Live At America's Town Hall

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 yo

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

In celebration of Juneteenth, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian David Levering Lewis, author of the definitive two-volume biography of W.E.B. Du Bois, explores Du Bois’ life, legacy, and enduring impact on American history, while also discussing his own new memoir, The Stained Glass Window. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources David Levering Lewis, The Stained Glass Window: A Family History as the American Story, 1790–1958, (2025) David Levering Lewis, W.E.B. Du Bois: A Biography 1868–1963, (2009) American Historical Association, “W.E.B. Du Bois (1868–1963): Historian, Sociologist, Editor, Activist,” Perspectives on History, (2023) W.E.B. Du Bois, The Talented Tenth, (1903) W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk: Centennial Edition, (2003) W.E.B. Du Bois, Black Reconstruction in America: An Essay Toward a History of the Part Which Black Folk Played in the Attempt to Reconstruct Democracy in America, 1860–1880, (2014) W.E.B. Du Bois

Legal scholars Gillian Metzger of Columbia Law School and Saikrishna Prakash of the University of Virginia School of Law examine the founders’ vision for the presidency, how presidential power has changed over time, and the key constitutional debates that have shaped the modern presidency. The discussion explores how the Trump presidency fits within this historical context and what it means for the future of presidential power. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Federalist No. 70 Myers v. United States (1926) Trump v. United States (2024) Saikrishna Prakash, The Living Presidency: An Originalist Argument Against Its Ever-Expanding Powers, (2020) Saikrishna Prakash, Imperial from the Beginning: The Constitution of the Original Executive, (2015) Gillian Metzger, “Disqualification, Immunity, and the Presidency,” Harvard Law Review, Vol. 138 (April 1, 2025) Michel Martin, “Political scientists alarmed by Trump's disregard for check

In celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month, authors Richard Kreitner (Fear No Pharaoh: American Jews, the Civil War, and the Fight to End Slavery) and Shari Rabin (The Jewish South: An American History) discuss their new books on the broader Jewish experience from the Revolutionary era to the Civil War, how American Jews reckoned with slavery, Jewish participation in the Civil War, and some of the key American Jews who helped shape this tumultuous era. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. This program is presented in partnership with the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History and in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month. Resources Richard Kreitner, Fear No Pharaoh: American Jews, the Civil War, and the Fight to End Slavery, (2025) Shari Rabin, The Jewish South: An American History, (2025) Jonas Phillips, "Letter to George Washington," (Sept. 7, 1787) George Washington, "Letter to the Savannah, Ga., Hebrew Congregation," (J

The Honorable Stephen G. Breyer, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (ret.) and National Constitution Center honorary co-chair, joins Christiane Taubira, former French justice minister, for a conversation on democracy, the rule of law, and constitutional traditions from French and American perspectives. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Translation is provided by Nicholas Elliott. This program is presented in partnership with Villa Albertine’s series, Democracy in an Age of Uncertainty: French and American Perspectives. The series is made possible by the generous support of the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation. 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

President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship has reignited debates over the 14th Amendment and the meaning of citizenship in America. Legal experts Gabriel Chin of the University of California, Davis School of Law; Amanda Frost of the University of Virginia School of Law; Kurt Lash of the University of Richmond School of Law; and Ilan Wurman of the University of Minnesota Law School analyze the legal challenges surrounding birthright citizenship, explore the constitutional and historical arguments on all sides of this debate, and discuss its broader implications for immigration. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Trump v. CASA, Inc., United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (2025) Trump v. Washington, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2025) Trump v. New Jersey, United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (2025) Amanda Frost, You Are Not American: Citizenship

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, historians Rick Atkinson, author of The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777; Mary Beth Norton, author of 1774: The Long Year of Revolution; and Rosemarie Zagarri, author of Revolutionary Backlash: Women and Politics in the Early American Republic, explore the events leading to the first shots of the American Revolution, the battles themselves, and the colonists’ response to this pivotal moment in history. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Rick Atkinson, The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777, (2019) Rick Atkinson, The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780, (2025) Mary Beth Norton, 1774: The Long Year of Revolution, (2020) Mary Beth Norton, Liberty’s daughters: The Revolutionary experience of American women, 1750-1800, (1980) Rosemarie Zagarri, Revol

