Consider the Constitution
Consider the Constitution is a podcast from the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier. The show provides insight into constitutional issues that directly affect every American. Hosted by Dr. Katie Crawford-Lackey the podcast features interviews with constitutional scholars, policy and subject matter experts, heritage professionals, and legal practitioners.
Episodes
62 episodes
The Temple and the Republic: Architecture, Liberty, and Madison's Legacy
This episode is part of a special five-part miniseries examining James Madison's role in the American Revolution and the founding of the United States. As part of Montpelier's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of American independence, thi...
Women and the Constitution
When the Constitution was drafted in 1787, women weren't explicitly excluded — they were simply not addressed. Dr. Catherine Allgor, historian and former President of the Massachusetts Historical Society, joins host Dr. Katie Crawford Lackey at...
Promises to Keep: Madison, Self-Government, and the Citizen's Responsibility
This episode is part of a five-part miniseries examining James Madison's role in the American Revolution and the founding of the United States. Part of Montpelier's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of American independence, this series is...
The Supreme Court's Credibility
The Supreme Court has no army, no budget, and no way to enforce its own rulings. Its power rests entirely on the credibility of its words. Attorney and author Peter Cohen joins Dr. Katie ...
Madison's Revolutionary Legacy: From Virginia Rights to the War of 1812
James Madison's participation in the American Revolution shaped not only his political philosophy but his entire approach to governance. In this episode, Dr. Katie Crawford Lackey sits down with D...
The Foundation of Legislative Politics
When Congress can't pass laws, is the problem in the Constitution—or in the rules that govern how legislators actually do their work? In this episode, Dr. Katie Crawford-Lackey welcomes back Dr. Lauren Bell to discuss her new book,
Loyalists, Patriots, and the Reality of Revolution
This episode is part of a special five-part miniseries examining James Madison's role in the American Revolution and the founding of the United States. As part of Montpelier's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of American independence, thi...
Forging the Revolution: Montpelier's Blacksmith Shop and the Hidden Network of the American War
What can 500 pounds of slag reveal about the American Revolution? In this episode, Dr. Katie Crawford-Lackey talks with Dr. Matt Reeves, Montpelier's Director of Archaeology, about the...
Young Madison and the Founding Years
This episode launches a special five-part miniseries examining James Madison's role in the American Revolution and the founding of the United States. Part of Montpelier's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of American independence, this ser...
Consider The Constitution: 2025 Year in Review
In this special year-end episode, Dr. Katie Crawford Lackey looks back at 19 conversations from 2025 with historians, lawyers, constitutional experts, and public servants.
The Power of Place: Historic Preservation at James Madison's Montpelier
In this special episode commemorating the 25th anniversary of the co-stewardship partnership between the National Trust for Historic Preservation and The Montpelier Foundation, host Dr. Katie Crawford Lackey welcomes Tom Mayes, Chief Legal Offi...
The Mosaic of Montpelier
In this special episode of Consider The Constitution, Dr. Katie Crawford-Lackey is joined by Dr. Kelley Fanto Deetz, Montpelier's Chief Advancement Officer, to explore how James Madison's Montpelier reveals history's most essential truth: no st...
Congress by Design: How the Founders Built America's Most Powerful Branch
Host Dr. Katie Crawford-Lackey welcomes back Dr. Lauren Bell to explore how the Constitutional Convention's historic compromises shaped Congress into America's most powerful branch of government. From Madison's Virginia Plan to the Great Compro...
Your Invitation to Madison's Montpelier: An Unprecedented Public Seminar Experience
For the first time in over 20 years, James Madison's Montpelier is opening its transformational constitutional seminars to the general public. Join host Dr. Katie Crawford-Lackey and Center Director Patrick Campbell as they extend a
The Madison Paradox: Empowering Government While Limiting Power
In this episode, host Dr. Katie Crawford-Lackey explores James Madison's constitutional philosophy with professors Eric Kasper and Howard Schweber, co-authors of "Jam...
Campus Safety and Free Speech: Police Training for Constitutional Rights
As college campuses continue to serve as vital sites of activism, protest, and public debate, university police face the complex task of upholding First Amendment freedoms while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of diverse campus communities. I...
Qualified Immunity: Where Constitutional Law Meets Public Safety
In this compelling episode of Consider the Constitution, host Dr. Katie Crawford-Lackey explores one of the most contentious intersections of constitutional law and public policy with
Official Message: How Members of Congress Communicate with Constituents
In this illuminating episode of Consider the Constitution, Dr. Katie Crawford Lackey welcomes back Dr. Lindsey Cormack, the pioneering political scientist who created DC Inbox—a first-of-its-kind digital archive preserving congressional newslet...
Beyond the Founders: How Ordinary Americans Built a Government
In this episode, host Dr. Katie Crawford-Lackey interviews historian Dr. Peter Kastor about how America's founding generation transformed constitutional ideals into functioning government institutions. Lea...
The Philosophical Roots of American Democracy
In this enlightening episode of Consider the Constitution, host Dr. Katie Crawford Lackey sits down with Dr. Dennis Rasmussen, professor of political science at Syracuse Univers...
Constitutional Safeguards: How the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments Protect Your Rights
In this episode of Consider the Constitution, host Dr. Katie Crawford-Lackey welcomes back Kendra Johnson, assistant Public Defender in Fairfax, Virginia, to explore the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments. Johnson explains how these amendments...
Debunking Political Myths with Dr. Casey Burgat
Host Dr. Katie Crawford-Lackey welcomes Dr. Casey Burgat back to James Madison's Montpelier to discuss his new book, "We Hold These Truths: How to ...
Slavery, the Constitution, and the Road to Civil War
In this compelling conversation with historian Dr. Joshua Rothman from the University of Alabama, we explore the complex relationship between slavery and the U.S. Constitution. Dr. R...
