The Founders' and the People's Constitutions

Last week, we hosted a discussion of how the U.S. Constitution was written and how it has changed over time, featuring two authors with different takes: professors Wilfred Codrington III of Brooklyn Law School and Charles R. Kesler of Claremont McKenna College. Professor Codrington unveiled his new book 'The People’s Constitution: 200 Years, 27 Amendments, and the Promise of a More Perfect Union.' Codrington tells the story of constitutional change through his focus on the amendments that he says have reshaped our founding document in order to create a more perfect union. At the same time, Professor Kesler presented his book, 'Crisis of the Two Constitutions: The Rise, Decline, and Recovery of American Greatness.' Kesler’s focus is on the Constitution as written in 1787, as opposed to a narrative of the progressive or “living” constitution, and argues that the two are at odds with each other. National Constitution Center president and CEO Jeffrey Rosen moderates. This conversation was streamed live on October 26, 2021.