This Constitution

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...

Have you ever wondered what happens when an election unfolds in unexpected ways?  This episode dives into the surprisingly decisive 2024 presidential election, exploring its unique dynamics and the implications for American democracy. Despite expectations of a close race, the results were clear almost immediately, leaving room to reflect on the shifting coalitions, demographic trends, and the role...

Where’s the Party? Presidential Selection Gone Wrong Are presidential elections as democratic as we believe? How did we go from the Framers' carefully crafted vision to the whirlwind of primaries and national conventions that define our elections today? Over the years, the process of selecting a president has transformed—political parties have risen, conventions have become essential, and now...

Ever wonder why the candidate with the most votes doesn’t always win the presidency? Or question if the Electoral College still makes sense in today’s democracy? The Electoral College has been at the center of political debates for centuries, leaving many of us scratching our heads about its fairness and relevance. But how did this system come about, and why does it still determine our elections?...

An Elected Monarch? Creating the American Presidency.  Have you ever wondered how the Founding Fathers managed to create a powerful executive branch without sliding into dictatorship?  In this episode of This Constitution , host Savannah Eccles Johnston sits down with Greg Jackson, a professor of national security studies at Utah Valley University and the host of the podcast History That Doesn&apo...

George Washington Builds the Presidency.  Are you ready to uncover how one man's choices shaped the very essence of the American presidency? How did George Washington, a military leader turned statesman, navigate the turbulent waters of power and liberty? What challenges did he face as he established the precedents that govern our leaders today? In this episode of This Constitution , host Mat...

Lincoln Saved the Union. Did He Violate the Constitution?  Did Abraham Lincoln really have to break the very rules he swore to uphold to save the nation? It’s a tough question, isn’t it? As the Civil War raged on, Lincoln faced a monumental dilemma: how far should a leader go to protect the country when the Constitution seemed to get in the way? He made some bold and controversial choices—suspendi...

The American presidency is likely the key contribution of the American Founding. And it's in response to democracy's inability to handle crisis. This is the dark logic of the American presidency at its heart.  You want to grant all necessary powers within the tension between the rule of law and the energetic executive, which is inherent in our system. And the way you do this is to 1) Gra...

This Constitution is an every-two-weeks podcast ordained and established by the Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University, the home of Utah’s Civic Thought & Leadership Initiative,  Co-hosted by Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon, This Constitution equips listeners with the knowledge and insights to engage with the most pressing political questions of our time, star...