We the People

In this episode, author Scott S. Greenberger discusses his new book, The Forsaken Founder, which explores the colorful life and consequential legacy of Gouverneur Morris, the “Penman of the Constitution,” an often overlooked and forgotten figure of the American founding. Greenberger highlights Morris’s indispensable contributions to the American Revolution, his central role in shaping the language and structure of the Constitution, and how he helped to guide the early republic in its fragile first years. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• Scott S. Greenberger, The Forsaken Founder: Gouverneur Morris, the Unsung Patriot Who Wrote the Constitution, Stood Up to Slavery, and Survived the Reign of Terror (2026)
• Gouverneur Morris, Constitutional Convention Speeches (1787), National Constitution Center
• Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816), National Constitution Center

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Article V of the U.S. Constitution establishes two methods for proposing constitutional amendments: a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress or a convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures. Although all 27 ratified amendments have been proposed by Congress, and no Article V convention has ever been called, the convention process remains an alternative path to constitutional reform. In this episode, Lawrence Lessig of Harvard Law School and David A. Super of Georgetown University Law Center debate whether Article V conventions offer a necessary alternative to a politically gridlocked Congress or pose unacceptable risks to the constitutional order. They examine the history and purpose of Article V conventions, current movements to amend the Constitution, concerns about a runaway convention, and potential safeguards to ensure democratic accountability. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• VthePeople, Harvard Law School
• “Debating another way to change the Constitution,” Rebecca Beyer, Harvard Law Today, Oct. 6, 2026
• “Making an Article V Convention Safe for Democracy,” Lawrence Lessig, New York Review, April 17, 2023
• “A constitutional convention is the last thing America needs,” David A. Super, Los Angeles Times, March 15, 2017
• Article V, Interactive Constitution, National Constitution Center
• Article V: Amending the Constitution, National Constitution Center

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Historian David O. Stewart joins to discuss his latest book, The Democracy We Must Keep, which examines the foundational ideas in nine key founding-era documents that shaped America's constitutional democracy. Stewart discusses how the founders sought to create a government strong enough to govern but constrained enough to protect liberty, the compromises and debates that shaped the Constitution, and the warnings about political parties and factionalism in Washington’s Farewell Address and Jefferson’s First Inaugural. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• David O. Stewart, The Democracy We Must Keep: Seven Founders, Nine Documents, and The Ideas That Shaped America, (2026)
• “The Fragility of Self-Government,” The Civic Decade (October 14, 2026)
• Interactive Constitution, National Constitution Center
• Interactive Declaration of Independence, National Constitution Center
• George Washington’s Farewell Address (1796), National Constitution Center
• Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address (1801), National Constitution Center

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The National Constitution Center previews the Supreme Court’s 2026-2027 term. Masha Hansford, partner at Davis Polk & Wardwell, Amy Howe, co-founder of SCOTUSblog, and Greg Stohr, Supreme Court reporter for Bloomberg News, join to break down the biggest cases on the docket, unpack the constitutional questions at stake, and explore the issues that could have the biggest impact on the Court in the year ahead. Tom Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• New Supreme Court term features First Amendment, other challenges, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, October 2, 2026
• Supreme Court to start new term with major environmental case, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, September 29, 2026
• Supreme Court asked to rule on federal ban on home production of distilled spirits, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, September 25, 2026
• Supreme Court asked to consider dispute over religious use of public park, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, September 9, 2026
• Supreme Court allows Trump voting executive order to move forward pending challenges, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, August 25, 2026
• Ten Commandments school dispute heading to the Supreme Court, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, August 19, 2026
• Climate change lawsuit to kick off Supreme Court’s next term, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, August 6, 2026
• A new Eighth Amendment controversy heads to the Supreme Court, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, July 22, 2026
• Four cases to watch in the Supreme Court’s next term, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, July 15, 2026

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Frederick Douglass is remembered as one of the most powerful orators in American history, a leading voice for abolition, and an extraordinary champion of equal rights. He was also one of the 19th century’s most important thinkers about freedom of speech. For Douglass, free speech was not simply a constitutional protection against government censorship. It was a fundamental human right, an indispensable weapon in the struggle against slavery, and an essential condition of equal citizenship and self-government. In this episode, scholar Jacob Mchangama examines Douglass’s remarkably expansive understanding of free speech, drawing on a new research project that examines hundreds of his speeches, writings, and letters. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• The Future of Free Speech, Jacob Mchangama
• Frederick Douglass Free Speech Corpus, Jacob Mchangama
• “Free Speech in a Changing World,” We the People (July 30, 2026)
• Jacob Mchangama, Free Speech: A History From Socrates to Social Media (2022)
• Jacob Mchangama and Jeff Kosseff, The Future of Free Speech: Reversing the Global Decline of Democracy’s Most Essential Freedom (2026)
• Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition, National Constitution Center
• First Amendment: Speech and Press Clauses, National Constitution Center

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In this episode, Joseph Blocher of Duke University School of Law and Clark Neily of the Cato Institute trace the ongoing debates over the Second Amendment. They analyze recent Supreme Court decisions on this key provision, preview a case on the Court’s docket this term, and look ahead to the issues on the horizon. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• The Second Amendment, Interpretation & Debate, National Constitution Center
• District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) Supreme Court Cases Library, National Constitution Center
• McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
• New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen (2022)
• United States v. Rahimi (2024)
• “No earthquake, but did the Supreme Court shift a bit in its approach to guns?,” NCC’s Constitution Daily blog, (June 24, 2024)
• United States v. Hemani (2025)
• “Supreme Court rules in favor of man facing gun ban for using marijuana,” NCC's Constitution Daily blog, (June 18, 2026)
• Josephe Blocher and David Pozen, “The Excluded Middle of Law: Constitutional Drivers of Extremism in Gun and Drug Policy,” Duke Law School 2026 Supreme Court Review (forthcoming)
• Wilford v. Lopez (2025)
• “Supreme Court strikes down Hawaii law regulating firearms possession,” NCC's Constitution Daily blog, (June 25, 2026)
• Brief of the Cato Institute as Amicus Curiae in Support of Petitioners, Viramontes v. Cook County

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In this special Constitution Day episode, author William Magnuson discusses his latest book, The Just and the Good: How Law Made the Western World, which is a sweeping tour of the history of the law. He explores how the pillars of the rule of law were built—from the courts of ancient Athens to the United States Constitution, to Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Civil Rights Movement. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• William Magnuson, The Just and the Good: How Law Made the Western World (2026)

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Geoffrey Stone of the University of Chicago Law School and Eugene Volokh, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and UCLA School of Law, discuss the First Amendment and the rapidly evolving speech landscape—from social media and artificial intelligence to college campuses and the press. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• Moody v. NetChoice, LLC (2024)
• “What is Section 230?,” We the People (June 4, 2020)
• Citizen United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) National Constitution Center, Supreme Court Case Library
• “Meta reaches landmark $18 billion settlement with states in trial over teen social media addiction,” Associated Press (Aug 26, 2026)
• Free Speech Coalition, INC v. Paxton (2025)
• Ashcroft v. ACLU (2004)
• NRA v. Vullo (2024)
• “Scaling Laws: Eugene Volokh: Navigating Libel and Liability in the AI Age,” Lawfare (July 17, 2025)
• New York Times Company v. Sullivan (1964) National Constitution Center, Supreme Court Case Library
• Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc. (1974)

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In this episode, Mary Sarah Bilder, Founders Professor at Boston College Law School, explores the history of rights and liberties in America and the origins of the Bill of Rights. She traces how ideas about rights developed before, during, and after the American Revolution, shaped debates over the Constitution, and ultimately led to the adoption of the first 10 amendments. She also explores how those amendments came to be known collectively as the Bill of Rights and gained the significance they have today. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• “The Blessings of Liberty and Bills of Rights,” by Mary Sarah Bilder for the National Constitution Center
• Bill of Rights Resources, National Constitution Center
• The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals, (2026)

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• Questions or comments? Email podcast@constitutioncenter.org.
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In a recent decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that law enforcement’s use of a geofence warrant, which collected identity and location data from mobile phone users, violated the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. Professor Orin S. Kerr of Stanford University unpacks the decision in Chatrie v. United States and explores what it means for the future of the Fourth Amendment, privacy, and government surveillance in the digital age. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• Orin S. Kerr, “The Fourth Amendment After Chatrie,” Stanford Law Working Paper Series (Aug 12, 2026)
• Orin S. Kerr, The Digital Fourth Amendment: Privacy and Policing in Our Online World (2025)
• The Fourth Amendment, National Constitution Center
• Chatrie v. United States (2026)
• Case v. Montana(2026)
• Carpenter v. United States (2018)
• Riley v. California (2014)
• United States v. Knotts (1983)
• United States v. Leon (1984)
• Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

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In this episode, prize-winning author and historian Fergus M. Bordewich discusses his latest book, Centennial: The Great Fair of 1876 and the Invention of America’s Future, which explores the story of the nation’s 100th birthday and the first world’s fair. Bordewich traces the lives of President Rutherford B. Hayes, the inventor Alexander Graham Bell, railroad magnate Tom Scott, and the African American sculptor Edmonia Lewis—revealing a country striving to live up to the promise of the founders while bracing for the tidal wave of the 20th century. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• Fergus M. Bordewich, Centennial: The Great Fair of 1876 and the Invention of America’s Future (2026)
• Fergus M. Bordewich, Klan War: Ulysses S. Grant and the Battle to Save Reconstruction (2023)
• Fergus M. Bordewich, Congress at War: How Republican Reformers Fought the Civil War, Defied Lincoln, Ended Slavery, and Remade America (2020)
• Fergus M. Bordewich, The First Congress: How James Madison, George Washington, and a Group of Extraordinary Men Invented the Government (2016)
• Fergus M. Bordewich, America’s Great Debate: Henry Clay, Stephen A. Douglas, and the Compromise that Preserved the Union (2012)
• The Hayes-Tilden Election of 1876, Live at the National Constitution Center (Oct 13, 2020)

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When Americans think about the Declaration of Independence, we tend to remember its most famous words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” and its promise of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” But to fully understand the Declaration we also need to read the section most Americans skip: its 27 grievances against King George III. For the founding generation, these grievances were not simply a list of complaints. They were central to the Declaration’s argument, laying out the case for how the King and Parliament had violated their rights and why independence had become necessary. Historian Rosemarie Zagarri explores what the grievances meant in 1776, what they reveal about the colonists’ understanding of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and how reading them more closely can deepen our understanding of the Declaration as a constitutional argument and a justification for revolution. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• The Declaration of Independence, National Constitution Center
• “The Declaration’s Grievances Against the King,” by Rosemarie Zagarri for the National Constitution Center
• Primary Source: Declaration of Independence (Short list of grievances), National Constitution Center
• The Promise of America: Reflections on, Our Enduring Ideals

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The Supreme Court's latest term featured landmark decisions on executive power, birthright citizenship, voting rights, and more. But beyond the headlines, what did the term tell us about the Roberts Court itself? In this episode, Masha Hansford and Jonathan Adler examine the justices' opinions to explore the defining decisions, shifting coalitions, and influential concurrences and dissents that shaped the term. Together, they consider the Court's institutional role, the distinct jurisprudence of its individual justices, and what this term may signal for the future of constitutional law. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• 2026 Supreme Court Review: Key Decisions, Executive Power, Civil Discourse, National Constitution Center
• “Four cases to watch in the Supreme Court’s next term,” Scott Bomboy for the National Constitution Center’s Constitution Daily Blog
• “The Supreme Court in Review: Another Landmark Term,” Scott Bomboy for the National Constitution Center’s Constitution Daily Blog

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• Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.
• Questions or comments? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠⁠.
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In this episode, Nadine Strossen, New York Law School professor emerita and former president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Jacob Mchangama, the founder and executive director of The Future of Free Speech, discuss the history, enduring debate, and ongoing importance of free expression in our changing world. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

This program is part of the NCC Across America series and is presented in partnership with the City of Asylum Bookstore in Pittsburgh, PA. It was recorded on July 21, 2026.

Resources

• The First Amendment
• Jacob Mchangama, Free Speech: A History From Socrates to Social Media (2022)
• Jacob Mchangama and Jeff Kosseff, The Future of Free Speech: Reversing the Global Decline of Democracy’s Most Essential Freedom (2026)
• Nadine Strossen and Greg Lukianoff, The War On Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech—And Why They Fail (2025)

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• Questions or comments? Email ⁠⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠⁠.
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In this episode, legal scholars Michael Ramsey and Jed Shugerman the Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook, which address the president’s authority to remove members of the executive branch. They trace the history of presidential removal power from the founding era through the Court’s 1935 landmark Humphrey’s Executor decision to the present day and explore what Slaughter and Cook may mean for the future of executive power. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• Trump v. Cook (2026)
• Trump v. Slaughter (2026)
• Humphrey's Executor v. United States (1935)
• “Trump v. Slaughter: Another Win for Justice Scalia,” Michael Ramsey, The Originalism Blog, June 30, 2026
• Brief Amicus Curiae of Professor Jed Shugerman in Trump v. Slaughter
• “Supreme Court allows Trump to fire FTC member but not Fed director,” National Constitution Center’s Constitution Daily

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• Questions or comments? Email ⁠⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠⁠.
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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

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• Questions or comments? Email ⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠.
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In this episode, legal scholars Gillian Metzger, Julian Mortenson, and Ilya Somin discuss the Supreme Court’s approach to executive power in recent decisions. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar 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 within and concerning the Court.

Resources

• 2026 Supreme Court Review: Key Decisions, Executive Power, Civil Discourse, National Constitution Center
• Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump (2026)
• Trump v. Slaughter (2026)
• Trump v. Cook (2026)
• Trump v. Illinois (2025)

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• Questions or comments? Email podcast@constitutioncenter.org.
• Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.
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In this episode, Richard Epstein and Martha Jones discuss the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Trump v. Barbara, which struck down President Trump’s Executive Order on birthright citizenship. At issue in the case was whether the Constitution guarantees citizenship to children born to parents unlawfully or temporarily present in the United States. The Court concluded that it did. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• Trump v. Barbara (2026)
• Brief of Amicus Curiae Professor Richard A. Epstein
• Brief of Historians Martha S. Jones and Kate Masur as Amici Curiae
• “Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order in landmark decision,” Scott Bomboy for the National Constitution Center’s Constitution Daily Blog
• “In birthright citizenship opinions, a major constitutional disagreement,” Marcia Coyle for the National Constitution Center’s Constitution Daily Blog
• United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898), National Constitution Center
• The Citizenship Clause, National Constitution Center

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In this episode, David Blight, Robert P. George, and Annette Gordon-Reed explore the enduring ideas at the core of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution—including equality, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and government by consent—and examine how those principles have been debated, interpreted, and contested over time. Moderated by Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, the conversation invites audiences to engage deeply with the ideas that launched a nation and to consider how our shared constitutional story continues to unfold.

This conversation was recorded live in Philadelphia on June 8, 2026, as part of the NCC’s America’s Town Hall series. It is presented in partnership with the Organization of American Historians and the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute.

Resources

• Annotated Declaration of Independence, National Constitution Center
• Interactive Constitution, National Constitution Center
• The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals

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The National Constitution Center recently published The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals (Simon & Schuster), a keepsake collection of essays bringing together leading thinkers from across perspectives to reflect on the ideals at the heart of the American experiment and what those principles have meant across generations of American life. In this episode, Professor Eric Slauter discusses his essay, “The Declaration’s Promises,” which explores how the Declaration of Independence evolved from a justification of America’s separation from the British Empire into a global charter of liberty. As Slauter writes, in 1776, “very few in the newly United States besides a small contingent of Black and white antislavery activists would have seen the Declaration as a document of radical egalitarianism or even as a founding document.” However, over time, figures like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr. transformed the phrase “all men are created equal” into a foundational national promise and a powerful tool for social change. As Slauter notes, “it is largely their Declaration, as much as Jefferson’s or Congress’s, that we continue to celebrate today.” Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• Eric Slauter, “The Declaration’s Promises”
• National Constitution Center, The Declaration of Independence

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