The Evolution of Judicial Independence in America — Part 1

The National Constitution Center and the Federal Judicial Center present a three-part discussion exploring the evolution of judicial independence in America and its critical role in our democracy from the Founding to present day.

This episode features a conversation with historians Mary Sarah Bilder of Boston College Law School and Jack Rakove of Stanford University, exploring the founders’ intentions surrounding the establishment of the federal judiciary and the role of the courts during the nation’s formative years. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  

This program is presented in partnership with the Federal Judicial Center.

Additional Resources

National Constitution Center, "Article III," Interactive Constitution

Jack Rakove, Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution

Mary Sarah Bilder, Madison's Hand: Revising the Constitutional Convention

James Madison, Notes on the Federal Convention of 1787

Federalist 78

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Alexander Bickle, The Least Dangerous Branch: The Supreme Court at the Bar of Politics

John Adams, A Defense of the Constitutions of the Government of the United States

Ed. Max Skjönsberg, Catharine Macaulay: Political Writings

Wendell Bird, Criminal Dissent: Prosecutions under the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798

Stay Connected and Learn More

Continue the conversation on Facebook and Twitter using @ConstitutionCtr.

Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly.

Please subscribe to Live at the National Constitution Center and our companion podcast We the People on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.