Learn about the text, history, and meaning of the U.S. Constitution from leading scholars of diverse legal and philosophical perspectives.

Start Exploring

Bringing Together Experts to Interpret the Constitution

How it Works:

We’ve invited the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society to nominate scholars to discuss every clause of the Constitution, exploring areas of agreement and disagreement about the Constitution’s text and history, how it’s been interpreted over time, and what it means today. For each major clause and amendment, we’ve added nonpartisan educational resources from the National Constitution Center, including videos, podcasts, blog posts, and The Drafting Table, a tool that allows users to explore early drafts of the constitutional text.

Common Interpretation

Common Interpretation

For each provision of the Constitution, scholars of different perspectives discuss areas of agreement.

Matters of Debate

Matters of Debate

The two scholars offer interpretations based on their divergent viewpoints.

About the Interactive Constitution

The Drafting Table

Explore key historical documents that inspired the Framers of the Constitution and each amendment during the drafting process, the early drafts and major proposals behind each provision, and discover how the drafters deliberated, agreed and disagreed, on the path to compromise and the final text.

View Text

What's New in the Media Library

Our most recent videos, podcasts, and blog posts featuring legal scholars, historians, and others from diverse perspectives debating the constitutional issues of the day.

More of the Latest

Podcast

Election 2020 in the Courts

Oct 22

Town Hall Video

America’s Contentious Presidential Elections: A History

Hear a conversation exploring key controversial elections throughout American history and what we can learn from them.

Oct 19

Blog Post

On this day: The First Continental Congress concludes

On October 26, 1774, the First Continental Congress ended its initial session in Philadelphia with a list of rights belonging to…

Oct 26

Educational Video

Scholar Exchange: Constitutional Battles of the Branches (High School/College Session)

In this session, students focus on the separation of powers and how the Constitution set up a system of checks and balances…

The Constitution in the Classroom

The National Constitution Center brings innovative teaching tools to your classroom. Our unique approach to constitutional education emphasizes historical storytelling, constitutional rather than political questions and the habits of civil dialogue and reflection.

Learn More
  • Classroom Exchanges
  • Constitutional Ambassadors

    constitutioncenter.org
  • Professional Development Opportunities

From 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 our congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.”