Many of today’s political issues result from actions, laws and a constitution from over 200 years ago. Are the institutional systems and structures created in 1787 working as intended? What are the aftereffects of certain constitutional clauses when applied to a 21st-century America?
The U.S. Constitution is a living document, drafted to endure time and change. It has been amended 27 times and its interpretations continue to be fervently debated in classrooms and all the way up to the Supreme Court.
Is there a consensus that the Constitution is, in some ways, flawed? How can issues related to gerrymandering, executive powers, and the electoral college connected to the U.S. Constitution?
Can these fault lines be adjusted to fit a constantly evolving nation? What would that process look like? Should a second Constitutional Convention be convened to discuss these issues?
Guests:
- Sanford Levinson, professor of government at the University of Texas Law School at UT Austin and co-author of "Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws that Affect Us Today"
- Cynthia Levinson, educational policy consultant and researcher and co-author of "Fault Lines in the Constitution"
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*This interview was recorded on Wednesday, August 21.
