250 & Counting

Historian Adam Arenson discusses the culture clash over moral systems during the Civil War and competing visions for the nation’s future.

In his new book, Edward J. Larson explains what happened in 1776 that caused people in the American colonies to change their views on British rule. He describes how the shift was not about battle lines but about ideas, as Americans began to reject monarchism as a core value.

Award-winning author Jill Lepore challenges both the Supreme Court’s monopoly on constitutional interpretation and what she identifies as the flawed theory of “originalism” in a discussion of her new book, a companion to her history of the United States, These Truths.

Most Americans agree that the U.S. Constitution is essential to protecting liberty, but there’s a long-running debate over how it should be interpreted. Charles Zug, an assistant professor of both Political Science and Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri, discusses the competing interpretations and e...

From detention centers to work permits to access to education, immigration continues to shape American life — and stir national debate. Panelists representing a broad spectrum of experiences come together to discuss how policy changes impact families, students, workers, and communities in deeply personal ways.

Civil Dialogues series co-founders Jean Becker and Linda Lorelle lead a safe and judgment-free discussion about what’s happening in the Trump administration, and how and why Americans must engage in our democracy. Experts include Jay Sexton, director of the Kinder Institute, and veteran reporter and editor Kathy Kiely.