We the People

In 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, Ida B. Wells, and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. have invoked the ideas and principles of the Declaration of Independence throughout American history to push for a more free and equal America. Thomas Donnelly, chief scholar of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  This conversation was originally streamed live as part of the NCC’s America’s Town Hall series on February 2, 2026.  Resources  National Constitution Center, "The Declaration Across History" Primary Sources  Lucas Morel, Lincoln and the American Founding  Melvin Rogers, The Darkened Light of Faith: Race, Democracy, and Freedom in African American Political Thought  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    Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠   Explore ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠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 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 government continues to grow, Lewis’ book examines how the government works, who works for it, and why their contributions continue to matter. Jeffrey Rosen, CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  This conversation was originally streamed live as part of the NCC’s America’s Town Hall series on March 26, 2025.  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    Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠   Explore ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness⁠⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠⁠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

This 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 sovereignty, constitutional structure, and democratic self-government.   Legal scholar William Ewald of the University of Pennsylvania and Jesse Wegman of the Brennan Center for Justice join to discuss Wegman’s new book, The Lost Founder: James Wilson and the Forgotten Fight for a People’s Constitution, which explores the life and legacy of this founder and Supreme Court justice. Julie Silverbrook, vice president of civic education of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Jesse Wegman, The Lost Founder: James Wilson and the Forgotten Fight for a People's Constitution  Jesse Wegman, Let the People Pick the President: The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College  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   Explore the ⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠  Explore ⁠⁠⁠Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠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

After 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 full time and energy to his scholarship and public dialogue.  The Center’s Board of Trustees appointed Vince Stango to serve as Interim President and CEO.  From all of us at the National Constitution Center, we express our gratitude to Jeff for his leadership and vision, including his role as the long-time host of the Center’s We the People podcast, where he brought constitutional debate to life for millions of listeners.  For the full announcement, visit the website. While you’re there, check out the many exciting things, including the Interactive Declaration, and all of our resources for America’s 250th!   As we work to bring you the next chapter of We the People, we will continue to share recent programs and episodes from the archive.   In this episode, we're sharing an America's Town Hall program with historians, Akhil Reed Amar, David Blight, and Annette Gordon-Reed, who joined for a sweeping conversation about the Constitution and the debates that have shaped America—from the founding era to today. They examine 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. Resources  National Constitution Center Announces Leadership Transition  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   Explore the ⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠  Explore ⁠⁠Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness⁠⁠  ⁠⁠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 Native American Heritage Month, award-winning historian Kathleen DuVal discusses her new book, Native Nations: A Millennium in North America, which traces a thousand years of Native history—from the rise of ancient cities and the arrival of Europeans to today’s ongoing fights for sovereignty. Thomas Donnelly, chief scholar of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  This conversation was originally streamed live on November 4, 2025, as part of the NCC’s America’s Town Hall program series.  Resources  Kathleen DuVal, Native Nations: A Millenium in North America (2025) 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   Explore the ⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠  Explore ⁠Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness⁠  ⁠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

Matthew 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 Life and the Revolution That Changed America, and to trace American conservatism’s evolution from the Progressive Era, through the rise of William F. Buckley Jr., to today. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  This conversation was originally streamed live as part of the NCC’s America’s Town Hall program series on December 11th, 2025.  Resources  Sam Tanenhaus, Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America (2025)  Matthew Continetti, The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism (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 @ConstitutionCtr  Explore the ⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠  Explore ⁠⁠Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠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

