The National Constitution Center unites America’s leading scholars from diverse legal and philosophical perspectives to explore the text, history, and meaning of the U.S. Constitution.
Since its launch in 2015, this nonpartisan tool has allowed learners of all ages to engage with the text of the Constitution, discover how experts agree and disagree about its history and meaning, and explore arguments on all sides of the constitutional debates at the center of American life.
We selected two scholars for each clause with guidance from the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society—America’s leading legal organizations representing different perspectives on the Constitution. The Common Interpretation, signed by both scholars, is a joint statement of what they agree about the provision’s history and meaning. Matters of Debate represents each scholar’s individual views.
Check out this essay first to see where our scholars agree. It’s like a unanimous Supreme Court opinion, where every word represents common ground.
Dive into these essays to discover areas where our scholars disagree about the text and history of the Constitution, and what it means today.
The Interactive Constitution is created in collaboration with the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society, and distributed with help from the College Board.
The Interactive Constitution was created thanks to a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation.
Additional support for the Interactive Constitution and the Interactive Constitution: Classroom Edition was provided by: