FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Annie Stone, 703-217-1169 [email protected]
Merissa Blum, 215-370-0387 [email protected]
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER ANNOUNCES NEW AMERICA’S TOWN HALL PROGRAMS FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2021
Speakers include Attorneys General Phil Weiser and Mark Brnovich, leading historians H.W. Brands and Joanne Freeman, and other leading scholars, law professors, political scientists, and journalists
Topics include federalism and states’ rights; past, present, and future of presidential elections; Abraham Lincoln’s mentors; and the founders and America’s future
Philadelphia, PA (January 13, 2021) – Today, the National Constitution Center released a lineup of new programs as part of its America’s Town Hall series of constitutional conversations and debates. Programs are free to the public and will be held online.
Presented in conjunction with the National Constitution Center’s recently launched Constitution Drafting Project—a project that brought together leading conservative, progressive, and libertarian scholars to draft and present their ideal constitutions—on January 27, Debi Ghate, vice president of strategy and innovation at The Philanthropy Roundtable, joins Jeff Yass to discuss the inspirations and origins of this landmark project. A conversation on the result of the project and where it goes next with each drafting team leader—Ilya Shapiro of the Cato Institute, Caroline Fredrickson of Georgetown Law School, and Ilan Wurman of Arizona State University College of Law—will follow moderated by National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen. Learn more about the Constitution Drafting Project and read each constitution here.
Additional programs will be added. See below for a full list of programming. Up-to-date program information is available at constitutioncenter.org/debate.
Upcoming America’s Town Hall programming:
Federalism and States’ Rights in 2021 and Beyond
Tuesday, January 26, 12 – 1 p.m. ET
Free Online
The National Constitution Center and the National Association of Attorneys General host a bipartisan conversation of state attorneys general, featuring Attorney General Phil Weiser of Colorado and Attorney General Mark Brnovich of Arizona, to discuss key issues regarding federalism and states’ rights, from the COVID-19 pandemic to law enforcement, elections, and more. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. This program is presented in partnership with the Center for Excellence in Governance at the National Association of Attorneys General.
What if...? Progressive, Libertarian, and Conservative Takes on the U.S. Constitution
Wednesday, January 27, 2 – 3 p.m. ET
Free Online
Last year, the National Constitution Center, with generous support by Jeff Yass, commissioned a constitution drafting project that brought together leading progressive, libertarian, and conservative scholars to draft their ideal versions of a new constitution. Join Debi Ghate, vice president of strategy and innovation at Philanthropy Roundtable, as she speaks with Jeff Yass to discuss the inspirations and origins of this landmark project. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, will then moderate a panel with the drafting team leaders—Caroline Fredrickson of team progressive, Ilya Shapiro of team libertarian, and Ilan Wurman of team conservative—to discuss how they drafted their constitutions and where the project should go next. This program is presented in partnership with The Philanthropy Roundtable.
The Past, Present, and Future of Presidential Elections
Friday, January 29, 12 – 1:45 p.m. ET
Free Online
In the wake of election 2020, the Penn Journal of Constitutional Law presents its annual law review symposium on the past, present, and future of presidential elections, in partnership with the National Constitution Center. The discussion will feature leading scholars, law professors, political scientists, journalists, and former campaign advisers, as they explore the history, current challenges, and future of presidential elections. Panelists include: Joel Benenson, co-founder and CEO of the Benenson Strategy Group; Guy-Uriel Charles, Edward and Ellen Schwarzman Professor of Law, Duke Law; Matthew Dowd, political analyst, ABC News; William Ewald, professor of law and philosophy, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School; Edward Foley, Ebersold Chair in Constitutional Law, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law; Alex Keyssar, Matthew W. Stirling, Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy, Harvard University; Jack Rakove, Professor Emeritus of History, Political Science and, by courtesy, Law, and William Robertson Coe Professor Emeritus of History and American Studies, Stanford University; Kim Lane Scheppele, Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs and the University Center for Human Values, Princeton University; Bradley Smith, Josiah H. Blackmore II/Shirley M. Nault Professor of Law, Capital University Law School; and Jesse Wegman, The New York Times editorial board. This program is presented in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law.
Lincoln’s Mentors: The Education of a Leader
Tuesday, February 2, 7 – 8 p.m. ET
Free Online
Join Michael Gerhardt, Burton Craige Distinguished Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of North Carolina School of Law and scholar in residence at the National Constitution Center, to celebrate the launch of his latest book, Lincoln’s Mentors: The Education of a Leader—an examination of how Abraham Lincoln mastered the art of leadership, and how five men mentored an obscure lawyer with no executive experience to become one of America’s greatest presidents. Gerhardt will be joined by leading historians H.W. Brands, professor of history and Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin and author of the new book The Zealot and the Emancipator: John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, and the Struggle for American Freedom, and Judith Giesberg, professor of history at Villanova University and director of the Last Seen Project, in conversation moderated by Jeffrey Rosen.
Revolutionary Prophecies: The Founders and America’s Future
Monday, February 15, 7 – 8 p.m. ET
Free Online
The America of the early republic was built on a hopeful prophecy that would only be fulfilled if an enlightened people could learn from its past to secure its future. Join Joanne Freeman, Class of 1954 Professor of American History and of American Studies at Yale University, Robert McDonald, professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and Peter Onuf, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia—all contributors to the new volume Revolutionary Prophecies: The Founders and America’s Future—to discuss the diverse cast of characters that founded the nation, and how their vision for the country’s future shaped American history.
The National Constitution Center’s America’s Town Hall series features distinguished leaders, scholars, authors, and journalists who speak on the most significant constitutional topics of our time. The Center’s online America’s Town Hall programs are free. Viewers can register for the Zoom sessions at constitutioncenter.org/debate or watch from youtube.com/ConstitutionCenter. Archived America’s Town Hall programs can be found on the Interactive Constitution at constitutioncenter.com/interactive-constitution/media-library.
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About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.
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About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.
