What if America’s greatest strength wasn’t just its leaders, but the way everyday people came together to shape history? In this episode of This Constitution, host Matthew Brogdon sits down with Nich…

Did you know that George Washington could have become an American Caesar, but instead chose to walk away from power? Unlike Napoleon or Cromwell, he rejected dictatorship and dynasty, setting the pre…

How did a political system founded by leaders who warned against factions end up making political parties an indispensable part of democracy? And why has the United States remained a two-party nation…

How should a democracy balance the need for independent investigations of government wrongdoing with the president’s constitutional authority over prosecutions? Where do we draw the line?

In this epis…

When we hear “impeachment,” most of us immediately think: the President. But what if that’s only part of the story? In this episode of This Constitution, Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon …

In This Episode

In this episode of This Constitution, Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon explore one of the least understood and most powerful tools in the U.S. Constitution: impeachment. Bu…

In this Independence Day episode of This Constitution, Matthew Brogdon is joined by Dr. Jane Calvert, Director of the John Dickinson Writings Project and author of Penman of the Revolution. Together,…

What happens when nine unelected judges have the final say on the most divisive questions in American life? In this episode of This Constitution, Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon break do…

Abraham Lincoln claimed he only wanted to save the Union. So how did he end up freeing millions of enslaved Americans?

In this special Juneteenth episode, host Savannah Eccles Johnston is joined by Di…

Can Congress say no after it already said yes? For more than 50 years, the legislative veto let Congress give power to the president, then yank it back when it didn’t like the results. It was a polit…

In this episode, hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon examine the presidential veto — what it is, what it isn’t, and why it remains one of the most potent constitutional powers in moder…

This Constitution |  Season 2, Episode 7

Checks, Balances, and Budget Showdowns

The President can’t spend a dime without Congress. But how often does Congress actually say no?

In this episode, hosts Sav…

Executive Agreements vs. Treaties: Skirting the Constitution?

What makes a treaty binding? Who holds the power to shape U.S. foreign policy, the President or the Senate?

In this episode, hosts Savannah…

A Supreme Court justice serves for life, no term limits. No reelection. Almost no way to remove them. So… who decides who gets that kind of power?

In this episode, hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and M…

Why did the American Revolution begin with armed conflict in 1775, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence? What was the significance of Lexington and Concord, and how did these event…

Why does the President need the Senate’s approval to appoint people to the executive branch? Why is it so hard to get those people confirmed? And has the whole process become more about political the…

State vs. Federal Power: How Identity Shapes American Democracy

Do you feel more Texan than American? If you had to choose, would you say you’re a Texan first and an American second? What about an Ala…

What if the very system designed to keep our leaders in check… is starting to fail?

In this episode of This Constitution, hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon kick off Season 2 with a de…

Host Matthew Brogdon talks with Keith Whittington, Yale Law School, about Keith’s book, his book, Repugnant laws: Judicial Review of Acts of Congress from the Founding to the Present, outlining the h…

How can the words of a 16th-century playwright possibly hold the key to understanding American governance today? The answer may lie in the very heart of classical education—a time-tested foundation f…