Unprecedential

Unprecedential goes on summer break: Adam and Elayne look back, and look ahead

After fifteen months and 46 episodes, Unprecedential is packing up and going to the beach. Today’s episode features Adam and Elayne reflecting on their favorite conversat

Is America's criminal justice system truly just? Judge Jed Rakoff argues for reform

The Bill of Rights provides a great number of protections for accused and convicted criminals: it promises trial by jury; it prohibits “cruel and unusual” punishment. And

Fears of a setting sun: Dennis C. Rasmussen on the worries of Washington, Hamilton, Adams, and Jefferson

From today’s vantage point, the Founding era often seems a time churning with decisive hopefulness. The 1789 Constitutional Convention certainly featured vehement debate,

Neither monarch nor magistrate: Joseph M. Bessette and Gary J. Schmitt on crafting a republican executive

When the Constitutional Convention began in 1787, delegates were tasked with creating a government that could simultaneously avoid monarchy’s overreaches and the Articles

Defining women’s rights: Erika Bachiochi on the constitutional debate over women’s equality

Since the 19th Amendment ratified women’s right to vote in 1920, the quest for women’s equality in America has taken many turns. But the philosophical lineage behind the

The politics of religious freedom: Helen Alvaré on worship in a secular age

Both historically and constitutionally, the freedom to worship has been a centerpiece of American politics. For much of their history, Americans viewed religious devotion

Politics, faith, and the law: Ryan Anderson on American religion and public policy

The relationship between politics and religion is inevitably fraught. In the American context, various confessions have evaluated America’s political arrangement differen

Free speech on campus: Stuart Taylor and Nicole Neily on defending dialogue in higher education

Higher education is supposed to provide space for citizens to generate new ideas, consider old ones, and debate about society’s priorities. But these intellectual activit

Political science: Tony Mills on expert judgement and public policy

The pandemic has dramatically emphasized the authority that scientific expertise commands in our political culture. As the CDC has periodically updated its guidelines ove

Truth will set you free: Jamie Fly on America's message abroad

As Ivana Stradner and Gary Schmitt noted in Unprecedential’s previous episode, the United States maintains many political, economic, and cultural interests abroad. One of

Global institutions and the U.S. Constitution: Ivana Stradner and Gary Schmitt on the challenges facing America

: After WWII, the United States led the world in building international institutions. But in recent decades America’s polarized politics has led to a bipolar approach to

Congress’s first hundred days and beyond: Kevin Kosar on legislative prospects for the 117th Congress

Our national legislature is overwhelmed. With a new presidential administration comes new appointments to confirm and a fresh legislative agenda to consider. But Congress

The first hundred days: Jonathan Alter on why early success matters for presidents

While presidential terms last four years, the first hundred days define much of posterity’s judgment of presidents. Franklin Roosevelt marked the one hundredth day of his

Congress and the Biden Administration: Sarah Binder and Andrew Rudalevige on legislative power

With President Biden’s victory and two Senate seats in Georgia turning blue, Democrats will enjoy unified government control for at least two years. However, unified gove

The presidency’s first impression: Stephen Howard Browne on the inauguration of George Washington

Aristotle defines rhetoric as the faculty for discovering the available means of persuasion in any given case. When George Washington was elected to be our first presiden

The president’s opening lines: Jeff Tulis and Gary Schmitt on the inaugural address

The president’s inaugural address exemplifies America’s republican constitution. It serves as the point of connection between the “poetry” of campaigns and the “prose” of

Preparing a presidency: Tevi Troy on presidential transitions

In today’s era of modern governance, presidential transitions seems like a herculean task. The shift from a presidential campaign to a presidency requires preparing the p

Thanksgiving for (and in) the Constitution: Yuval Levin on gratitude

2020 has shown us that our world has a lot of room for improvement, to say the least. But there’s also a lot to be grateful for. We’ve inherited an extraordinary constitu

Celebrity Culture and the Supreme Court: Chad Oldfather on the "Inconspicuous" David Souter

Since the days of John Marshall, justices have worn black robes to downplay their individuality. But in recent decades, Supreme Court justices have found themselves incre

The Living Presidency: Saikrishna Prakash on “recaging the executive lion”

It’s commonly noted that, in the wake of King George III’s manifold mishaps, America’s framers built a constitutional system designed to constrain the executive. After al