John 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 List, joins author and constitutional scholar Gerard Magliocca, author of The Actual Art of Governing: Justice Robert H. Jackson's Concurring Opinion in the Steel Seizure Case, and G. Edward White, author of Robert H. Jackson: A Life in Judgment, to discuss the Jackson’s legacy in debates over presidential power, constitutional interpretation, and the prosecution of war crimes at Nuremberg. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  This program is presented in partnership with the Robert H. Jackson Center. This conversation was originally streamed live as part of the NCC’s America’s Town Hall program series on December 8th, 2025. Resources John Q. Barrett, The Jackson List  Robert H. Jackson and John Q. Barrett (editor), That Man: An Insider’s Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt (2004)  Gerard Magliocca, The Actual Art of Governing: Justice Robert H. Jackson’s Concurring Opinion in the Steel Seizure Case (2025)  G. Edward White, Robert H. Jackson: A Life in Judgment (2025)  G. Edward White, The American Judicial Tradition: Profile of Leading American Judges (2007)  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  Explore the ⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠  Explore ⁠Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness⁠  ⁠⁠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

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson discusses his newest book, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Still Matters, which traces the idea of American independence in one pivotal year—1776—and its continued significance today. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.   This conversation was originally streamed live as part of the NCC’s America’s Town Hall program series on November 24, 2025.   Resources  Ed Larson, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters (2025)  Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776)  John Adams, Thoughts on Government (1776)  George Mason, First Draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776)  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  Explore the ⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠  Explore Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness  ⁠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 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 whether the statutory removal protections for members of the Federal Trade Commission violate the separation of powers. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.   Resources  Thomas Berry, Brief of the Cato Institute as Amicus Curiae in Support of Petitioners (10/17/2025)  Jed Shugerman, Brief Amicus Curiae of Professor Jed Handelsman Shugerman in Support of Respondents (11/14/2025)  Jed Shugerman, “The Indecisions of 1789: Inconstant Originalism and Strategic Ambiguity” (2023)  Jane Manners and Lev Menand, “The Three Permissions: Presidential Removal and the Statutory Limits of Agency Independence” (2021)  Marbury v. Madison (1803)  Myers v. United States (1926)  Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (1935)  Morrison v. Olson (1988)  Seila Law LLC v. CFPB (2020) 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 Explore the ⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠ Explore ⁠Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness⁠ ⁠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 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 of the Article V process from 1789 to the present. Project contributors and constitutional law scholars Gerard Magliocca, Sanford Levinson, Michael Rappaport, and Stephen Sachs explore the origins, debates, and ongoing challenges surrounding Article V, as presented in their essays.  Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. This conversation was originally streamed live as part of the NCC’s America’s Town Hall program series on December 3, 2025. The Article V Project was made possible with the support of Democracy Restated.  Resources  Article V: Amending the Constitution  Gerard Magliocca, Report: Article V Constitutional Conventions  Sanford Levinson, Reflections on the Possibility of a New Constitutional Convention  Michael B. Rappaport, The Convention Method for Proposing Amendments: Essential, Misunderstood, and Broken  Stephen E. Sachs, Restoring Conventions, One Amendment at a Time  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 Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit Explore Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness 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 our 12-part podcast series, Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness, Jeffrey Rosen explores the founders’ lives with the historians who know them best and filmmaker Ken Burns shares his daily practice of self-reflection.  The “pursuit of happiness” is one of the most famous phrases in American history. When America’s founders wrote it in the Declaration of Independence, they intended it to mean happiness through lifelong learning and self-improvement.  