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Separation of Powers
1m 17s
Our system of government is set up to control power, this animation explains how.
Peter Sagal, host of NPR's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!" travels across the country to find out where the U.S. Constitution lives, how it works and how it doesn't, how it unites us as a nation, and how it has nearly torn us apart.
Our system of government is set up to control power, this animation explains how.
Historians Richard Beeman and Akhil Amar explain how the Constitution's ability to change.
Amendments are not the only way to change rights, learn more from the ERA and Title 9.
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor explains the steps to understanding law and the role of the supreme court.
Professor Kurt Lash talks about why he believes any changes to the Constitution should be made by legislators or the people instead of judges.
Yale professor Akhil Amar talks about what changes he would, personally, like to see made to the Constitution.
Yale professor Akhil Amar talks about why our Constitution has endured as long as it has. He believes this is because of its ability to be amended.
Yale professor Akhil Amar talks about Congressional gridlock. Did the framers have this in mind when they drafted the Constitution? Can gridlock be good?
Historian Rick Beeman shares some insight behind the creation of the office of U.S. President and explains why the role's duties are hardly touched upon at all in the Constitution.
Federal Judge Harvie Wilkinson discusses the concept of "activist judges" and why he believes both Constitutional originalists and those who back the idea of a "living constitution" have it wrong.
What exactly does "liberty" mean? What does "equality" mean? Columbia law Professor Jamal Greene talks about why we've had so many legal battles about those few words in the 14th amendment.
Harvard Professor Jody Freeman explains why she believes it's sometimes necessary to rely on the power of the federal government - especially when it pertains to environmental law and federal efficiency standards.
Historian Rick Beeman discusses the delicate balance between the federal government and state governments that the founders were trying to achieve. Which did the founders believe should have more power?
Steve DeAngelo, director of Harborside Health Center - a medical marijuana dispensary - expresses his beliefs that states should have the power to create and enforce their own laws without interference from the federal government.
New York Times Editor Bill Keller explains why he loves the first amendment -- and why he believes it's a gift, not only to writers, but to readers as well.
UCLA Law Professor Eugene Volokh explains why the freedom of speech doesn't mean "the freedom to say whatever you want, wherever you want." He also touches upon why it's so important for a democracy to have freedom of speech and of the press.
Lawyers Ted Olson & David Boies explain why they're arguing for the right for same-sex couples to marry. They say the 14th amendment's equal protection clause awards equal rights for all citizens, regardless of sexual preference.
Yale Professor Akhil Amar talks about rights. Have we gone too far in claiming rights not enumerated in the Constitution? Or have we simply been following in the spirit of the document?
University of Notre Dame Professor Rick Garnett talks about separation of church and state -- and why he believes the founders intended that phrase to mean "freedom to practice your religion openly" rather than "freedom from religion in the public sphere."
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