constitution

Vermont Congresswoman Becca Balint holds a panel discussion on the future of democracy

In the book "The Spirit of Philadelphia," former Congressman Chris Gibson explores the concept of the social state and its potential for renewal in contemporary society. Joe Donahue spoke with Chris Gibson in a WAMC on the Road event at Kinderhook Books in Kinderhook, New York on June 18, 2025. Find out about Gibson's future book events here.

There’s a common story we tell about America: that our fundamental values as a country were stated in the Declaration of Independence, fought for in the Revolution, and made law in the Constitution. But, with the country increasingly divided, this story isn’t working for us anymore—what’s more, it’s not even true.As Kermit Roosevelt argues in reinterpretation of the American story, our fundamental values, particularly equality, are not part of the vision of the Founders. Instead, they were stated in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and were the hope of Reconstruction, when it was possible to envision the emergence of the nation committed to liberty and equality.

Government Professor at Skidmore College Beau Breslin joins us this morning to discuss his new book, "A Constitution for the Living: Imagining How Five…

"American Republics: A Continental History of the United States, 1783-1850" by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Alan Taylor upends the traditional story…

Many of the political issues we struggle with today have their roots in the US Constitution. In the book "Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers,…

Professor Joshua A. Douglas, an expert on our electoral system, joined us to present an encouraging assessment of current efforts to make our voting…

Why has American politics fallen into such a state of horrible dysfunction? Can it ever be fixed? These are the questions that motivate Michael Tomasky’s…

A new, single volume of history sets out to explore the experiment in government that is the United States. Award-winning Harvard historian Jill Lepore,…

In fewer than three hundred words, Khizr Khan electrified viewers around the world when he took the stage at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. And…