This Constitution

What if the Declaration of Independence wasn’t just Jefferson’s triumph, but John Adams’s victory too? In this episode of This Constitution , Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon make the case for giving John Adams his due. Often remembered as prickly, pompous, or perpetually overshadowed, Adams was in fact one of the most important and hardest-working architects of American independence....

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson originally wrote a fierce condemnation of slavery into the Declaration of Independence, only for Congress to remove it before signing the final document? And did you know that in 1776, no one was certain whether slavery in America would fade away, transform, or expand? In this episode of This Constitution , Savannah Eccles Johnston and Dr. Nicholas Cole, Pembroke...

What if the story of American independence didn’t actually begin with Jefferson at his writing desk? What if long before the Declaration of Independence, more than a hundred towns, counties, militias, and even grand juries had already taken matters into their own hands and declared themselves free of Britain? In this episode of This Constitution , Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon uncov...

Did you know the man who wrote Common Sense , the pamphlet that inspired Americans to fight for independence, died alone with only six mourners at his funeral? In this episode of T his Constitution , Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon unpack the fascinating and tragic story of Thomas Paine, a man who helped spark the Revolution but couldn’t find a home in the nation he helped create. The...

How did the Americans go from loyal British subjects to full-blown revolutionaries? Were the British really that bad, or were the colonists simply overreacting? In this episode of This Constitution , Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon unpack the long and escalating list of grievances that transformed loyal British subjects into determined revolutionaries. Moving beyond the myths of the B...

Have you ever wondered where America’s revolutionary ideas really came from? Was it the genius of the Founders? What if the story of the Constitution didn’t begin in Philadelphia in 1776, but in colonial homes, small-town churches, and the stubborn belief that no one has the right to rule another? In this episode of This Constitution , Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon trace the folk or...

What if the American Revolution didn’t begin in the halls of Congress, but in the pews of colonial churches?  In this episode of This Constitution , hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon uncover the spiritual and intellectual fire that helped ignite the Revolution. Before muskets were fired at Lexington and Concord, preachers across New England were already preparing their congregatio...

Season 3 of This Constitution focuses on the people and events surrounding the making of the Declaration of Independence. What if America’s Revolution had collapsed before it truly began? In this episode of This Constitution , host Savannah Eccles Johnston sits down with Dr. Kevin Weddle, retired U.S. Army colonel, military historian, and author of The Compleat Victory, to explore how George Washi...

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 Nicholas Cole of Oxford’s Pembroke College, creator of the Quill Project, to dig into the overlooked story of America’s founding. Far from being the work of a single “lawgiver” like Solon or Jefferson, th...

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...