Luke talks with Osita Nwanevu about his forthcoming book, The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding. Luke and Osita discuss the impetus for The Right of the People book, definitions of political democracy, the place of economic democracy, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a possible Democratic Constitution Conference, and gerrymandering in Texas.

Luke talks with Zaakir Tameez about his recent book, Charles Sumner: Conscience of a Nation. Zaakir discusses the origins of Sumner’s abolitionist spirit, his relationship to the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, the extent to which Reconstruction changed the federal Constitution, and what it means to call for a Third Reconstruction.

Luke talks with Douglas Egerton about Abolitionism, Reconstruction, and the life and times of the abolitionist and social activist Thomas Wentworth Higginson. According to John Brown’s biographer, David Reynolds, Higginson carried forward Brown’s “Abolitionist spirit” more than anyone else.

Doug is Professor of History at LeMoyne College. His books include The Wars of Reconstruction: The Brief, Violent History of America's Most Progressive Era and A Man on Fire: The Worlds of Thomas Wentworth Higginson.

Luke talks with Gil Schaeffer about his recent article, “The Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement,” including debates between the Revolutionary Union (RU) and Communist League (CL), Lenin’s theory of political consciousness and leadership, and the importance of Martin Luther King Jr.

Gil has written several articles for the blog, including “Marxism Is Democratic Republicanism: The History of the Struggle for Equal Human and Political Rights From the Inside Out” and “The Democratic Constitution Strategy Is the Blueprint for a New Party; That Means Voting for Democrats in 2024, Even Biden.” He also played a large role in creating a new reader, “Recovering the Struggle for Equal Rights and Democracy,” and wrote a long work on Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), “You Can’t Use Weatherman To Show Which Way The Wind Blew.” I spoke with Gil about

Luke talks with Daniel Lazare about Trump’s foreign policy, the Supreme Court’s liberal opposition to Trump v. CASA, No Kings protests, resistance to ICE raids, and why we need a constituent assembly.

Dan is the author of The Frozen Republic, The Velvet Coup, and America’s Undeclared War. He has written several articles for the Democratic Constitution Blog and Permanent Revolution. Lucas and Luke previously talked with Dan in July and November of 2024 and February of this year.

Luke talks with Dan Farbman about parallels between current events and America in the 1850s, the abolitionist movement and resistance lawyering, working within “the master’s house,” and protests in Los Angeles.

Dan teaches classes on constitutional law, local government law, movement lawyering, inequality, and legal realism at the Boston College Law School. His work includes “A Commons in the Master's House,” “Resistance Lawyering,” and “Outrage and Resistance: Abolitionist Lessons for the Present Crisis.”

A recap of articles, interviews, and current events during the week of 6/30/25.

The US government is already preparing massive celebrations of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution next July 4, the country’s semiquincentennial. It’s high time to scrap the antidemocratic system the Framers bequeathed us. This is a recording of Luke’s recent Jacobin article, “This July 4, Let’s Resolve to Win an Actual Democracy.”

Trump and Birthright Citizenship. By Luke Pickrell. Published on April 23, 2025. Original Article: https://democraticconstitutionblog.substack.com/p/trump-and-citizenship

Luke speaks with Stephen Pimpare about his recent article, “The Right is Risen: It’s Time to Admit the US Constitution Has Failed.” They discuss topics such as poverty in the US and widespread social discontent, the Constitution's role in allowing for the emergence of authoritarianism, the Civil War and Reconstruction, and uniting various constituencies in the struggle for democracy. 

Stephen is a professor of public policy and director of the Master of Public Policy program at Vermont Law and Graduate School. He’s the author of several books, including A People’s History of Poverty in America and Politics for Social Workers: A Practical Guide to Effecting Change.