What Can the Presidents and First Ladies Teach Us About the American Idea?

"Exploring In Pursuit"SHOW NOTES: In this episode of The Blessings of Liberty, Colleen Shogan, the CEO of In Pursuit,  joins to discuss a new national initiative. In Pursuit, a More Perfect project, features a set of essays on U.S. Presidents and select First Ladies. Contributors – including three former Presidents, three former First Ladies, Chief Justice John Roberts, and seven Pulitzer Prize winners– reflect on each figure to distill a key lesson about the American experiment. Jeffrey Rosen, senior fellow at FIRE and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, moderates. ParticipantsColleen Shogan is the CEO of In Pursuit and served as the 11th Archivist of the United States. Prior to becoming Archivist, Shogan served as Senior Vice President and Director of the David M. Rubenstein Center at the White House Historical Association, worked in the United States Senate, and served as a senior executive at the Library of Congress and its Congressional Research Service. Jeffrey Rosen is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic. Additional ResourcesIn PursuitGeorge W. Bush, “For a Leader, Humility is the Ultimate Strength,” In Pursuit (2026) William J. Clinton, “An Even More Perfect Union Requires an Even Wider ‘We,’” In Pursuit (2026) Barack Obama, “Individual Liberty is Served by the Pursuit of the Common Good,” In Pursuit (2026) John Roberts, “Maintain Your Dignity and Principles Through Defeat,” In Pursuit (2026) Stay Connected and Learn MoreContinue the conversation by following us on social media.Substack: @rosenjeffreyInstagram: @TheBlessingsOfLibertyX: @JeffreyRosenPodX (Personal): @RosenJeffreyYouTube: @TheBlessingsofLibertyPodExplore Pursuit: The Founders’ Guide to HappinessThank you to our presenting sponsor, FIRE, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans—especially freedom of speech and free thought. Learn more about FIRE’s work at FIRE.org/blessings.