In this episode, Brian Kalt of Michigan State College of Law and Jeffrey Toobin, author of The Pardon: The Politics of Presidential Mercy, explore the founders’ vision for the pardon power and the use of the presidential pardon throughout American history—from Thomas Jefferson’s pardons to those issued by Presidents Biden and Trump. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Jeffrey Toobin, The Pardon: The Politics of Presidential Mercy (2025) Brian Kalt, Constitutional Cliffhangers (2012) Nixon Pardon (Gerald Ford Presidential Library) Trump v. United States (2024) Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist No. 74, New York Packet (March 28, 1788) Abraham Lincoln, “Proclamation 124—Offering Pardon to Deserters” (March 11, 1865) United States v. Klein (1871) Ex parte Garland (1866) Andrew Glass, “Bush pardons Iran-Contra felons, Dec. 24, 1992,” Politico (Dec. 24, 2018) Presidential Records Act Donald Trump, “Granting Pardons and Commutation of Sentences

Best-selling author Michael Lewis discusses his new book, Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service. As Americans’ distrust in the government continues to grow, Lewis’ book examines how the government works, who works for it, and why their contributions continue to matter. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  Resources Michael Lewis, ed., Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service (2025) Michael Lewis, “The free‑living bureaucrat,” The Washington Post (March 2025) Michael Lewis, “Directions to a journalistic gold mine,” The Washington Post (Nov. 2024) Michael Lewis, The Premonition: A Pandemic Story (2022) Michael Lewis, The Fifth Risk (2018) CURE ID 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. F

CNN Anchor and Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash joins for a discussion of her book, America’s Deadliest Election: The Cautionary Tale of the Most Violent Election in American History, which explores the little-known story of election violence in 1872 Louisiana, which nearly pushed American democracy to its breaking point, and what we can learn from it today. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Dana Bash & David Fisher, America's Deadliest Election: The Shocking True Story of the Election that Changed American History―Uncover the Roots of America's Political Divide (2024) Colfax Massacre Reports, Teaching American History The Slaughter-House Cases (1873) United States v. Cruikshank (1875) 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 con

Jonathan Rauch, author of Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy, and Julian Zelizer, author of In Defense of Partisanship, join for a wide-ranging discussion on their new books and the rise of partisanship in America. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Julian E. Zelizer, In Defense of Partisanship (2025) Jonathan Rauch, Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy (2025) Julian E. Zelizer, Abraham Joshua Heschel: A Life of Radical Amazement (2021) Jonathan Rauch, “Christian Renewal and the Future of American Democracy,” Brigham Young University Wheatley Institute (Jan. 24, 2025) Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America (2024) 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 

New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie joins award-winning journalist Juan Williams for a conversation on Williams’ new book, New Prize for These Eyes: The Rise of America’s Second Civil Rights Movement, exploring the emergence of a new civil rights era—from the 2008 election of President Obama to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Thomas Donnelly, chief scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Juan Williams, New Prize for These Eyes: The Rise of America’s Second Civil Rights Movement (2025) Jamelle Bouie, “Discussing Trayvon Martin, Obama Embraces his Blackness,” The American Prospect (July 19, 2013) Jamelle Bouie, opinion columnist, The New York Times Civil Rights Movement Reconstruction Thomas Ricks, Waging a Good War: A Military History of the Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1968 (2022)   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 @Cons

The National Constitution Center and the Federal Judicial Center convene leading historians for conversations on Reconstruction and the Constitution. Martha Jones of Johns Hopkins University, Kate Masur of Northwestern University, and Dylan Penningroth of the University of California, Berkeley, delve into the broader legal and social effects of Reconstruction beyond the amendments. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. This program is presented in partnership with the Federal Judicial Center. Resources Kate Masur, Until Justice Be Done: America’s First Civil Rights Movement, from the Revolution to Reconstruction (2021) Dylan Penningroth, Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights (2023) Martha S. Jones, Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All (2020) The American Colonization Society Dred Scott v. Sandford Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at progr

The National Constitution Center and the Federal Judicial Center convene leading historians for conversations on Reconstruction and the Constitution. Pamela Brandwein of the University of Michigan, Sherrilyn Ifill of Howard University School of Law, and Ilan Wurman of the University of Minnesota Law School explore the 14th Amendment and the history of Reconstruction. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. This program is presented in partnership with the Federal Judicial Center. Resources Ilan Wurman, The Second Founding: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Amendment (2020) Pamela Brandwein, Rethinking the Judicial Settlement of Reconstruction (2011) Sherrilyn Ifill, “Why are U.S. courts afraid of the 14th Amendment? Because it’s radical,” The Washington Post (Nov. 23, 2023) Sherrilyn Ifill, “Yes, this is America: Why I’m Creating the 14th Amendment Center for Law and Democracy,” Substack (July 7, 2023) 14th Amendment Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Civil

