Live at the National Constitution Center

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In celebration of Black History Month, explore the history of the African American fight for freedom during the Civil War and Reconstruction periods with historians Edda Fields-Black, author of Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War, and James Oakes, author of Freedom National: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States, 1861-1865. Thomas Donnelly, chief content officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.Additional Resources Edda L. Fields-Black, COMBEE: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War James Oakes, Freedom National: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States, 1861–1865 James Oakes, The Radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the Triumph of Antislavery Politics UUSCT Pension Files 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.

Caroline Fredrickson, Timothy Sandefur, and Ilan Wurman discuss their approaches to constitution drafting in the Constitution Drafting Project. They cover topics such as amending the Constitution, determining presidential eligibility, reinvigorating Congress, term limits for Supreme Court justices, and the influence of the Declaration of Independence on proposed amendments.

Scottish philosopher David Hume's profound impact on shaping America is discussed by Angela Coventry, Dennis Rasmussen, and Aaron Alexander Zubia. Topics include Hume's influence on the Founding Fathers, his ideas on happiness and property, his political philosophy, religious skepticism, and the importance of distinguishing epistemology and politics.

Several cases before the Supreme Court raise important questions at the intersection of technology and law. Join legal experts Alex Abdo of the Knight First Amendment Institute, Clay Calvert of the American Enterprise Institute, and David Greene of the Electronic Frontier Foundation for a conversation exploring key tech cases, including whether Florida and Texas can regulate the platforms’ content moderation policies. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.Additional ResourcesKnight Institute's Amicus Brief (in support of neither party), Moody v. NetChoice & NetChoice v. PaxtonClay Calvert, “Friends of the Court, Friends of the First Amendment: Exploring Amicus Brief Support for Platforms’ Editorial Independence,” AEI (Dec. 22, 2023)Knight Institute Amicus Brief in Murthy v. Missouri (in support of neither party)Clay Calvert, “Persuasion or Coercion? Understanding the Government’s Position in Murthy v. Missouri, Part I,” AEI (Jan. 8, 2024)David Greene, “In Jawboning Cases, there’s no getting away from textual analysis,” Knight First Amendment Institute (Nov. 7, 2023)David Greene, EFF Amicus Brief in O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier and Lindke v. Freed (in support of Lindke and Garnier)Miami Herald Publishing Company v. Tornillo (1974)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.