three-volume The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln, and Harold Holzer, author of the new book Brought Forth on This Continent: Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration, assess Lincoln’s life and legacy to unveil remarkable similarities between the 19th century and today. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.Additional Resources
Harold Holzer, Brought Forth on This Continent: Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration
Sidney Blumenthal, Wrestling With His Angel: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln, Vol. II, 1849-1856
Abraham Lincoln, Cooper Union Address (1860, February 27)
Harold Holzer, Lincoln at Cooper Union: The Speech That Made Abraham Lincoln President
Stay Connected and Learn MoreQuestions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org. Continue today’s conversation on social media @ConstitutionCtr and #AmericasTownHallSign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly.Please subscribe to Live at the National Constitution Center and our companion podcast We the People on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

Mar 26, 2024 • 59min
Democracy Checkup: Preparing for the 2024 Election
Richard Hasen, author of A Real Right to Vote, Sarah Isgur, senior editor of The Dispatch, and Lawrence Lessig, author of How to Steal a Presidential Election, provide a health check on the state of American democracy, and look ahead to potential areas of vulnerability in the run-up to the 2024 election. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.Additional Resources
Richard L. Hasen, A Real Right to Vote: How a Constitutional Amendment Can Safeguard American Democracy
Lawrence Lessig and Matthew Seligman, How to Steal a Presidential Election
Jeffrey Rosen, “The Supreme Court Says States Can’t Keep Trump Off the Ballot," We the People, National Constitution Center
Trump v. Anderson (2024)
Sarah Isgur and David French,“Indictment Watch: The Supreme Court Decides Whether States Can Disqualify Trump,” Advisory Opinions, The Dispatch
Richard L. Hasen, “The Supreme Court Just Delivered a Rare Self-Own for John Roberts,” Slate (March 5, 2023)
Conference Report, “Carter-Baker Commission: 16 Years Later” (2021)
Trump v. Anderson, Amicus brief of Richard L. Hasen, Edward Foley and Ben Ginsburg
Stay Connected and Learn MoreContinue today’s conversation on social media @ConstitutionCtr and #AmericasTownHallSign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly. Please subscribe to Live at the National Constitution Center and our companion podcast We the People on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

Feb 27, 2024 • 1h 5min
The Pursuit of Happiness: A Book Launch and Conversation with Jeffrey Rosen and Jeffrey Goldberg
On Presidents Day 2024, NCC President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen launched his new book at the NCC in conversation with Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of The Atlantic. They discuss The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America. This program was recorded live on February 19, 2024, and presented in partnership with The Atlantic. Additional Resources:
Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America (2024)
Cicero, The Tusculan Disputations (ca. 45 BC)
The Quill Project
The King James Bible (1611)
Pythagoras, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
The Webster-Hayne Debates
Trump v. Anderson
“Should President Trump Be Allowed on the 2024 Ballot?,” We the People podcast (Jan. 11, 2024)
“Rhetoric of Freedom,” The Atlantic (Sept. 1999)
Stay Connected and Learn MoreContinue the conversation on Facebook and Twitter using @ConstitutionCtr.Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly.Please subscribe to Live at the National Constitution Center and our companion podcast We the People on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.