We the People

The National Constitution Center previews the Supreme Court’s 2026-2027 term. Masha Hansford, partner at Davis Polk & Wardwell, Amy Howe, co-founder of SCOTUSblog, and Greg Stohr, Supreme Court reporter for Bloomberg News, join to break down the biggest cases on the docket, unpack the constitutional questions at stake, and explore the issues that could have the biggest impact on the Court in the year ahead. Tom Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

New Supreme Court term features First Amendment, other challenges, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, October 2, 2026

Supreme Court to start new term with major environmental case, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, September 29, 2026

Supreme Court asked to rule on federal ban on home production of distilled spirits, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, September 25, 2026

Supreme Court asked to consider dispute over religious use of public park, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, September 9, 2026

Supreme Court allows Trump voting executive order to move forward pending challenges, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, August 25, 2026

Ten Commandments school dispute heading to the Supreme Court, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, August 19, 2026

Climate change lawsuit to kick off Supreme Court’s next term, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, August 6, 2026

A new Eighth Amendment controversy heads to the Supreme Court, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, July 22, 2026

Four cases to watch in the Supreme Court’s next term, Scott Bomboy for Constitution Daily, July 15, 2026



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Frederick Douglass is remembered as one of the most powerful orators in American history, a leading voice for abolition, and an extraordinary champion of equal rights. He was also one of the 19th century’s most important thinkers about freedom of speech. For Douglass, free speech was not simply a constitutional protection against government censorship. It was a fundamental human right, an indispensable weapon in the struggle against slavery, and an essential condition of equal citizenship and self-government. In this episode, scholar Jacob Mchangama examines Douglass’s remarkably expansive understanding of free speech, drawing on a new research project that examines hundreds of his speeches, writings, and letters. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.



Resources

The Future of Free Speech, Jacob Mchangama

Frederick Douglass Free Speech Corpus, Jacob Mchangama

“Free Speech in a Changing World,” We the People (July 30, 2026)

Jacob Mchangama, Free Speech: A History From Socrates to Social Media (2022)

Jacob Mchangama and Jeff Kosseff, The Future of Free Speech: Reversing the Global Decline of Democracy’s Most Essential Freedom (2026)

Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition, National Constitution Center

First Amendment: Speech and Press Clauses, National Constitution Center



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Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.

Questions or comments? Email podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.

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In this episode, Joseph Blocher of Duke University School of Law and Clark Neily of the Cato Institute trace the ongoing debates over the Second Amendment. They analyze recent Supreme Court decisions on this key provision, preview a case on the Court’s docket this term, and look ahead to the issues on the horizon. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

The Second Amendment, Interpretation & Debate, National Constitution Center

District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) Supreme Court Cases Library, National Constitution Center

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen (2022)

United States v. Rahimi (2024)

“No earthquake, but did the Supreme Court shift a bit in its approach to guns?,” NCC’s Constitution Daily blog, (June 24, 2024)

United States v. Hemani (2025)

“Supreme Court rules in favor of man facing gun ban for using marijuana,” NCC's Constitution Daily blog, (June 18, 2026)

Josephe Blocher and David Pozen, “The Excluded Middle of Law: Constitutional Drivers of Extremism in Gun and Drug Policy,” Duke Law School 2026 Supreme Court Review (forthcoming)

Wilford v. Lopez (2025)

“Supreme Court strikes down Hawaii law regulating firearms possession,” NCC's Constitution Daily blog, (June 25, 2026)

Brief of the Cato Institute as Amicus Curiae in Support of Petitioners, Viramontes v. Cook County

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Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.

Questions or comments? Email podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

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In this special Constitution Day episode, author William Magnuson discusses his latest book, The Just and the Good: How Law Made the Western World, which is a sweeping tour of the history of the law. He explores how the pillars of the rule of law were built—from the courts of ancient Athens to the United States Constitution, to Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Civil Rights Movement. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

William Magnuson, The Just and the Good: How Law Made the Western World (2026)



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Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.

Questions or comments? Email podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.

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Geoffrey Stone of the University of Chicago Law School and Eugene Volokh, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and UCLA School of Law, discuss the First Amendment and the rapidly evolving speech landscape—from social media and artificial intelligence to college campuses and the press. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

Moody v. NetChoice, LLC (2024)

“What is Section 230?,” We the People (June 4, 2020)

Citizen United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) National Constitution Center, Supreme Court Case Library

“Meta reaches landmark $18 billion settlement with states in trial over teen social media addiction,” Associated Press (Aug 26, 2026)

Free Speech Coalition, INC v. Paxton (2025)

Ashcroft v. ACLU (2004)

NRA v. Vullo (2024)

“Scaling Laws: Eugene Volokh: Navigating Libel and Liability in the AI Age,” Lawfare (July 17, 2025)

New York Times Company v. Sullivan (1964) National Constitution Center, Supreme Court Case Library

Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc. (1974)



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Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.

Questions or comments? Email podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.

Support our important work by making a donation today.

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