Live at the National Constitution Center

Latest Episodes:

Originalism: A Matter of Interpretation Sep 21, 2022

Show notes

September 17 is Constitution Day in the U.S., celebrating the day that members of the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia in 1787.

As a part of the National Constitution Center’s celebrations, we hosted a panel called “Originalism: A Matter of Interpretation.”

Emily Bazelon of The New York Times Magazine, Rich Lowry of the National Review, Steven Mazie of The Economist, and Ilan Wurman of Arizona State University joined host Jeffrey Rosen to discuss whether the Constitution should be interpreted according to its original meaning, and if the Supreme Court is consistent in applying principles of originalism in its decisions.

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To watch National Constitution Center Town Hall programs live, check out our schedule of upcoming programs. Register through Zoom to ask your constitutional questions in the Q&A or watch live on YouTube.

Oligarchies, Monopolies, and the Constitution Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

Is the Constitution “anti-oligarchy”? What does it say about monopolies and antitrust? Legal experts Joseph Fishkin and William E. Forbath, co-authors of The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution, join law professor Katharine Jackson of the University of Dayton School of Law, and Adam White of the American Enterprise Institute, for a conversation moderated by Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center.

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Abortion Law in the U.S. and Abroad After Roe Jul 20, 2022

Show notes

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade and found no constitutional basis for a right to choose abortion. Teresa Stanton Collett of the University of St. Thomas School of Law (Minnesota), David French of The Dispatch, Katherine Mayall of the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Mary Ziegler of UC Davis School of Law and author of Dollars for Life: The Anti-Abortion Movement and the Fall of the Republican Establishment, join for a conversation exploring the role of the Supreme Court in shaping abortion rights under the Constitution, how U.S. abortion law after Roe compares to that of other countries, and what lessons the United States can learn from how abortion is treated by law in other nations. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

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

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Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy Jul 13, 2022

Show notes

As January 6 hearings proceed on Capitol Hill, join the National Constitution Center for the launch of the Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy team reports. The project brings together three teams of leading experts— libertarian, progressive, and conservative—to identify institutional, legal, and technological reforms that might address current threats to American democracy. Team leaders Edward B. Foley, Sarah Isgur, and Clark Neily discuss their proposals. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Read the reports:

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Juneteenth: Tracing the Origins and Significance Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

As part of the National Constitution Center's two-day celebration commemorating Juneteenth, join a conversation with William B. Allen of Michigan State University and Hasan Kwame Jeffries of The Ohio State University exploring the history and meaning of the holiday, its connection to July 4 and the Declaration of Independence, and more. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

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Social Media and Public Health: A Conversation Featuring State Attorneys General Jun 07, 2022

Show notes

The National Constitution Center and the National Association of Attorneys General host a bipartisan conversation with Attorneys General Doug Peterson of Nebraska and Phil Weiser of Colorado exploring the role of state attorneys general, state law, and state police powers under the Constitution in addressing the potential dangers of various social media platforms to public health, privacy, and competition. 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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The United Kingdom and the United States: A Constitutional Dialogue May 25, 2022

Show notes

Richard Albert of the University of Texas at Austin, Nicholas Cole of the University of Oxford, and Alison Lacroix of the University of Chicago Law School compare the legal systems of the United States and the United Kingdom, including the ways both countries have influenced each other’s constitutional and political structures over time, from the COVID-19 pandemic to rising threats to democracy around the world. Lana Ulrich, senior director of content at the National Constitution, moderates.

The program is presented in partnership with the University of Oxford.

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Rights, Regulations, and the Modern Administrative State May 10, 2022

Show notes

From lawsuits over the federal government’s vaccine mandates or the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation of carbon emissions, the Supreme Court is debating the constitutional scope of the administrative state more vigorously than at any time since the New Deal. Join Lisa Heinzerling of Georgetown University Law Center, Ilan Wurman of Arizona State University Law, and William J. Novak, author of New Democracy: The Creation of the Modern American State, for a conversation exploring the rise of the administrative state, current cases about the scope of its power, and its future. Lana Ulrich, senior director of content at the National Constitution, moderates.

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Why the First Amendment Matters Today May 03, 2022

Show notes

On today’s very special episode, we share the exciting events that happened at the National Constitution Center earlier this week.

To celebrate the unveiling of the First Amendment tablet—once featured on the facade of the Newseum in Washington, D.C., now at its new home in the Grand Hall Overlook of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia—free speech defenders Randall Kennedy of Harvard Law School, former ACLU President Nadine Strossen of New York Law School, and Greg Lukianoff of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education join for a discussion of why the First Amendment matters today. A dedication ceremony with remarks from the Honorable J. Michael Luttig, former judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; Jan Neuharth, chair and CEO of the Freedom Forum; and Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, follows.

This program was presented in celebration of the newly installed First Amendment tablet at the National Constitution Center donated by the Freedom Forum, which works to foster First Amendment freedoms for all. The design and installation of the tablet was made possible by the Honorable J. Michael Luttig and Elizabeth A. Luttig.

Watch the program video here: https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/town-hall-video/why-the-first-amendment-matters-today

Read Jeff's remarks here: https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/remarks-from-the-first-amendment-tablet-ceremony

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

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America’s Early Justices and How They Shaped the Supreme Court Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

Historians and biographers provide a historical look at some of America’s earliest justices—from John Jay, the first chief justice, to George Washington’s nephew Bushrod Washington and Pennsylvania Founding Father James Wilson. Join Gerard Magliocca, author of Washington’s Heir: The Life of Justice Bushrod Washington, Supreme Court historian Maeva Marcus of George Washington University Law School, and Walter Stahr, author of John Jay: Founding Father and Salmon P. Chase: Lincoln’s Vital Rival, as they discuss the impact of these early justices on American history. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

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Please subscribe to L ive at the National Constitution Center and our companion podcast We the People on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.