Learn about the text, history, and meaning of the U.S. Constitution from leading scholars of diverse legal and philosophical perspectives.
Start ExploringFreedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition
Right to Bear Arms
Quartering of Soldiers
Search and Seizure
Grand Jury, Double Jeopardy, Self Incrimination, Due Process, Takings
Right to Speedy Trial by Jury, Witnesses, Counsel
Jury Trial in Civil Lawsuits
Excessive Fines, Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Non-Enumerated Rights Retained by People
Rights Reserved to States or People
Suits Against States
Election of President and Vice President
Abolition of Slavery
Citizenship Rights, Equal Protection, Apportionment, Civil War Debt
Right to Vote Not Denied by Race
Income Tax
Popular Election of Senators
Prohibition of Liquor
Women’s Right to Vote
Presidential Term and Succession, Assembly of Congress
Repeal of Prohibition
Two-Term Limit on Presidency
Presidential Vote for D.C.
Abolition of Poll Taxes
Presidential Disability and Succession
Right to Vote at Age 18
Congressional Compensation
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.
For each provision of the Constitution, scholars of different perspectives discuss areas of agreement.
The two scholars offer interpretations based on their divergent viewpoints.
Explore key historical documents that inspired the Framers of the Constitution and each amendment during the drafting process, the early drafts and major proposals behind each provision, and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 TextOur most recent videos, podcasts, and blog posts featuring legal scholars, historians, and others from diverse perspectives debating the constitutional issues of the day.
Experts explore the rise of the administrative state and its future.
The decision of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka on May 17, 1954 is perhaps the most famous of all Supreme Court cases, as it…
In this Friday session, Clark Neily, senior vice president for criminal justice at the Cato Institute, joins National Constitution…
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 Moreconstitutioncenter.org
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.”