Live at the National Constitution Center

Latest Episodes:

The Evolution of Judicial Independence in America — Part 3 May 30, 2023

Show notes

The National Constitution Center and the Federal Judicial Center present a three-part discussion exploring the evolution of judicial independence in America and its critical role in our democracy from the Founding to present day.

This episode features two federal judges discussing their experiences upholding judicial independence in the face of contemporary challenges. Clara Altman, deputy director of the Federal Judicial Center, moderates a conversation with Judge R. Guy Cole, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and Judge Sara Lee Ellis of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

This program is presented in partnership with theFederal Judicial Center.

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The Evolution of Judicial Independence in America — Part 2 May 23, 2023

Show notes

This episode explores judicial independence and the federal courts in the 20th century and the major milestones that shaped the judiciary, including the crucial role of Chief Justice Taft and key Supreme Court rulings. Moderated by Jeffrey Rosen, this panel features a conversation with scholars Neal Devins and Allison Orr Larsen of William & Mary Law School, Marin Levy of Duke University School of Law.

This program is presented in partnership with theFederal Judicial Center.

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The Evolution of Judicial Independence in America — Part 1 May 17, 2023

Show notes

This episode features a conversation with historians Mary Sarah Bilderof Boston College Law School andJack Rakove of Stanford University, exploring the founders’ intentions surrounding the establishment of the federal judiciary and the role of the courts during the nation’s formative years. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

This program is presented in partnership with theFederal Judicial Center.

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The Future of Affirmative Action May 09, 2023

Show notes

With the Supreme Court weighing two cases involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina that could end affirmative action in higher education, scholars William B. Allen of Michigan State University and Hasan Kwame Jeffries of The Ohio State University discuss its future. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

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Women and the American Idea May 02, 2023

Show notes

Tomiko Brown-Nagin, author of Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality, and Elizabeth Cobbs, author of Fearless Women: Feminist Patriots from Abigail Adams to Beyoncé explore key influential women throughout history and how these women inspired constitutional change. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

This program is made possible through the generous support of the McNulty Foundation in partnership with the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership at Villanova University.

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Solicitors General and the Supreme Court Apr 25, 2023

Show notes

The U.S. Supreme Court decides some of the most challenging and important constitutional and statutory issues facing America through its interpretive methodologies. In this episode, we explore the various approaches to constitutional interpretation and key doctrines—including originalism, textualism, and the major questions doctrine—through the lens of recent Supreme Court cases with Solicitors General Ben Flowers of Ohio and Caroline Van Zile of Washington, D.C. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

This program is presented in partnership with the Center for Excellence in Governance at the National Association of Attorneys General.

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Civic Virtue and Citizenship Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

In this episode we explore the concepts of civic virtue and citizenship in democratic societies. Joining the conversation are: Christopher Beem, author of The Seven Democratic Virtues: What You Can Do to Overcome Tribalism and Save Our Democracy; Richard Haass, author of The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens; and Lorraine Pangle, author of Reason and Character: The Moral Foundations of Aristotelian Political Philosophy. 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.

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The Constitutional Role of the State Solicitor General Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

The National Constitution Center and the National Association of Attorneys General host a bipartisan conversation with Dan Schweitzer, director and chief counsel of the National Association of Attorneys General Center for Supreme Court Advocacy; Lindsay See, solicitor general of West Virginia; and Barbara Underwood, solicitor general of New York, exploring the history of the office of the solicitor general, the role of state solicitors in litigating cases before the Supreme Court, and some of the landmark cases they have litigated. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

This program is presented in partnership with the Center for Excellence in Governance at the National Association of Attorneys General.

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Amendment Reform in America and Abroad Mar 21, 2023

Show notes

The National Constitution Center and the Center for Constitutional Design at Arizona State University present a comparative discussion of how democracies amend their constitutions, at home and around the world. A panel of distinguished scholars, including Wilfred Codrington of Brooklyn Law School, Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and Rosalind Dixon of the University of New South Wales, survey the constitutional amendment process around the world to cast light on our debates in the U.S. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

This program is presented in partnership with the Center for Constitutional Design at Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.

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Lessons from Tocqueville in America Mar 15, 2023

Show notes

Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America has been called by Harvey Mansfield the “best book ever written on democracy and the best book ever written on America." What can a 200-year-old book teach us about democracy in America today?

Scholars—Jeremy Jennings, author of Travels with Tocqueville Beyond America; Olivier Zunz, author of The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville; and Catherine Zuckert of the University of Notre Dame—discuss Tocqueville’s masterpiece and its lessons for modern Americans with Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center.

This conversation was streamed live on March 6, 2023.

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