Civics centers have made significant inroads in public universities over the past decade, a significant source of hope for American conservatives. In their conversation with James Patterson, Professors Lee Strang and Paul Carrese explain why civics education is so sorely needed and discuss the practicalities of building centers for civic education, their reception within public universities, and the impact of AI on the mission.

Teaching America Reflective Patriotism in Schools, College, and Culture by Paul Carrese What Universities Owe Democracy by Ronald J. Daniels, Grant Shreve, and Phillip Spector Justice by Means of Democracy by Danielle Allen

Senior Writer John McGinnis joins the podcast to discuss the latest term of the Supreme Court. From cases on presidential removal power to birthright citizenship, he concludes that the originalist majority is reshaping important jurisprudence—though not always in the way the media says.

Accelerating Democracy by John McGinnis "Blessed Are the Rich" by James E. Hartley, Law & Liberty book review Originalism and the Good Constitution by John McGinnis and Michael Rappaport Why Democracy Needs the Rich by John McGinnis

Is America the product of a long line of constitutionalism dating back to the Magna Carta, or a radical break with this tradition? Is it liberal or classical? Scholars and statesmen have been debating these questions since the Founding. In his book, Harmonizing Sentiments, Hans Eicholz explains how the American Founding wove together a number of these disparate but reinforcing threads.

Harmonizing Sentiments: The Declaration of Independence and the Jeffersonian Idea of Self-Government, Second Edition, by Hans Eicholz "The Jeffersonian Ideal," a book review on Harmonizing Sentiments by Michael Lucchese

Hillsdale's Bradley J. Birzer joins James Patterson to talk about the Declaration of Independence. They discuss the American colonies' devout Protestantism, their love of the classics, and their identification with the Anglo-Saxon constitutional tradition. Birzer concludes with a stirring assessment of why the Constitution matters.

The Declaration of Independence: A Radical Experiment in Liberty by Bradley J. Birzer Penman of the Founding: A Biography of John Dickinson by Jane E. Calvert Thomas Jefferson and the Fight Against Slavery by Cara Rogers Stevens Vital Remnants: America's Founding and the Western Tradition edited by Gary L. Gregg II The Language of Liberty by J. C. D. Clark

Conspiracy theories have always played a role in American politics, especially at the presidential level. In his new book, Stephen F. Knott explores the history of this phenomenon from the Jefferson administration to the present day. He joins Law & Liberty contributing editor James Patterson to discuss why presidents resort to conspiracy theorism so frequently.

Conspirator in Chief by Stephen F. Knoff "Conspiracy in the White House" by David Head, Law & Liberty (book review) Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy by Stephen F. Knott The Lost Soul of the American Presidency by Stephen F. Knott

Who was John Witherspoon? The only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence, Witherspoon was a well-known fixture of political and religious discourse. Today he is, in Dr. Jeffry Morrison's words, "the most interesting Founder you've never heard of." Morrison talks with host James Patterson about his 2003 book, John Witherspoon and the Founding of the American Republic, and more.

John Witherspoon and the Founding of the American Republic: Catholicism in American Culture by Jeffry H. Morrison "The Dominion of Providence Over the Passions of Men" by John Witherspoon Political Sermons of the American Founding Era: 1730-1805 by Ellis Sandoz

Talking to guest host Pat Lynch, Virginia Postrel discusses her 1998 book, The Future and Its Enemies, and its relevance to today's political landscape. They also discuss potential impacts of AI, the cultural significance of glamour, cheap clothes, and the Abundance movement. Lynch ends with the question: Will market liberals eventually find a home in America's political landscape?

The Fabric of Civilization by Virginia Postrel The Future and Its Enemies by Virginia Postrel The Power of Glamour by Virginia Postrel The Substance of Style by Virginia Postrel

The originalist majority on the Supreme Court is perhaps more open than ever to overturning what it considers to be bad precedents. In his new book, Carson Holloway argues that the justices should train their crosshairs on New York Times v. Sullivan, the 1964 decision that means statements about public officials are rarely considered libelous. He joins James Patterson to discuss the book, the history of free speech, and the future of originalism.

There is enormous pressure today for traditional conservatives (or anyone critical of progressivism) to write their names in the black book of the New Right and acquiesce to a politics of populist rage and federal overreach. Elizabeth Corey explains to James Patterson why she will instead engage in the quieter, more respectable task of cultural transmission and tending to her little platoon.

"A Quiet Refusal to Compromise," by Elizabeth Corey, Law & Liberty "Beautiful Losers," by Elizabeth Corey, Public Discourse "Interpreting the New Right," by John Grove, Law & Liberty

Why do presidents have the power to pardon, and how is it typically used and abused? Sai Prakash and James Patterson discuss the pardon power's origins in British law, its usefulness in ending rebellions, and the unfortunate tendency of more recent presidents to use the pardon power to reward friends and donors, protect underlings, or generate political support.

The Presidential Pardon by Sai Prakash "The Personal Pardon Power" by Philip Hamberger, Law & Liberty "Is It Too Late to Recover the Founders' Presidency?" by Gary L. Gregg II, Law & Liberty