About this podcast
A weekly show from the National Constitution Center hosted by Julie Silverbrook and Tom Donnelly where listeners can hear the best arguments on all sides of the constitutional issues at the center of American life.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 644 episodes
- Religious Liberty and State Funds for Preschools at the Supreme Court · 53 minTwo leading scholars of the First Amendment’s religion clauses, Stephanie Barclay of Georgetown Law and Marci Hamilton of the University of Pennsylvania, discuss Saint Mary…
- The First Amendment and Artificial Intelligence · 1 h 0 minTechnology and constitutional scholar Jonathan Zittrain and Distinguished Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School Ellen Goodman examine the intersection of the First Amendment and…
- Scott Greenberger on The Forsaken Founder: Gouverneur Morris · 51 minIn this episode, author Scott S. Greenberger discusses his new book, The Forsaken Founder, which explores the colorful life and consequential legacy of Gouverneur Morris, the…
- Can Article V Conventions Advance Constitutional Reform? · 1 h 5 minArticle V of the U.S. Constitution establishes two methods for proposing constitutional amendments: a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress or a convention called by…
- David O. Stewart on The Democracy We Must Keep · 47 minHistorian David O. Stewart joins to discuss his latest book, The Democracy We Must Keep, which examines the foundational ideas in nine key founding-era documents that shaped…
- Previewing the Supreme Court’s 2026-2027 Term · 1 h 0 minThe National Constitution Center previews the Supreme Court’s 2026-2027 term. Masha Hansford, partner at Davis Polk & Wardwell, Amy Howe, co-founder of SCOTUSblog, and Greg…
- Frederick Douglass and Free Speech · 47 minFrederick Douglass is remembered as one of the most powerful orators in American history, a leading voice for abolition, and an extraordinary champion of equal rights. He was…
- The Past, Present, and Future of the Second Amendment · 1 h 4 minIn this episode, Joseph Blocher of Duke University School of Law and Clark Neily of the Cato Institute trace the ongoing debates over the Second Amendment. They analyze recent…
- William Magnuson on The Just and the Good: How Law Made the Western World · 1 h 4 minIn this special Constitution Day episode, author William Magnuson discusses his latest book, The Just and the Good: How Law Made the Western World, which is a sweeping tour of…
- The State of Free Speech in 2026 · 1 h 11 minGeoffrey Stone of the University of Chicago Law School and Eugene Volokh, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and UCLA School of Law, discuss the First Amendment and the…
- Mary Sarah Bilder on the Origins of the Bill of Rights · 40 minIn this episode, Mary Sarah Bilder, Founders Professor at Boston College Law School, explores the history of rights and liberties in America and the origins of the Bill of…
- Chatrie and the Future of the Fourth Amendment · 47 minIn a recent decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that law enforcement’s use of a geofence warrant, which collected identity and location data from mobile phone users, violated…
- Fergus Bordewich on Centennial and the Great Fair of 1876 · 1 h 19 minIn this episode, prize-winning author and historian Fergus M. Bordewich discusses his latest book, Centennial: The Great Fair of 1876 and the Invention of America’s Future, which…
- Rosemarie Zagarri on The Declaration’s Grievances · 51 minWhen Americans think about the Declaration of Independence, we tend to remember its most famous words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” and its promise of “Life…
- What the 2025-2026 Supreme Court Term Revealed About the Roberts Court · 1 h 6 minThe Supreme Court's latest term featured landmark decisions on executive power, birthright citizenship, voting rights, and more. But beyond the headlines, what did the term tell…
- Free Speech in a Changing World · 59 minIn this episode, Nadine Strossen, New York Law School professor emerita and former president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Jacob Mchangama, the founder and…
- Does Article II of the Constitution Grant the President Power to Fire Anyone in the Executive Branch? · 1 h 11 minIn this episode, legal scholars Michael Ramsey and Jed Shugerman the Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook, which address the president’s…
- Civil Discourse and the Supreme Court · 49 minIn this episode, legal scholars Jonathan Adler, Greg Garre, Katherine Mims Crocker, and Howard Wasserman discuss the state of civil discourse inside the Supreme Court and in…
- The Supreme Court and Executive Power · 50 minIn this episode, legal scholars Gillian Metzger, Julian Mortenson, and Ilya Somin discuss the Supreme Court’s approach to executive power in recent decisions. Thomas Donnelly…
- The Supreme Court Strikes Down President Trump’s Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship · 1 h 4 minIn this episode, Richard Epstein and Martha Jones discuss the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Trump v. Barbara, which struck down President Trump’s Executive Order on…
- The Ideas at the Heart of the Declaration and the Constitution · 1 h 4 minIn this episode, David Blight, Robert P. George, and Annette Gordon-Reed explore the enduring ideas at the core of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S…
- Eric Slauter on The Declaration’s Promises · 49 minThe National Constitution Center recently published The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals (Simon & Schuster), a keepsake collection of essays bringing…
- Carol Berkin on the Declaration’s lesser-known signers · 1 h 7 minIf you ask Americans to name the signers of the Declaration of Independence, they will probably mention John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams. But…
- Justice Stephen Breyer on The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals · 59 minIn this episode, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, retired, honorary co-chair of the National Constitution Center, joins to discuss The Promise of America: Reflections…
- David Armitage on the Declaration’s Influence Around the World · 45 minThe National Constitution Center recently published The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals (Simon & Schuster), a keepsake collection of essays bringing…
- Michael Auslin on National Treasure · 59 minIn this episode, Michael Auslin joins to discuss his new book, National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America, a sweeping and vivid history of the…
- Jonathan Adler and Stephen Vladeck Debate the Use of the “Shadow Docket” on the Roberts Court · 1 h 6 minIn this episode, Jonathan Adler of William & Mary Law School and Stephen Vladeck of Georgetown University Law Center explore a part of the Supreme Court’s work that has drawn…
- Supreme Court Strikes Down Louisiana Congressional Map · 1 h 2 minOn April 29, 2026, in Louisiana v. Callais, the Supreme Court invalidated a Louisiana congressional map, holding that racial considerations cannot predominate in the drawing of…
- Sarah Isgur on Last Branch Standing · 60 minSarah Isgur joins for a conversation on her new book, Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today's Supreme Court. Drawing on history…
- Revolutionary State Constitutions · 1 h 1 minIn this episode, scholars Nicholas Cole and Robert Williams examine how American constitutional democracy is rooted in the crafting of Revolutionary-era state constitutions…
- Women and the American Revolution · 57 minAcclaimed historians Mary Beth Norton, the Mary Donlon Alger Professor Emerita of American History at Cornell University, and Rosemarie Zagarri, distinguished university…
- Emily Sneff on When the Declaration of Independence Was News · 52 minIn this episode, historian Emily Sneff discusses her new book, When the Declaration of Independence Was News, which focuses on the nation’s founding document at the moment of its…
- Madison's Vision and Revisions: Looking Back on the Constitution's Father · 46 minIn this episode we’re sharing a live conversation that explores James Madison’s vision for the constitution with Mary Sarah Bilder of Boston College Law School, Robert P. George…
- Ellen DuBois on the Revolutionary Life of Elizabeth Cady Stanton · 55 minIn celebration of Women’s History Month, award-winning historian Ellen DuBois, author of Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A Revolutionary Life, joins to discuss the life, ideas, and…
- The Revolutionary Lives of Catharine Macaulay and Mercy Otis Warren · 51 minAs the Center marks the 250th anniversary of the nation, we’re taking a closer look at the people, events, and ideas that set the American Revolution in motion and ultimately led…
- What is the Constitutional Balance of War Powers Between Congress and the President? · 58 minOn February 28, President Trump announced “major combat operations in Iran.” The operation, known as Epic Fury, has renewed a long-standing debate about the scope of presidential…
- NCC Revisited: Women and the American Idea · 1 h 6 minIn celebration of Women’s History month, we revisit a conversation that explores the life and legacy of women who have inspired Constitutional change throughout American history…
- Supreme Court Rules Trump’s Tariffs Unlawful Under IEEPA · 51 minOn February 20, the Supreme Court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, known as IEEPA, does not authorize President Trump’s sweeping tariffs. In Learning…
- Juan Williams on the Rise of America’s Second Civil Rights Movement · 1 h 0 minNew York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie joins award-winning journalist Juan Williams for a conversation on Williams’ latest book, New Prize for These Eyes: The Rise of America’s…
- Thomas Paine and the 250th Anniversary of Common Sense · 57 minGary Berton, the president of The Thomas Paine Historical Association, joins Scott Cleary, co-editor of New Directions in Thomas Paine Studies and author of The Field of…
- The Declaration of Independence and the Push for Racial Equality · 60 minIn celebration of Black History Month, scholars Lucas Morel and Melvin Rogers join to discuss how African American leaders and citizens, such as Prince Hall, Frederick Douglass…
- Best of 2025: Michael Lewis on Who Is Government? · 58 minIn this Best of 2025-episode, Best-selling author Michael Lewis discusses his new book, Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service. As Americans’ distrust in the…
- The Lost Founder: James Wilson · 57 minThis week, we explore the life of an influential and yet, often overlooked founder, James Wilson. Whose ideas and influence continue to shape current debates about popular…
- The Story of the U.S. Constitution: Past and Present · 1 h 3 minAfter more than 12 years of distinguished service as President and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Rosen has transitioned to the role of CEO Emeritus, enabling him to devote his…
- Kathleen DuVal on Native Nations · 60 minIn celebration of Native American Heritage Month, award-winning historian Kathleen DuVal discusses her new book, Native Nations: A Millennium in North America, which traces a…
- William F. Buckley and the Intellectual History of American Conservatism · 1 h 3 minMatthew Continetti, author of The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism, joins prize-winning biographer Sam Tanenhaus to discuss Tanenhaus’s new book, Buckley…
- The Constitutional Legacy of Justice Robert Jackson · 58 minJohn Q. Barrett, discoverer and editor of Robert H. Jackson's acclaimed book That Man: An Insider's Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt and writer of the popular blog The Jackson…
- Ed Larson on Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters · 1 h 0 minPulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson discusses his newest book, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Still Matters, which traces the idea of American independence in one…
- Can President Trump Fire a Federal Trade Commissioner Without Cause? · 1 h 7 minIn this episode, Thomas Berry of the Cato Institute and Jed Shugerman of the Boston University School of Law join the recap the oral arguments from Trump v. Slaughter and debate…
- Amending the Constitution and the Article V Project · 59 minIn this episode, the National Constitution Center launches our Article V Project, a new initiative examining the founders’ vision for Article V and an historical look at the use…
