Live At America's Town Hall

Pultizer Prize-winning historian Eric Foner tells the story of the battle to inscribe equality into the Constitution. Foner traces the arc of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution—the “Reconstruction amendments”—from their dramatic pre-Civil War origins to today, detailing how they changed our founding document and shaped American history. He sits down with National Constitution Center President Jeffrey Rosen. This program was presented in conjunction with the Center’s exhibit Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality. Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

This Town Hall celebrates the launch of host Jeffrey Rosen’s newest book, Conversations with RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law—an informal portrait of the justice through an extraordinary series of conversations, starting in the 1990s and continuing to today. Jeff has collected Justice Ginsburg’s wisdom from their many conversations on the future of the Supreme Court and Roe v. Wade, which Supreme Court decisions she would like to see overturned, the #MeToo movement, and how to lead a productive, compassionate life – illuminating the determination, self-mastery, and wit of the “Notorious RBG.” Dahlia Lithwick, veteran Supreme Court reporter and host of the Slate podcast Amicus, moderates. Check out Conversations with RBG on Amazon and listen to the audiobook on Audible. The audiobook also has its very own Alexa skill – Ask RBG. You can ask your Amazon echo things like, “Alexa, ask RBG about the #MeToo movement” and you’ll hear clips from the real-life interviews with Justice Ginsburg fe

Is the Constitution “democratic” enough? What does it mean to be a democracy as opposed to a republic—is there a significant difference, and why does it matter? Should institutions like the Senate and the Electoral College, which are sometimes criticized for being undemocratic, be reformed or abolished? Constitutional scholars and professors Randy Barnett of Georgetown Law and Vikram Amar of the University of Illinois College of Law sat down for a rich debate of these questions here at the National Constitution Center, moderated by NCC President Jeffrey Rosen. Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Richard Stengel shares his insider account of the fight against the global rise of disinformation – describing how disinformation has been used by terrorist groups like ISIS; how it influenced the 2016 election; how it factors into the current impeachment inquiry; and more. Stengel led the Obama administration’s counter-disinformation efforts while serving as Under Secretary of State from 2013-2016. He previously served as head of the National Constitution Center and was the editor of TIME. Stengel unveils his new book Information Wars: How We Lost the Global Battle Against Disinformation and What We Can Do About It in conversation with NCC President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen. Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

A group of legal scholars and reproductive rights experts visited the National Constitution Center earlier this fall to debate the question: should Roe v. Wade be overturned? Kathryn Kolbert, who argued the landmark reproductive rights case Planned Parenthood v. Casey, Professor and legal historian Mary Ziegler, and President of Americans United for Life Catherine Glenn Foster joined our Senior Director of Content Lana Ulrich for a timely discussion of reproductive rights and the Constitution. If you enjoy this constitutional conversation, please also check out our two-part debate on abortion and the Constitution on our companion podcast We the People (listen to part one here and part two here). Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton visited the National Constitution Center last week to unveil their new book The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience. They shared stories of the gutsy women profiled in their book – some close to them, including Chelsea’s grandmothers; some historic figures like Claudette Colvin and Frances Perkins; and some modern day trailblazers like Greta Thurnberg, Abby Wombach, and the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. They also detailed the groundbreaking work done by these women in areas including equal pay, the Equal Rights Amendment, athletics, gun policy reform, and more. Sec. Clinton also explains why she thinks we are in a constitutional crisis and shares her thoughts on the current impeachment inquiry. The conversation, moderated by MSNBC correspondent Joy-Ann Reid with introductory remarks by NCC President Jeff Rosen, was held before a sold-out audience at the NCC. Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at

Last week, our companion podcast We the People was recorded live in front of our National Constitution Center audience for the first time! Host Jeffrey Rosen was joined by SCOTUSblog’s Amy Howe and John Elwood to preview the Supreme Court’s 2019 term, which began this week. They discussed this term’s blockbuster cases, including a trio of cases argued at the Court this morning which raise the question of whether Title VII, a federal statute prohibiting employment discrimination because of sex, also prohibits discrimination by employers based on gender identity and sexual orientation.  They also dove into other major topics that will soon come before the Court, including immigration policies like DACA, abortion, the Second Amendment, and school choice. [Update: after this episode was recorded, the Supreme Court agreed to hear June Medical Services LLC v. Gee, the Louisiana abortion case mentioned in this discussion.]  Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Today, September 17, is Constitution Day – the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution back in 1787. To celebrate that anniversary, we’re sharing a conversation about the constitutional clashes that shaped our nation – between Alexander Hamilton and rivals like Burr, Madison, Jefferson, and Adams. Hamilton historians Carol Berkin, Jay Cost, and Tony Williams visited the NCC for a sit-down with President Jeffrey Rosen.  This program celebrated the opening of the National Constitution Center’s exhibit ‘Hamilton: The Constitutional Clashes that Shaped a Nation.’ Please visit the exhibit now through December 31, 2019. Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

“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.  Ques

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.