In this episode, we look back on the events of 2021 from a constitutional perspective—from a violent mob storming the Capitol in January, to the inauguration of President Biden, and the convergence of a new Supreme Court with the addition of Justice Amy Coney Barrett; from key Supreme Court cases about religious liberty, voting rights, abortion, and guns, and finally, continuing questions about the scope of individual rights and government power amidst the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
As 2021 comes to a close, we look back on how this year will be remembered in constitutional history. Joining host Jeffrey Rosen for the conversation are Adam Liptak, Supreme Court reporter for The New York Times, and Jennifer Mascott, assistant professor of law at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.
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This episode was produced by Melody Rowell and engineered by Kevin Kilbourne. Research was provided by Michael Esposito, Chase Hanson, Sam Desai, and Lana Ulrich.
PARTICIPANTS
Adam Liptak covers the U.S. Supreme Court for The New York Times and writes Sidebar, a column on legal developments. A graduate of Yale Law School, he practiced law for 14 years before joining The New York Times's news staff in 2002. He was a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in explanatory reporting. He has taught courses on the Supreme Court and the First Amendment at several law schools, including Yale and the University of Chicago.
Jennifer Mascott is an Assistant Professor of Law and Co-Executive Director of the C. Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State at the Antonin Scalia Law School. She is an expert on administrative law, constitutional law, and the separation of powers, she has served in the Department of Justice, and her scholarship has been cited by the Supreme Court. She also recently testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the Supreme Court’s shadow docket.
Jeffrey Rosen is the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization devoted to educating the public about the U.S. Constitution. Rosen is also professor of law at The George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- “Clarence Thomas’s Monumental Legacy,” by Jennifer Mascott for National Review
- Adam Liptak’s Supreme Court coverage
- Jennifer Mascott’s Congressional testimony on the role of the shadow docket
- “The Mob, the Capitol, and the Constitution,” We the People episode from January 7, 2021
- “One Year of COVID-19 and the Constitution,” We the People episode from March 11, 2021
TRANSCRIPT
This Transcript May Not Be In Its Final Form, Accuracy May Vary, And It May Be Updates or Revised In The Future.
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