Listening to America

#1675 What Is Habeas Corpus and Why Does It Matter?


Listen Later

Clay and historian Beau Breslin discuss the doctrine of habeas corpus and its role in the current debate about how to handle undocumented immigrants in the United States. In a nutshell, habeas corpus means "hey, produce the body." You cannot just arbitrarily snatch someone off the street and make them disappear. Habeas corpus was so important to the Founding Fathers that they embedded it in the first Article of the Constitution, right off the top, and did not postpone it to the Bill of Rights. The United States has a mixed history of its adherence to the doctrine of habeas corpus, which Beau Breslin believes is THE fundamental right in America and all over the world. And yet, Professor Breslin, who teaches at an elite college in New York state, admitted that the majority of his students, even in a class on constitutional theory, would probably be unable to define just what habeas corpus means, where it came from, and why it is critically important to a free and enlightened society. This episode was recorded on September 12, 2025.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Listening to AmericaBy Listening to America

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

1,115 ratings


More shows like Listening to America

View all
Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,495 Listeners

Ben Franklin's World by Liz Covart

Ben Franklin's World

1,569 Listeners

We the People by National Constitution Center

We the People

1,116 Listeners

Lectures in History by C-SPAN

Lectures in History

748 Listeners

Civics 101 by NHPR

Civics 101

2,551 Listeners

This American President by This American President

This American President

791 Listeners

Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

Radio Atlantic

2,390 Listeners

Stay Tuned with Preet by Preet Bharara

Stay Tuned with Preet

32,377 Listeners

The Bulwark Podcast by The Bulwark

The Bulwark Podcast

12,714 Listeners

The Al Franken Podcast by The Al Franken Podcast

The Al Franken Podcast

8,617 Listeners

Hacks On Tap by Vox Media

Hacks On Tap

8,118 Listeners

Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt by Politicon

Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt

4,036 Listeners

For the Ages: A History Podcast by The New York Historical

For the Ages: A History Podcast

388 Listeners

Main Justice by MS NOW, Andrew Weissmann, Mary McCord

Main Justice

7,025 Listeners