America’s Founding Principles and the Future of Democracy with Constitutional Scholar Jeffrey Rosen

On this 250th Independence Day, how much do our founding documents still matter to Americans? It turns out a lot, according to guest Prof. Jeffrey Rosen. CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, he’s a law professor at George Washington University and has traveled the country speaking to diverse audiences that share a deep commitment to our nation’s founding principles. 

Jeff quotes from memory host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush's great-grandfather Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis on free speech, and explains the thinking that the various founders brought to this experiment in democracy. Another highlight of the conversation: Enlightenment rational values were the driving force behind the Constitution’s emphasis on religious freedom for all. He doesn’t hesitate to point to where the founders fell far short of their ideals, but that fact ultimately offers hope for our time: we’ve come this far despite setbacks and mistakes – and so the conflicts and division of today don’t automatically guarantee failure in the years ahead.