In the last episode of the series, listeners share some big and small changes that they have made. Plus, Jeffrey Rosen, filmmaker Ken Burns, and scholar Robert P. George explore Benjamin Franklin’s virtue of silence, which he defines as “speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.”    Listen to Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness on Apple Podcast and Spotify.  Watch the full performance of the Pursuit of Happiness: Song Cycles by Jeffrey Rosen.  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  Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit  Learn more about the NCC’s and Arizona State University's new online course on civic virtue, 'What the Founders Meant by “Happiness”: A Journey Through Virtue and Character’ and sign up for email updates  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 this episode, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Eric Foner joins to discuss his book, Our Fragile Freedoms, a new collection of essays exploring a range of topics, including debates over slavery and antislavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction, Jim Crow and the battle to dismantle it, and modern debates over the Constitution and how to teach American history. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. This conversation was originally streamed live on September 24, 2025, as part of the NCC’s America’s Town Hall program series.  Resources  Eric Foner, Our Fragile Freedoms (2025)  Eric Foner, The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution (2019)  Eric Foner, The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery (2010)  Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 (1988)  Richard Hofstadter, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life (1963)  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   Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit  Explore Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness  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 this episode, best-selling biographer Walter Isaacson joins to discuss his new book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written, with Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center. As we approach the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding, Isaacson explores the intellectual inspirations and drafting history of the Declaration’s famous second sentence, which lays the foundation for the American dream and defines the common ground we share as a nation.  Resources Walter Isaacson, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written (2025)   Walter Isaacson, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life (2004)   David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature (1739)  Benjamin Franklin, “Apology for Printers,” The Pennsylvania Gazette (1731)  John Locke, Two Treatises of Government (1690) In our new podcast, Pursuit: The Founders’ to Guide to Happiness Jeffrey Rosen explores the founders’ lives with the historians who know them best. Plus, filmmaker Ken Burns shares his daily practice of self-reflection.  Listen to episodes of Pursuit on ⁠Apple Podcast⁠ and ⁠Spotify⁠.  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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Explore the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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 this episode, Samuel Estreicher of the NYU School of Law and John Yoo of the UC Berkeley School of Law join to recap the oral arguments from the pair of challenges to President Trump’s tariffs and discuss whether International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) authorizes the president to impose extensive tariffs on nearly all goods imported into the United States. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.     Resources  Samuel Estreicher et al., “Brief of Professors of Administrative Law, Separation of Powers, Foreign Relations Law, Legislation and the Regulatory State, and Trade Law” (10/24/2025)  Sam Estreicher and Andrew Babbit, “The Case Against Unbounded Delegation in Trump v. VOS Selections,” Lawfare (10/30/2025) John Yoo, “What Could the Supreme Court Rule About Trump’s Tariffs,” Civitas Institute (9/8/2025)  Biden v. Nebraska (2023)  Whitman v. American Trucking Associations, Inc. (2001)  Dames & Moore v. Regan (1981) Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1953)  United States v. Yoshida International, Inc. (CCPA, 1975) United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp. (1936) Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States (1935)    In our new podcast, Pursuit: The Founders’ to Guide to Happiness Jeffrey Rosen explores the founders’ lives with the historians who know them best. Plus, filmmaker Ken Burns shares his daily practice of self-reflection.    Listen to episodes of Pursuit on Apple Podcast and Spotify.  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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Explore the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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

