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Live at the National Constitution Center — News & Politics
Live at the National Constitution Center

Live constitutional conversations and debates featuring leading historians, journalists, scholars, and public officials hosted at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and across America. To watch National Constitution Center Town Halls live, check out our schedule of upcoming programs at constitutioncenter.org/townhall. Register through Zoom to ask your constitutional questions in the Q&A or watch live on YouTube at YouTube.com/ConstitutionCenter.

Latest Episodes:

What is Habeas Corpus? Sep 10, 2019

Show notes

“Habeas corpus” – a legal concept offering people the chance to challenge being held in jail unlawfully – originated with the Magna Carta in 1215, and was included in the Constitution via the Suspension Clause in Article I. Issues surrounding the scope of habeas rights have arisen throughout American history, from the Founding to the Civil War to Japanese internment during World War II. But the post-9/11 detention of American citizens and others accused of terrorism led to renewed debate about due process rights for citizens and noncitizens alike, as well as landmark Supreme Court cases interpreting the right of habeas corpus as it applies both at home and abroad—from Hamdi v. Rumsfeld to Boumediene v. Bush. Professor Amanda Tyler of Berkeley Law visited the NCC to discuss her involvement in the Hamdi case and to trace the history of habeas corpus, and discuss her book Habeas Corpus in Wartime: From the Tower of London to Guantanamo Bay. She sat down with NCC Senior Director of Content Lana Ulrich.

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

Dissent: An American Tradition Sep 03, 2019

Show notes

In this Town Hall, historian Ralph Young discusses his book Dissent: The History of an American Idea. Young details key moments of American dissent from the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War, through the Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, to modern movements like the Colin Kaepernick-led national anthem protests—and what they mean for constitutional change. NCC scholar-in-residence Michael Gerhardt moderates (and our National Constitution Center members chime in with questions).

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

Armed in America Aug 28, 2019

Show notes

In this Town Hall, historian Patrick Charles and legal scholar Brandon Denning take a deep dive into the history of the right to bear arms in America – from colonial militias to concealed carry – and the ways that this history has intersected with how the Second Amendment has been interpreted over time. National Constitution Center Senior Director of Content Lana Ulrich hosts.

For more on the Second Amendment and an upcoming Supreme Court case that could have major implications for gun rights – tune into this week’s episode of our companion podcast We the People, available this Thursday wherever you get your podcasts.

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

Slavery and its Opponents at America’s Founding Aug 20, 2019

Show notes

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the start of American slavery, as the first ship brought enslaved Africans to the British colony of Virginia in August 1619. And, this time of year in 1787, the Framers were debating early drafts of the Constitution and wrestling with foundational questions about the new American republic – many of which surrounded the status of enslaved peoples. Historian Sean Wilentz reconsidered the Founders’ debates over slavery and the Constitution in this Town Hall – arguing that the original Constitution actually limited slavery’s legitimacy, and that the Framers did not formally enshrine the idea that there could be “property in man.” He discussed his book, ‘No Property in Man: Slavery and Antislavery at the Nation’s Founding’, with National Constitution Center President Jeff Rosen here at the NCC last fall.

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

The Man Who Made the Supreme Court Aug 13, 2019

Show notes

John Marshall—the fourth Chief Justice of the United States—led the Supreme Court for over 24 years, starting in 1801, and transformed it into the powerful branch we know today. This week, we’re sharing a conversation from last fall with Richard Brookhiser, senior editor of National Review and author of 'John Marshall: The Man Who Made the Supreme Court', who visited the National Constitution Center to discuss Marshall’s legacy. He sat down with NCC Scholar-in-Residence Michael Gerhardt.

If you enjoyed this constitutional conversation, please check out the most recent episode of our companion podcast We the People— "The Federalists vs. The Anti-Federalists"—which explored the biggest constitutional debates among Federalists like John Marshall and his famous Founding-Father peers.

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

The Presidents: America's Best and Worst Aug 06, 2019

Show notes

The office of the presidency has forged some of our nation’s very best, and very worst, leaders. In this Town Hall, a panel of presidential biographers explores what makes or breaks a presidency, and how presidents are ranked over time. C-SPAN Executive Chair Brian Lamb moderates a conversation with National Constitution Center President Jeff Rosen, NCC Scholar-in-Residence Michael Gerhardt, and author and journalist Robert Strauss. First, C-SPAN President Susan Swain introduces the panel as well as CSPAN’s new book 'The Presidents: Noted Historians Rank America's Best—and Worst—Chief Executives'.

This program was presented in partnership with C-SPAN. For more on The Presidents, visit c-span.org/thepresidents.

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

The Presidents Adams and the Politics of Personality Jul 31, 2019

Show notes

Earlier this summer, historians Nancy Isenberg and Andrew Burstein visited the National Constitution Center to discuss their new book 'The Problem of Democracy: The Presidents Adams Confront the Cult of Personality'. Professors Isenberg and Burstein, both of Louisiana State University, discussed the lives and political careers of father and son presidents John and John Quincy Adams, and explored the politics of personality in early America. They sat down with Lana Ulrich, senior director of content at the National Constitution Center.

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

George F. Will: The Conservative Sensibility Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist George F. Will returned to the National Constitution Center stage last month to discuss his new book, 'The Conservative Sensibility', a reflection on American conservatism. He sat down with National Constitution Center President Jeffrey Rosen for a wide-ranging conversation, sharing his thoughts on everything from natural rights and the Declaration of Independence through the Woodrow Wilson presidency and up to the Roberts Court.

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

Women and the Civil War: The Untold Stories Jul 16, 2019

Show notes

Earlier this summer, the National Constitution Center hosted a conversation about the untold stories of women abolitionists, suffragists, and even soldiers during the Civil War. NCC Senior Director of Content Lana Ulrich sat down with noted historians Thavolia Glymph of Duke University, Kate Masur of Northwestern University, and Catherine Clinton of the University of Texas in San Antonio. These scholars told fascinating stories from the lives of women like Harriet Scott, Ida B. Wells, and Harriet Tubman.

This event celebrated our new exhibit ‘Civil War and Reconstruction: the Battle for Freedom and Equality’ which Glymph and Masur helped produce as members of our exhibit's advisory board.

This conversation was presented in partnership with Drexel University's national women's equality initiative, Vision 2020.

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

The Supreme Court: 2018-19 Term Recap, and What’s Next? Jul 10, 2019

Show notes

NCC President Jeffrey Rosen recently traveled to Aspen, Colorado for the Aspen Ideas Festival, where he moderated a panel on the 2018-19 Supreme Court term featuring an all-star line-up of legal commentators: appellate lawyers and former Solicitors General Neal Katyal and Ted Olson, Harvard legal history professor Annette Gordon-Reed, CNN legal analyst Joan Biskupic, and New York Times Magazine staff writer and Yale Law School lecturer Emily Bazelon. The panel explored how the Court’s recent decisions – including the census citizenship question and partisan gerrymandering decisions – will affect our lives. They also discussed the future of abortion rights and of the administrative state at the Court, the dynamics of the new Roberts Court, and much more.

This conversation was presented by the Aspen Institute as part of the Aspen Ideas Festival.

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

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