In this episode, Matthew Continetti, author of The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism, joins prize-winning biographer Sam Tanenhaus to discuss Tanenhaus’s new book, Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America, and to trace American conservatism’s evolution from the Progressive Era, through the rise of William F. Buckley Jr., to today. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

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In this episode, John Q. Barrett, discoverer and editor of Robert H. Jackson's acclaimed book That Man: An Insider's Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt and writer of the popular blog The Jackson List, joins author and constitutional scholar Gerard Magliocca, author of The Actual Art of Governing: Justice Robert H. Jackson's Concurring Opinion in the Steel Seizure Case, and G. Edward White, author of Robert H. Jackson: A Life in Judgment, to discuss the Justice’s influential concurrence in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, his approach to constitutional interpretation, and the lasting legacy he left on debates over presidential power. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

This program is presented in partnership with the Robert H. Jackson Center.

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In this episode, the National Constitution Center launches its Article V Project, a new initiative exploring the founders’ vision for Article V and an historical look at the use of the Article V process from 1789 to the present. Project contributors and constitutional law experts Gerard Magliocca, Sanford Levinson, Michael Rappaport, and Stephen Sachs explore the origins, debates, and ongoing challenges surrounding Article V in this conversation about their new essays.Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

This program is presented in conjunction with the Article V Project, made possible by Democracy Restated. 

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In this episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson discusses his newest book, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Still Matters. This book traces the idea of American independence in one pivotal year—1776—and explores why this year continues to hold significance today. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

This program is generously sponsored by Citizen Travelers, the nonpartisan civic engagement initiative of Travelers.

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In this bonus episode, we are sharing recordings from the Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness podcast launch event featuring a performance of Jeffrey Rosen’s The Golden Mean: Songs for the Pursuit of Happiness and Twelve Titans: Songs of the Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses in Philadelphia.  

Jeffrey Rosen, author of The Pursuit of Happiness and host of the podcast, performs his original songs inspired by the book’s exploration of the classical writers on virtue that shaped the founders.   

This performance features Jeffrey Rosen and pianist Jennifer Blyth with arrangements by Greg Strohman. 

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Timeline

Twelve Titans: Songs of the Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses

[00:00] Episode Introduction 

[01:14] Twelve Titans Introduction 

[05:10] 1. Twelve Titans  

[08:15] 2. Apollo, Helios, and Hyperion  

[11:15] 3. Pythia  

[14:49] 4. O Diana  

[17:36] 5. Athena  

[20:00] 6. Mighty Aphrodite  

[22:42] 7. Mercury  

[25:28] 8. The Three Fates  

[28:25] 9. Apollo’s Rising  

[31:04] 10. Dame Fortune  

[33:29] 11. Enthusiasmos  

[36:16] 12. Divinity Is One 

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In this bonus episode, we are sharing recordings from the Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to Happiness podcast launch event featuring a performance of Jeffrey Rosen’s The Golden Mean: Songs for the Pursuit of Happiness and Twelve Titans: Songs of the Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses in Philadelphia.  

Jeffrey Rosen, author of The Pursuit of Happiness and host of the podcast, performs his original songs inspired by the book’s exploration of the classical writers on virtue that shaped the founders.   

This performance features pianist Jennifer Blyth and baritone James Martin with arrangements by Greg Strohman. 

Resources 

Timeline 

The Golden Mean: Songs for the Pursuit of Happiness

[00:00] Episode Introduction 

[01:33] 1. Order: The Golden Mean  

[04:10] 2. Temperance: Calm Self-Mastery  

[06:40] 3. Humility: Judge Not  

[08:28] 4. Industry: Industry Alone  

[11:06] 5. Frugality: Thomas Jefferson  

[13:51] 6. Sincerity: The Light Within  

[16:50] 7. Resolution: Just Do What You Resolve  

[19:00] 8. Moderation: Alexander Hamilton  

[21:05] 9. Tranquility: Security Is an Illusion  

[23:57] 10. Cleanliness: John Quincy Adams  

[26:55] 11. Justice: Love’s the Answer  

[29:40] 12. Silence: Silence Is Golden  

[32:37] 13. Coda: Song of Devotion and The Pursuit of Happiness 

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In this episode, Susan Stokes, author of The Backsliders: Why Leaders Undermine Their Own Democracies, and Cass Sunstein, author of On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom, explore the current challenges facing liberalism and why liberalism remains essential to freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. 

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In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, award-winning historian Kathleen DuVal discusses her new book, Native Nations: A Millennium in North America, tracing a thousand years of Native history—from the rise of ancient cities and the arrival of Europeans to today’s ongoing fights for sovereignty. Thomas Donnelly, chief scholar of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

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National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen and The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg discuss Rosen’s new book, The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America. The book explores how the opposing constitutional visions of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton have defined the nation since its founding, shaped presidents from Washington to Trump, and continued to drive today’s debates over government power.

This program is presented in partnership with The Atlantic and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.

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Jeffrey Rosen’s new book, Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle over Power in America, is out in October 2025. His other books include New York Times bestsellers The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America and Conversations with RBG: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law, as well as biographies of Louis Brandeis and William Howard Taft.

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In this episode, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Eric Foner discusses Our Fragile Freedoms, a new collection of essays exploring a range of topics, including debates over slavery and antislavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction, Jim Crow and the battle to dismantle it, and modern debates over the Constitution and how to teach American history. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

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