The day after the 2025 presidential inauguration, leading presidential historians and contributors to the recently published compendium My Fellow Americans: Presidents and Their Inaugural Addresses, Michael Gerhardt, Kate Masur, and Ted Widmer, reflect on inaugural addresses throughout history and how they relate to a president’s legacy. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources:  Yuvraj Singh and Ted Widmer, My Fellow Americans: Presidents and Their Inaugural Addresses (2024)  Martin Van Buren, Inaugural Address (March 4, 1837)  Donald Trump, Second Inaugural Address (Jan. 20, 2025)  Andrew Jackson, First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1829)  Andrew Jackson, Second Inaugural Address (March 4, 1833)  Grover Cleveland, Second Inaugural Address (March 4, 1893)  Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1861)  Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address (March 4, 1865)  Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1933)  John F. Kennedy

Melanie Randolph Miller, editor of the Gouverneur Morris Papers: Diaries Project; Dennis Rasmussen, author of The Constitution’s Penman: Gouverneur Morris and the Creation of America’s Basic Charter; and William Treanor, dean of Georgetown Law explore the fantastic life and constitutional legacy of Gouverneur Morris: Founding Father, key member of the Committee of Style, and opponent of slavery. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Dennis C. Rasmussen, The Constitution’s Penman: Gouverneur Morris and the Creation of America’s Basic Charter, (2023) William M. Treanor, Gouverneur Morris and the Drafting of the Federalist Constitution, (2023) William M. Treanor, The Case of the Dishonest Scrivener: Gouverneur Morris and the Creation of the Federalist Constitution, (2021) Melanie Randolph Miller, An Incautious Man: The Life of Gouveneur Morris, (2008) Gouverneur Morris Papers The U.S. Constitution: Preamble The Federalist Papers The Constitutional Con

In this episode, We explore religious liberty and the founders with Jane Calvert, author of Penman of the Founding: A Biography of John Dickinson, Vincent Phillip Muñoz, author of Religious Liberty and the American Founding: Natural Rights and the Original Meanings of the First Amendment Religion Clauses, and Thomas Kidd, author of God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution.  Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  Resources The First Amendment, National Constitution Center exhibit Jane E. Calvert, Penman of the Founding: A Biography of John Dickinson (2024) Thomas Kidd, Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh (2022) Vincent Phillip Muñoz, Religious Liberty and the American Founding: Natural Rights and the Original Meanings of the First Amendment Religion Clauses (2022) Thomas Kidd, God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution (2010) Vincent Phillip Muñoz , God and the Founders: Madison, Washington, and Jefferson

In this episode, Christopher Cox, former U.S. congressman and author of the new book, Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn, and Professor Geoffrey Stone of the University of Chicago discuss Wilson’s presidential legacy, constitutional vision, and impact on American democracy. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Christopher Cox, Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn (2024) Espionage Act of 1917 and Sedition Act of 1918 Committee on Public Information, Free Speech Center (2009; updated 2024) The First Amendment, National Constitution Center exhibit Susan B. Anthony Amendment, National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House Justice Brandeis, Oyez Geoffrey Stone, “Woodrow Wilson, Princeton University, and the Battles We Choose to Fight,” Huffington Post (Nov. 21, 2015) Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcasts@constitutioncenter.org Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr.

In celebration of Native American Heritage month, Keith Richotte Jr., author of the forthcoming book, The Worst Trickster Story Ever Told: Native America, the Supreme Court, and the U.S. Constitution and Matthew L.M. Fletcher of the University of Michigan discuss Native American history and law through the stories of landmark Supreme Court cases. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources:  Matthew L.M. Fletcher, The Ghost Road: Anishinaabe Responses to Indian Hating (2020) Keith Richotte Jr., The Worst Trickster Story Ever Told: Native America, the Supreme Court, and the U.S. Constitution (forthcoming 2025) United States v. Kagama (1886) United States v. Lara (2004) Matthew L.M. Fletcher, “Muskrat Textualism,” Northwestern Law Review, Jan. 16, 2022. McGirt v. Oklahoma (2020) Ex Parte Crow Dog (1883) Major Crimes Act Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe (1978) Montana v. United States (1981) Indian Civil Rights Act Duro v. Reina (1990) Haalan