This Constitution
This Constitution is an every-two-weeks podcast ordained and established by the Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University, the home of Utah’s Civic Thought & Leadership Initiative.
Co-hosted by Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon, This Constitution equips listeners with the knowledge and insights to engage with the most pressing political questions of our time, starting with Season 1, focusing on the powers and limits of the U.S. presidency.
Episodes
21 episodes
Season 2, Episode 5 | Judicial Confirmations—Checks, Balances, or Political Theater?
A Supreme Court justice serves for life, no term limits. No reelection. Almost no way to remove them. So… who decides who gets that kind of power?In this episode, hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon explore the constitutio...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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32:08
Season 2, Episode 4 | The Shot Heard 'Round the World: Understanding Lexington and Concord
Why did the American Revolution begin with armed conflict in 1775, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence? What was the significance of Lexington and Concord, and how did these events set the stage for what would become a bitte...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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30:35
Season 2, Episode 3 | Surviving the Senate: Executive Confirmations
Why does the President need the Senate’s approval to appoint people to the executive branch? Why is it so hard to get those people confirmed? And has the whole process become more about political theater than public service?In this episo...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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28:58
Season 2, Episode 2 | State vs. Federal Power: How Identity Shapes American Democracy
State vs. Federal Power: How Identity Shapes American DemocracyDo you feel more Texan than American? If you had to choose, would you say you’re a Texan first and an American second? What about an Alaskan, a New Yorker, or a Californian? ...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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26:48
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Season 2, Episode 1 | Does the Separation of Powers Actually Make the Government More Powerful?
What if the very system designed to keep our leaders in check… is starting to fail?In this episode of This Constitution, hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon kick off Season 2 with a deep dive into the delicate bal...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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31:34
Season 1 Extra, Episode D | The Standard Story of Judicial Review in American Politics Gets It All Wrong
Host Matthew Brogdon talks with Keith Whittington, Yale Law School, about Keith’s book, his book, Repugnant laws: Judicial Review of Acts of Congress from the Founding to the Present, outlining the history of the Supreme Court ...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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42:32
Season 1 Extra, Episode C | The Bard's Blueprint: Shakespeare and the Foundation of American Governance
How can the words of a 16th-century playwright possibly hold the key to understanding American governance today? The answer may lie in the very heart of classical education—a time-tested foundation for thoughtful leadership and civic responsibi...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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32:10
Season 1 Extra, Episode B | A Woman’s Voice in America’s Revolution: The Legacy of Mercy Otis Warren
Mercy Otis Warren was no ordinary figure in America’s founding story. How many women of her time had the opportunity to receive a classical education, let alone become influential political thinkers and writers? As one of the few, Warren used h...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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34:18
Season 1 Extra, Episode A | The Pursuit of Happiness: Virtue in the Founding Era
What does the "pursuit of happiness" really mean? It’s a question we often skim over, but the Founding Fathers had a very specific idea in mind—one deeply rooted in classical virtue and self-mastery. In this episode, Matthew Brogdon sits down w...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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32:58
Season 1, Episode 11 | How to Thwart a Tyrant: Lincoln's Lyceum Address
What if the biggest threats to our democracy aren’t coming from outside our borders, but from within? In 1838, a young Abraham Lincoln warned exactly about that in his Lyceum Address. Standing before a group of young men, he didn’t just talk ab...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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28:04
Season 1, Episode 10 | Myth of the Modern Presidency: The Office Since TR
What happened to the presidency around the turn of the 20th century? How did it go from being a strong institution under leaders like Washington and Lincoln to one that progressives saw as weak and ineffective? Could it be that the rapid change...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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36:34
Season 1, Episode 9 | Who Needs Congress? POTUS as Chief Executive
Who Needs Congress? POTUS as Chief Executive Who holds the real power in Washington's sprawling federal bureaucracy? In this episode, Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon explore the President's role as Chief Executiv...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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31:48
Season 1, Episode 8 | Starting Wars or Just Finishing Them? POTUS as Commander in Chief
When bombs drop and troops mobilize, who pulls the strings—Congress or the President? Can we afford to leave the fate of nations in the hands of one person, or does the voice of the people demand more say? The Founding Fathers designed checks a...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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36:37
Season 1, Episode 7 | Ballots, Not Bullets: A 2024 Election Recap
Have you ever wondered what happens when an election unfolds in unexpected ways? This episode dives into the surprisingly decisive 2024 presidential election, exploring its unique dynamics and the implications for American democrac...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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26:57
Season 1, Episode 6 | Is the Electoral College the Best We Can Do?
Ever wonder why the candidate with the most votes doesn’t always win the presidency? Or question if the Electoral College still makes sense in today’s democracy? The Electoral College has been at the center of political debates for centuries, l...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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35:43
Season 1, Episode 5 | Where's the Party? Presidential Selection Gone Wrong
Where’s the Party? Presidential Selection Gone WrongAre presidential elections as democratic as we believe? How did we go from the Framers' carefully crafted vision to the whirlwind of primaries and national conventions that defin...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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40:24
Season 1, Episode 4 | Lincoln Saved the Union. Did He Violate the Constitution?
Lincoln Saved the Union. Did He Violate the Constitution? Did Abraham Lincoln really have to break the very rules he swore to uphold to save the nation? It’s a tough question, isn’t it? As the Civil War raged on, Lincoln face...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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27:24
Season 1, Episode 3 | George Washington Builds the Presidency
George Washington Builds the Presidency. Are you ready to uncover how one man's choices shaped the very essence of the American presidency? How did George Washington, a military leader turned statesman, navigate the turbulent...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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41:19
Season 1, Episode 2 | An Elected Monarch? Creating the American Presidency
An Elected Monarch? Creating the American Presidency. Have you ever wondered how the Founding Fathers managed to create a powerful executive branch without sliding into dictatorship? In this episode of This Co...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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33:01
Season 1, Episode 1 | Above the law? Executive Privilege and Presidential Immunity
The American presidency is likely the key contribution of the American Founding. And it's in response to democracy's inability to handle crisis. This is the dark logic of the American presidency at its heart. You want to grant all ...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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30:56
