FALL 2015 AMERICA S TOWN HALL Timely constitutional conversations uniting thought leaders from all sides of the debate Independence Mall 525 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 constitutioncenter.org/debate
LETTER FROM THE CEO Dear Friends, As we begin another season of Town Hall programming at the National Constitution Center, I m inspired by the constitutional dialogue we ve sparked here in Philadelphia and across America. We re taking our Town Halls to DC, New York, Boston, Chicago, Michigan, San Francisco and beyond and are finding a nationwide hunger for nonpartisan constitutional education and debate. I m thrilled that the National Constitution Center has become America s leading institution for hosting these discussions. As America s Town Hall, the National Constitution Center features debates, conversations, and panels with the top scholars and thought leaders in America on the most significant constitutional topics of our time, from religious liberty and policing to education. We are honoring the 150th anniversary of the Reconstruction Amendments with symposia across the country. On Constitution Day, September 17, we will launch the best Interactive Constitution on the web, co-chaired by the Federalist Society and the American Constitution Society, and in partnership with the College Board. And, as always, we celebrate civic holidays and bring the nation s best authors to the Center for book talks and lectures. To ensure that you don t miss any of these illuminating conversations, and for the greatest access to guest speakers and constitutional scholars, I invite you to become a Member of the National Constitution Center. Your hip will support our inspiring nonprofit educational mission: to bring people together of all ages, backgrounds and perspectives to learn about, debate and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. I hope you ll join us for as many of these wonderful programs as possible, and look forward to welcoming you soon, at the National Constitution Center or online at constitutioncenter.org. That there is this place [National Constitution Center] that is spreading knowledge about this most remarkable instrument of government that we have, it is a treasure. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Congratulations to all of you who are active in this wonderful Center. There are so few things that bring us together in a country that s so divided, but commitment to our remarkable Constitution this document is just so unbelievable. Alan Dershowitz It is a real gift for Philadelphia and the country as a whole to have a place that s centered on education about the Constitution. I m very honored to have been here. Lynne Cheney Sincerely, Jeffrey Rosen President & CEO, National Constitution Center The Center in its many dimensions must remind us to seek always to find new ways to teach the meaning of the Constitution and the freedom it secures. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy
FALL PROGRAMS Cass R. Sunstein TUESDAY Digital Media and the Future of Democracy SEPT 8 GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY! Call 215.409.6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org/debate. SEPT 21 5 P.M. The National Constitution Center and the Penn Program on Democracy, Citizenship and Constitutionalism welcome Harvard Law Professor and former Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Cass R. Sunstein. TUESDAY How to Build a Fairer, Happier, and More Prosperous America 6 P.M. FRIDAY OCT 2 for members $7 teachers & students $10 public Leading policy thinker and American Enterprise Institute president Arthur C. Brooks offers his bold vision for conservatism as a movement for social and economic justice. SEPT 16 7 P.M. 12 P.M. Landmark Cases The Launch of a New National Constitution Center/ C-SPAN Series TUESDAY OCT 13 5:30 P.M. Join a panel of experts to talk about America s most critical Supreme Court cases; the event will launch a new C-SPAN series, produced in cooperation with the National Constitution Center, called Landmark Cases: Historic Supreme Court Decisions, exploring the human stories behind the historic rulings. SEPT 17 2 P.M. Justice Stephen Breyer The Court and the World Museum admission is free on Constitution Day, courtesy of and includes all programming. Join Justice Breyer for a special appearance around his newly released book examining the work of the Supreme Court in an increasingly interconnected world. Don t forget to check our website for the full schedule of Constitution Day events! The Origin and Meaning of Religious Liberty $7 members, teachers, & students $10 public for 1787 Society members Watch two all-star panels on the historical origins and the contemporary debates around religious liberty in America with constitutional law and religious liberty experts Marci Hamilton, Philip Hamburger, Michael McConnell, Douglas Laycock, and Kristina Arriaga. In conjunction with our NEW exhibition, Religious Liberty and the Founding of America, opening August 21! Arthur C. Brooks SEPT 15 American Faith OCT 19 Senator Chris Coons A Conversation on Law and Politics U.S. Senator Chris Coons discusses the upcoming Supreme Court term, current congressional debates, and his life in public service. Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey Policing in a Democratic Society $7 members, teachers, & students $10 public for 1787 Society members The Center launches a national initiative to host constitutional conversations with police recruits, headed by Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey, who will join for an intimate conversation, followed by a panel on law and policing featuring psychology professor Joshua Correll, Heather Mac Donald, author of Are Cops Racist?, and legal scholar Theodore Shaw. Anne-Marie Slaughter Unfinished Business for members $7 teachers & students $10 public The leading voice in the nationwide discussion on women s changing role in the workplace, Anne-Marie Slaughter, discusses her hotly anticipated book, Unfinished Business her take on what s necessary to get true gender equality in America.