This episode is a two-part show on Alexander Hamilton. First, in a new episode of the podcast Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness, Jeffrey Rosen, historian Stephen Knott, and filmmaker Ken Burns unpack Hamilton’s life and legacy to see what lessons he can teach us about restraint. Then, Jeffrey Rosen and acclaimed historian and biographer Ron Chernow further explore the meteoric rise, inspiring life, and tragic death of Hamilton in a conversation from the NCC’s 2025 Liberty Medal Ceremony.     Resources  Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness Ron Chernow, Alexander Hamilton (2005)  Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America (2025) The National Constitution Center’s 37th annual Liberty Medal  Pursuit of Happiness, Song Cycles by Jeffrey Rosen, (2025) 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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Explore the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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

Jeffrey Rosen launched his new book, The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America, at the National Constitution Center in conversation with Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of The Atlantic. The book explores how the opposing constitutional visions of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton have defined the nation since its founding, shaped presidents from Washington to Trump, and continued to drive today’s debates over government power. This program was recorded live in Philadelphia on October 21, 2025, and presented in partnership with The Atlantic and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History Resources Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America, (2025) 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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Explore the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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 this bonus episode, we’re sharing a live conversation with Jeffrey Rosen, Joanne Freeman, George F. Will, and Sean Wilentz exploring Rosen’s new book, which is out this week: The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America. Their conversation explores how the opposing constitutional visions of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton have defined the nation since its founding and continued to drive today’s debates over the balance between liberty and power.  This conversation was originally recorded on February 22, 2025, as part of the NCC’s President’s Council Retreat in Miami, FL.  Resources  Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America, (2025)  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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Explore the⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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 this episode, William Banks of Syracuse University College of Law and Laura Dickinson of the George Washington Law School join to discuss the history and meaning of the Insurrection Act, which authorizes the president to deploy the U.S. military for domestic law enforcement purposes. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.     Resources Illinois v. Trump (N.D. Illinois, 2025)  United States v. Cruikshank (1875)  Martin v. Mott (1827)  William Banks and Stephen Dycus, Soldiers on the Home Front: The Domestic Role of the American Military (2016)  William Banks, “Providing ‘Supplemental Security’ – The Insurrection Act and the Military Role in Responding to Domestic Crises,” Journal of National Security Law & Policy (12/15/2009)  Laura Dickinson, “Protecting the U.S. National Security State from a Rogue President,” Harvard National Security Journal (1/9/2025)  Laura Dickinson, “How the Insurrection Act (Properly Understood) Limits Domestic Deployments of the U.S. Military,” Lawfare (9/12/2024)    In our new podcast, Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness, Jeffrey Rosen explores the founders’ lives with the historians who know them best. Plus, filmmaker Ken Burns shares his daily practice of self-reflection.  Listen to episodes of Pursuit on ⁠Apple Podcast⁠ and ⁠Spotify⁠.  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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Explore the⁠⁠⁠ ⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠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 this episode, Stephanie Barclay of the Georgetown University Law Center and Erwin Chemerinsky of the UC Berkeley School of Law join to recap the oral arguments from Chiles v. Salazar and discuss whether Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy violates the First Amendment. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.     Resources  United States v. Skrmetti (2025)  Mahmoud v. Taylor (2025)  NIFLA v. Becerra (2018)  Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California (Cal. 1976)  Stephanie Barclay et al., “Brief amici curiae of First Amendment Scholars,” Chiles v. Salazar (6/13/2025)  Erwin Chemerinsky et al., “Brief amici curiae of Constitutional Law Scholars,” Chiles v. Salazar (8/26/2025)  Cass Report (2024)  In our new podcast, Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness, Jeffrey Rosen explores the founders’ lives with the historians who know them best. Plus, filmmaker Ken Burns shares his daily practice of self-reflection.  Listen to episodes of Pursuit on ⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠.  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 ⁠⁠⁠ Explore the⁠⁠ ⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠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 this episode, Steve Vladeck of the Georgetown University Law Center and Sarah Isgur of SCOTUSblog join to discuss the legacy of the Roberts Court on its 20th anniversary and preview the important cases in the Supreme Court’s upcoming term, which begins on Monday, October 6. The National Constitution Center’s Griffin Richie guest hosts. Resources  Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump  Trump v. Slaughter  Sarah Isgur and David French, Advisory Opinions  Steve Vladeck, “The Roberts Court Turns Twenty,” One First (9/29/2025)  Steve Vladeck, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic (5/16/2023)  Caleb Nelson, “Special Feature: Must Administrative Officers Serve at the President’s Pleasure?,” Democracy Project (9/29/2025)  Joseph Copeland, “Favorable views of Supreme Court remain near historic low,” Pew Research (9/3/2025)  Brett M. Kavanaugh, “Separation of Powers During the Forty-Fourth Presidency and Beyond,” Minnesota Law Review (2009) In our new podcast, Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness, Jeffrey Rosen explores the founders’ lives with the historians who know them best. Plus, filmmaker Ken Burns shares his daily practice of self-reflection.  Listen to episodes of Pursuit on ⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠.  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 ⁠⁠ Explore the⁠ ⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠ ⁠⁠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