We the People

By National Constitution Center

A weekly show from the National Constitution Center hosted by Julie Silverbrook and Tom Donnelly where listeners can hear the best arguments on all sides of the constitutional issues at the center of ... more

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The podcast currently has 637 episodes available.

Best of We the People

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Number 1: Chatrie and the Future of the Fourth Amendment
In a recent decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that law enforcement’s use of a geofence warrant, which collected identity and location data from mobile phone users, violated the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. Professor Orin S. Kerr of Stanford University unpacks the decision in Chatrie v. United States and explores what it means for the future of the Fourth Amendment, privacy, and government surveillance in the digital age. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Orin S. Kerr, “The Fourth Amendment After Chatrie,” Stanford Law Working Paper Series (Aug 12, 2026) Orin S. Kerr, The Digital Fourth Amendment: Privacy and Policing in Our Online World (2025) The Fourth Amendment, National Constitution Center Chatrie v. United States (2026) Case v. Montana (2026) Carpenter v. United States (2018) Riley v. California (2014) United States v. Knotts (1983) United States v. Leon (1984) Mapp v. Ohio (1961) Stay Connected and Learn More Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. Questions or comments? Email [email protected]. Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. Support our important work by making a donation today. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate
August 27, 202647min
Number 2: Mary Sarah Bilder on the Origins of the Bill of Rights
In this episode, Mary Sarah Bilder, Founders Professor at Boston College Law School, explores the history of rights and liberties in America and the origins of the Bill of Rights. She traces how ideas about rights developed before, during, and after the American Revolution, shaped debates over the Constitution, and ultimately led to the adoption of the first 10 amendments. She also explores how those amendments came to be known collectively as the Bill of Rights and gained the significance they have today. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources “The Blessings of Liberty and Bills of Rights,” by Mary Sarah Bilder for the National Constitution Center Bill of Rights Resources, National Constitution Center The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals, (2026) Stay Connected and Learn More Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. Questions or comments? Email [email protected]. Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. Support our important work by making a donation today. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate
September 03, 202640min
Number 3: The State of Free Speech in 2026
Geoffrey Stone of the University of Chicago Law School and Eugene Volokh, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and UCLA School of Law, discuss the First Amendment and the rapidly evolving speech landscape—from social media and artificial intelligence to college campuses and the press. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Moody v. NetChoice, LLC (2024) “What is Section 230?,” We the People (June 4, 2020) Citizen United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) National Constitution Center, Supreme Court Case Library “Meta reaches landmark $18 billion settlement with states in trial over teen social media addiction,” Associated Press (Aug 26, 2026) Free Speech Coalition, INC v. Paxton (2025) Ashcroft v. ACLU (2004) NRA v. Vullo (2024) “Scaling Laws: Eugene Volokh: Navigating Libel and Liability in the AI Age,” Lawfare (July 17, 2025) New York Times Company v. Sullivan (1964) National Constitution Center, Supreme Court Case Library Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc. (1974) Stay Connected and Learn More Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. Questions or comments? Email [email protected]. Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. Support our important work by making a donation today. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate
September 10, 20261h 12min
Number 4: William Magnuson on The Just and the Good: How Law Made the Western World
In this special Constitution Day episode, author William Magnuson discusses his latest book, The Just and the Good: How Law Made the Western World, which is a sweeping tour of the history of the law. He explores how the pillars of the rule of law were built—from the courts of ancient Athens to the United States Constitution, to Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Civil Rights Movement. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources William Magnuson, The Just and the Good: How Law Made the Western World (2026) Stay Connected and Learn More Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. Questions or comments? Email [email protected]. Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. Support our important work by making a donation today. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate
September 17, 20261h 5min
Number 5: The Past, Present, and Future of the Second Amendment
In this episode, Joseph Blocher of Duke University School of Law and Clark Neily of the Cato Institute trace the ongoing debates over the Second Amendment. They analyze recent Supreme Court decisions on this key provision, preview a case on the Court’s docket this term, and look ahead to the issues on the horizon. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources The Second Amendment, Interpretation & Debate, National Constitution Center District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) Supreme Court Cases Library, National Constitution Center McDonald v. Chicago (2010) New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen (2022) United States v. Rahimi (2024) “No earthquake, but did the Supreme Court shift a bit in its approach to guns?,” NCC’s Constitution Daily blog, (June 24, 2024) United States v. Hemani (2025) “Supreme Court rules in favor of man facing gun ban for using marijuana,” NCC's Constitution Daily blog, (June 18, 2026) Josephe Blocher and David Pozen, “The Excluded Middle of Law: Constitutional Drivers of Extremism in Gun and Drug Policy,” Duke Law School 2026 Supreme Court Review (forthcoming) Wilford v. Lopez (2025) “Supreme Court strikes down Hawaii law regulating firearms possession,” NCC's Constitution Daily blog, (June 25, 2026) Brief of the Cato Institute as Amicus Curiae in Support of Petitioners, Viramontes v. Cook County Stay Connected and Learn More Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. Questions or comments? Email [email protected]. Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. Support our important work by making a donation today. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate
September 24, 20261h 5min