This Constitution

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 precedent for civilian control of the military, limited executive authority, and the peaceful transfer of power. In this episode of This Constitution, host Matthew Brogdon sits down with eminent historian...

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 for nearly two centuries? In this episode of This Constitution , host Matthew Brogdon sits down with political scientist Daniel DiSalvo to trace the fascinating constitutional and political journey of...

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 episode of This Constitution , hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon dig into the fascinating and often murky world of special counsels. From their origins in President Grant’s efforts to dis...

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 explore the lesser-known history of impeaching cabinet secretaries and other executive officials, revealing how the process has always been more political than legal. They revisit the case of Secretar...

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. But forget presidents for now, this episode dives deep into judicial impeachments: how they work, why they're rare, and why judges have historically been the ones who get removed. Savannah and Mat...

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, they explore the legacy of John Dickinson, one of America’s most influential yet often overlooked founders. Best known for Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania , Dickinson was a leading advocate fo...

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 down the Supreme Court’s most consequential and contentious tool: judicial review. They explore how this authority allows nine unelected justices to strike down laws, reshape policy, and act as a final...

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 Diana Schaub, professor emerita of political science at Loyola University Maryland and nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. A leading Lincoln scholar, Schaub brings deep insig...

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 political safety net, a constitutional gray area, and a ticking time bomb. In this episode, hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon unpack how this backdoor power worked, why it exploded in the l...

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 modern governance. They dissect the mechanics of Article I, Section 7, and explain the differences between the qualified veto (which Congress can override) and the pocket veto (which Congress cannot). Along...

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 Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon examine the constitutional power of the purse and how budget appropriations and oversight give Congress a critical check on the presidency. From historical...

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 Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon unpack the constitutional roots and modern challenges of the U.S. treaty-making process. From Washington's awkward Senate visit to Wilson’s League of Nations...

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 Matthew Brogdon explore the constitutional design, evolution, and growing controversy of judicial confirmations. From the first public hearing 1916 to today’s highly publicized nomination battles, they...

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 events set the stage for what would become a bitter struggle for independence? In this episode of This Constitution , host Matthew Brogdon is joined by renowned historian Professor Jeremy Black to dive deep...

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 theater than public service? In this episode of This Constitution , hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon unpack the constitutional roots and modern realities of executive confirmations. They...

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 Alaskan, a New Yorker, or a Californian? For much of U.S. history, people identified more with their state than the nation itself—and in many places, that state pride still runs deep. But does state iden...

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 deep dive into the delicate balance of power in the U.S. government. They break down the difference between checks and balances and the separation of powers—two critical mechanisms that prevent tyranny...

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 history of the Supreme Court and other federal courts declaring national laws unconstitutional, which has a long and venerable tradition in American politics.    Matthew and Keith have a good conversat...

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 for thoughtful leadership and civic responsibility. Shakespeare’s plays, brimming with powerful depictions of power, virtue, and moral conflict, weren’t just created to entertain; they were crafted to c...

Mercy Otis Warren was no ordinary figure in America’s founding story. How many women of her time had the opportunity to receive a classical education, let alone become influential political thinkers and writers? As one of the few, Warren used her intellect and talent to champion liberty during the American Revolution. But why is her name so often left out of the history books? In this episode of T...

What does the "pursuit of happiness" really mean? It’s a question we often skim over, but the Founding Fathers had a very specific idea in mind—one deeply rooted in classical virtue and self-mastery. In this episode, Matthew Brogdon sits down with Jeff Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, to unpack this phrase from the Declaration of Independence and its implicat...

What if the biggest threats to our democracy aren’t coming from outside our borders, but from within? In 1838, a young Abraham Lincoln warned exactly about that in his Lyceum Address. Standing before a group of young men, he didn’t just talk about foreign invaders or military conflict. Instead, he sounded the alarm about the dangers of mob rule, unchecked ambition, and a nation losing respect for...

What happened to the presidency around the turn of the 20th century? How did it go from being a strong institution under leaders like Washington and Lincoln to one that progressives saw as weak and ineffective? Could it be that the rapid changes of the Progressive Era revealed cracks in the system? What was it that so frustrated these thinkers, prompting them to call for a powerful transformation...

Who Needs Congress? POTUS as Chief Executive  Who holds the real power in Washington's sprawling federal bureaucracy? In this episode, Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon explore the President's role as Chief Executive. How does a single individual manage thousands of appointments, oversee countless agencies, and navigate the fine line between legislative and executive power? Fr...

When bombs drop and troops mobilize, who pulls the strings—Congress or the President? Can we afford to leave the fate of nations in the hands of one person, or does the voice of the people demand more say? The Founding Fathers designed checks and balances for a reason, but when it comes to war powers, does the balance still hold? In this episode of This Constitution , Savannah Eccles Johnston and...