The finale examines the reasons for the longevity of the Constitution. Also: forces that threaten to undermine the vision of the framers, including excessive partisanship, money in politics and gerrymandering.
read more
An examination of the 14th Amendment and how it's being used in the fight for same-sex marriage, voting rights, affirmative action and immigration reform.
read more
The freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights are examined through several high-profile stories, including that of a father of a fallen soldier who sued Westboro Baptist Church members for protesting his son's funeral; and a Rhode Island high-school student who sued to remove a prayer banner from her school auditorium. Also: the Fourth Amendment and privacy are explored with Jennifer Granick (Stanford Law School), private investigator Efrat Cohen and Twitter general counsel Alex Macgillivray.
read more
NPR's Peter Sagal undertakes a cross-country motorcycle trip to explore the relevance of the Constitution in modern America, starting with federal power vs. states' rights. Among the issues addressed: medical marijuana, gun control and Obamacare. The journey stops in Arkansas, where a Little Rock Nine member recalls the federal government's role in desegregating Central High School; and Montana, where a gun activist argues that the federal government has usurped powers that belong to the states.
read more