FALL PROGRAMS GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY! Call 215.409.6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org/debate. OCT 21 OCT 28 12 P.M. NOV 2 4 P.M. NOV 5 9 A.M. What s Cooking? An Evening with American Chefs $7 members, teachers, & students $10 public for 1787 Society members Leading health policy expert Ezekiel Emanuel sits down with the nation s most celebrated restaurateurs to discuss the food industry and how the U.S. government shapes our culinary life. In conjunction with our NEW feature exhibition, What s Cooking Uncle Sam: The Government s Effect on the American Diet, opening October 9! Jess Bravin, Adam Liptak, & Steven Mazie The 10 Toughest Cases of the 2014-15 Term Top Supreme Court reporters Jess Bravin of The Wall Street Journal, Adam Liptak of The New York Times, and Steven Mazie of The Economist outline the issues and arguments in the 10 most controversial opinions of the term. School Choice The Role of the Constitution and the Courts in Improving Education for members $7 teachers & students $10 public Does the Constitution guarantee an equal education to every child? What do the U.S. and Pennsylvania Constitutions say about school choice, teacher tenure, standardized testing, and more? Watch two back-to-back debates exploring these questions. The Legacy of Reconstruction Join us for three conversations on the origins, influence, and contemporary meaning of the 14th Amendment, featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning historians David M. Kennedy and Jack Rakove, Judge Janice Rogers Brown, and others. NOV 12 Includes a copy of NEW book! 7 P.M. NOV 18 DEC 9 12 P.M. Jon Meacham The American Odyssey of George H.W. Bush $25 members $30 public Presidential historian and bestselling author Jon Meacham unveils his sweeping yet intimate biography of George H. W. Bush charting Bush s storied rise in politics from congressman to U.N. ambassador to head of the CIA to 41st president. Ari Berman The Fight (and Right) to Vote In celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Voting Rights Act, hear from Ari Berman, political correspondent for The Nation, as he brings new insight to one of the most vital political and civil rights issues of our time the continuing battle over the right to vote. Why Reconstruction Matters for members $7 teachers & students $10 public Don t miss preeminent historian Eric Foner for a special 13th Amendment discussion on the heels of the 150th anniversary of ratification. the Federal Judicial Center A sale and book signing will follow the program. This program is part of the National Constitution Center s commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the 13th Amendment.
BILL OF RIGHTS DAY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15 JOIN US ON THE ROAD Dozens of special events and museum programming, including access to one of the 12 surviving copies of the Bill of Rights and the back-by-popular-demand book festival, will be part of the Center s Bill of Rights Day celebration. Admission to the museum on Bill of Rights Day is discounted to $5, courtesy of Macy s, and includes all programming. The National Constitution Center has taken its Town Hall programs on the road! These cutting-edge conversations and debates bring the top thinkers from around the country and across the political spectrum to explore the timeliest constitutional topics at the center of American life. BOOK FESTIVAL LINEUP 10 A.M. How Magna Carta Shaped America with constitutional law and comparative constitutionalism expert A.E. Dick Howard 11:15 A.M. James Madison s Notes : Revising the Constitutional Convention with professor of law and distinguished scholar Mary Sarah Bilder 1:15 P.M. Dissent and the Supreme Court: Its Role in the Court s History and the Nation s Constitutional Dialogue with revered judicial authority Melvin Urofsky OCT 19 NOV 19 DEC 3 Is the Criminal Justice System Good for Business? Grand Rapids, Michigan Resolved: The Second Amendment Protects the Individual s Right to Own and Carry a Gun Chicago, Illinois The Equal Protection Clause Forbids Racial Preferences in State University Admissions: An Intelligence Squared U.S. Debate on Affirmative Action New York, New York 2:30 P.M. The Federalist Papers: Relevant Today? with one of America s most distinguished constitutional scholars, Sanford Levinson Visit constitutioncenter.org/debate for more information. These programs are made possible through the support of a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed during these programs are those of the program participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.
GENERAL INFO Registration is recommended for all programs. Seating begins one hour prior to program start time, and programs last approximately one hour unless otherwise noted. Discounted parking is available in our parking garage on a first-come, first-served basis for most programs. Parking availability will be posted on our website two weeks prior to each event. Topics and speakers are subject to change. MEMBERSHIP JOIN TODAY! Your membership gift ensures that the National Constitution Center will inspire active citizenship, and provide constitutional education for people of all ages including more than 250,000 young people every year. enjoy access School group visit supported by the Center s Young Citizen s to exhibitions, programs, and special Scholarship program, and made possible by members. events while directly supporting the Center s nonprofit mission to bring people together of diverse backgrounds and perspectives to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. hip begins at $50 for an individual Patriot and $95 for a dom Family. Benefits include: Complimentary ticket(s) for select evening Town Hall Programs New! unlimited Museum admission Invitations to -only exhibition previews and special events with esteemed guest speakers Can t make it to a Town Hall program? Watch many of our programs live at constitutioncenter.org/live or catch up on what you missed at constitutioncenter.org/debate. Get the latest coverage of constitutional issues. Subscribe to our blog, Constitution Daily, at blog.constitutioncenter.org. The best arguments on both sides, every week. Listen to We The People, our weekly podcast of constitutional debate, available on itunes and blog.constitutioncenter.org. New Town Hall programs are added regularly! Be sure to check our website at constitutioncenter.org/debate for the most up-to-date program lineup and sign up for our email alerts at programs@constitutioncenter.org. The National Constitution Center s onsite Town Hall programs are generously supported by the Paul S. Levy Programming Fund. hip Levels $50 Individual Patriot $95 dom Family $250 Constitution Founder $500 Constitution Guardian $2,500 Delegates Circle $5,000 Signers Circle $125 Constitution Framer $1,787 1787 Circle $10,000 Presidents Circle Join the National Constitution Center s 1787 Society an annual giving society committed to promoting a greater understanding of the U.S. Constitution. With a contribution of $1,787 or more, you ll have access to exclusive, membership benefits including previews, private events and programming with the nation s leading scholars, judges, and policy makers in Philadelphia and across the country. Please visit constitutioncenter.org to learn more about becoming a member, and to select the giving level that is right for you. Join online at constitutioncenter.org/membership or call 215.409.6767. Donations can be mailed to: National Constitution Center 525 Arch St. Philadelphia, PA 19106 The National Constitution Center is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit, nonpartisan private organization.
Independence Mall 525 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 AMERICA S TOWN HALL JOIN the CONVERSATION RESERVE YOUR SEATS TODAY FOR THESE MUST-SEE TOWN HALL PROGRAMS. Visit constitutioncenter.org/debate. NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 6072 PHILADELPHIA, PA