Live at the National Constitution Center

Live constitutional conversations and debates featuring leading historians, journalists, scholars, and public officials hosted at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and across America. To watch National Constitution Center Town Halls live, check out our schedule of upcoming programs at constitutioncenter.org/townhall. Register through Zoom to ask your constitutional questions in the Q&A or watch live on YouTube at YouTube.com/ConstitutionCenter.

News
History
126
Laboratories of Democracy: State Constitutions
We explore how state constitutions influenced the U.S. Constitution and other founding documents.
64 min
127
Free Speech, Media, Truth and Lies
Should the government or private companies identify and regulate truth and lies? Experts discuss.
56 min
128
Great Justices: Founders, Dissenters, and Prophets
Experts highlight John Marshall, John Marshall Harlan, and other Supreme Court justices who blazed trails in constitutional law.
54 min
129
The State of Congress Today
Members of Congress discuss how to resist partisan pressure in government today.
58 min
130
Justice Breyer on Precedent, Pragmatism, and th...
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer joins National Constitution Center president Jeffrey Rosen for a wide-ranging conversation.
61 min
131
The Founders’ Library
What the founders read before and while drafting the Constitution shaped it significantly. Experts discuss.
55 min
132
Literature and the Constitution
Scholars discuss how literature and the Constitution have been intertwined throughout American history.
56 min
133
The Words That Made Us
Akhil Amar unveils his new book.
57 min
134
Do We Need a Third Reconstruction?
In light of ongoing national debates about race, rights, and equality—panelists consider whether we need a new era of change in America today.
75 min
135
Voting Rights Today
Voting rights experts consider how our election process could and should be reformed.
58 min
136
Constitution 101 with Jill Lepore
Jill Lepore explores the ideas that sparked the constitutional convention and continue to shape American life.
48 min
137
Religious Liberty in France and America
French and American scholars compare the countries' constitutions and views on religious liberty.
58 min
138
The Fights for Abolition and Women's Rights
Dorothy Wickenden and Thavolia Glymph highlight these world-changing movements and the relationship between them.
55 min
139
The Girl in the Picture
A conversation with Kim Phuc, the subject of one of the most famous photographs of the Vietnam War, from our archives.
66 min
140
Congress, the Constitution, and Compromise
Experts discuss how the potential end of the filibuster and other reforms might lead to different outcomes.
56 min
141
Why Do the Innocent Plead Guilty?
Proposing reforms to combat the challenges in American criminal justice today, Judge Jed Rakoff, former Judge Paul Cassell, and professor Carissa Byrne Hessick join Jeffrey Rosen.
55 min
142
The Equal Rights Amendment Through History
Tracing the constitutional history of the women's movement, experts explore the Equal Rights Amendment.
52 min
143
The Story of the 14th Amendment
In a constitutional conversation from our archives, leading legal scholars and historians tell the story of the 14th Amendment.
54 min
144
Lincoln and His Mentors
Historians highlight the five people who mentored an obscure lawyer to become one of America’s greatest presidents.
57 min
145
Revolutionary Prophecies
Joanne Freeman, Peter Onuf, and Robert McDonald discuss the diverse cast of characters that founded the nation.
57 min
146
How to Restore the Guardrails of Democracy
How can we restore the guardrails of American democracy? Leading commentators offer insights on that question.
50 min
147
The Past, Present, and Future of Presidential E...
Commentators, political strategists, and scholars trace the evolution our system of presidential elections from its origins to today.
85 min
148
Two State Attorneys General on Federalism and S...
Attorneys General Phil Weiser of Colorado and Mark Brnovich of Arizona join for a bipartisan conversation exploring federalism and more.
60 min
149
Akhil Amar on Timeless Constitutional Lessons
Leading constitutional scholar Akhil Amar shares foundational lessons about the Constitution in conversation with Jeffrey Rosen.
63 min
150
Lynne Cheney on The Virginia Dynasty
Historian and bestselling author discusses the lives of the four U.S. presidents from Virginia.
56 min