Live at the National Constitution Center

In this episode, Stanford University Professor Caroline Winterer explores how the American founders drew inspiration from not only classical Greece and Rome, but other civilizations in the ancient world, including Carthage, Rome’s mortal enemy. In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the conversation explores how the founders looked much more broadly in the ancient world for inspiration during the American Revolution and how these ideas have shaped our constitutional democracy. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates. This program was presented in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania Department of Classical Studies. It was the first in a three-part lecture series featuring Caroline Winterer titled “American Antiquities: Beyond the Classical World of the American Founders.” Information on the additional two lectures can be found here. Resources  What the Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans, National Constitution Center Town Hall, December 3, 2020 Caroline Winterer, American Enlightenments: Pursuing Happiness in the Age of Reason (2016) Caroline Winterer, The Mirror of Antiquity: American Women and the Classical Tradition, 1750–1900 (2007) Caroline Winterer, The Culture of Classicism: Ancient Greece and Rome in American Intellectual Life, 1780-1910 (2004) Stay Connected and Learn More  Stay connected with Live at the National Constitution Center—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.  Questions or comments? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.  Support our important work by making a donation today.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate⁠⁠

In this episode, Technology and constitutional scholar Jonathan Zittrain and Distinguished Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School Ellen Goodman examine the intersection of the First Amendment and artificial intelligence, how constitutional values can help guide emerging technologies, and what the future of free expression looks like in the digital age. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. This program is presented in partnership with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as part of First Amendment Day, a new annual celebration inviting visitors of all ages to explore the five freedoms of the First Amendment through conversation, creativity, history, and hands-on experiences. Resources  The First Amendment, National Constitution Center Free Speech in a Changing World, National Constitution Center’s We the People podcast, July 30, 2026 Stay Connected and Learn More  Stay connected with Live at the National Constitution Center—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.  Questions or comments? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and ⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.  Support our important work by making a donation today.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate⁠

In this episode, Timothy Sandefur joins to discuss his new book, Proclaiming Liberty: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the Declaration of Independence, a fast-paced intellectual history that traces how John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and their contemporaries transformed centuries of political thought into the revolutionary principles of the Declaration of Independence—and why those principles still matter today. Blending biography, political thought, and legal history, Proclaiming Liberty traces the Declaration’s legacy through the abolitionist movement, the Civil War, and the modern age, documenting how its principles have continued to challenge tyranny, refute relativism, and inspire movements for justice. Julie Silverbrook, the chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources   Timothy Sandefur, Proclaiming Liberty: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the Declaration of Independence  (2026) Stay Connected and Learn More  Stay connected with Live at the National Constitution Center—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.  Questions or comments? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and ⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.  Support our important work by making a donation today.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate⁠

In this episode, Constitutional scholar Ilan Wurman joins for a conversation on his new book, The Constitution of 1789: A New Introduction. Written to coincide with the semiquincentennial of American independence, the book offers a fresh examination of the Constitution’s origins, structure, separation of powers, and the relationship between the Constitution and the American founding. Wurman explores how the Constitution was understood at its creation and the questions that have animated constitutional debates for over two centuries. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.  Resources   The Constitution of 1789: A New Introduction Stay Connected and Learn More  Stay connected with Live at the National Constitution Center—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.  Questions or comments? Email ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠.  Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and ⁠⁠⁠sign up⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.  Support our important work by making a donation today.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate

In 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 public debate about the Court. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. This conversation was recorded live in Philadelphia on July 7, 2026, as part of the National Constitution Center’s 2026 Supreme Court Review, which is presented in partnership with the Center on the Structural Constitution at Texas A&M University School of Law. The program featured three panels with scholars of differing perspectives examining the Court’s 2025–2026 term, its approach to executive power, and civil discourse surrounding the Court.    Resources  2026 Supreme Court Review: Key Decisions, Executive Power, Civil Discourse, National Constitution Center “Retired Justice Kennedy laments coarse discourse of Trump era and its effects on the Supreme Court,” Associated Press, Oct. 8, 2025 “Justice Thomas Bemoans Incivility as Security Prompts Cancellation of In-Person Speech,” The New York Times, Feb. 27, 2026 “Justices Hint at Strains as Supreme Court Comes Under Scrutiny,” The New York Times, May 18, 2026 “Takeaways From Rare Congressional Testimony by Two Supreme Court Justices,” The New York Times, July 15, 2026 Stay Connected and Learn More  Stay connected with Live at the National Constitution Center—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.  Questions or comments? Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠.  Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and ⁠⁠sign up⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.  Support our important work by making a donation today.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate