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

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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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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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• Stay connected with Live at the National Constitution Center—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. 
• Questions or comments? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠. 
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In this episode, we're sharing a recent America's Town Hall event which explores the Constitution and the Courts at the 250th anniversary of America’s founding. Kevin Arlyck of Georgetown Law Center discusses his book, The Nation at Sea The Federal Courts and American Sovereignty, 1789–1825, which tells a new story about the federal judiciary, and about the early United States itself. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

This program is presented in partnership with the Federal Judicial Center.

Resources

• ⁠⁠Annotated Declaration of Independence⁠⁠, National Constitution Center
• ⁠⁠Interactive Constitution⁠⁠, National Constitution Center
• ⁠⁠The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals⁠⁠
• Kevin Arlyck, The Nation at Sea The Federal Courts and American Sovereignty, 1789–1825 (2025)

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In this episode, we're sharing a recent America's Town Hall event which explores the Constitution and the Courts at the 250th anniversary of America’s founding. This discussion, Interpreting the Constitution in the Founding Era, features Akhil Reed Amar, Christopher Bonner, and Gerald F. Leonard moderated by Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center.

This program is presented in partnership with the Federal Judicial Center.

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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• Questions or comments? Email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠ 
• Join us for another upcoming ⁠live programs from the NCC⁠. 
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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 United States 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, this conversation invites audiences to engage deeply with the ideas that launched a nation, and to consider how our shared constitutional story continues to unfold.

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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• Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected] 
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The separation of powers, federalism, and the rule of law are critical elements of American constitutional democracy. Judge Bernice Donald, formerly of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; Judge Robert Kugler, formerly of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court; and Judge Thomas Griffith, formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, explore the current state of these fundamental constitutional principles. Julie Silverbrook, the chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

This program was presented in partnership with Keep Our Republic's Article III Coalition, a bipartisan group of retired federal district and circuit court judges dedicated to safeguarding the separation of powers and preserving an independent judiciary. The Coalition's civic education work informs citizens why an independent judiciary matters, how courts safeguard rights and maintain constitutional checks and balances, and the critical role that impartial justice plays in keeping our republic.

Resources 

• Constitution 101: Separation of Powers and Federalism, National Constitution Center

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• Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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In this episode, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, honorary co-chair of the National Constitution Center, and his co-author and former law clerk Janie Nitze join the Center to discuss their new children’s book, Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence (HarperCollins; May 5, 2026). Designed for families and learners of all ages, this Civic Story Hour program invites audiences into the human stories behind the Declaration of Independence. Heroes of 1776 introduces readers to both familiar figures such as Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere, as well as lesser-known participants in the American story, including Caesar Rodney, Thomas Paine, and Mary Katharine Goddard. Together, their stories highlight the risks, choices, and debates that shaped the nation’s founding. Blending vivid storytelling with historical detail, the book centers the lived experiences behind the founding era and invites young readers to consider the enduring ideals of the Declaration. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources 

• Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence

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• Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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In this episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and National Constitution Center Semiquincentennial Scholar Jon Meacham joins the Center to discuss The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals. Presented by the National Constitution Center, The Promise of America is an inspirational collection of essays exploring the founding principles that continue to shape American democracy from the nation’s leading constitutional scholars. This print volume builds on the foundation of the Center’s Interactive Declaration of Independence and America at 250 Civic Toolkit, bringing together new essays, primary sources, and interpretive scholarship in a lasting, portable format designed to support deeper reflection and shared civic dialogue. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources 

• The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals

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• Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr
• Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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In this episode, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer (Ret.), honorary co-chair of the National Constitution Center, joins to discuss The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals, a new keepsake volume from the National Constitution Center. Justice Breyer, who wrote the book’s foreword, reflects on the enduring constitutional ideals explored in the volume and their continued relevance today. He is joined in conversation with the Honorable Cheryl Ann Krause, judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and member of the National Constitution Center board of trustees.

Resources 

• The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals
• Justice Stephen G. Breyer, “It's up to us whether the American experiment succeeds,” (USA Today, May 11, 2026)
• Justice Neil Gorsuch, “How Imperfect People Form a More Perfect Union,” (Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2026)

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• Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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In this episode, Michael Auslin joins to discuss his new book, National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America, a sweeping and vivid history of the Declaration of Independence from its drafting to its enduring role in American life today. Tracing the remarkable journey of this iconic document—from a Philadelphia boarding house to wartime hiding places and its place as a national symbol—Auslin explores how its ideals of liberty and equality have inspired generations and continue to shape the American experiment. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

• Michael Auslin, National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America
• National Constitution Center, Interactive Declaration of Independence

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• Questions or comments about the show? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr
• Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠America at 250 Civic Toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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