In a time when crossing political party lines can seem as treacherous as crossing a fault line during an earthquake, it could be difficult to believe that Abraham Lincoln, in a country even more divided than our contentious present-day one, repeatedly worked with those who disagreed with him. But Lincoln understood that as a politician it was his duty to do whatever was necessary for the betterment of the country, even if that meant reaching across a very perilous aisle. Steve Inskeep demonstrates how the 16th president used his unique brand of political acumen—including humor, storytelling, and self-deprecation—to push his agenda through and reunite a divided nation.

Recorded on December 20, 2023

What did “the pursuit of happiness” mean to our nation’s Founders, and why was it included in the Declaration of Independence? Listed as one of America’s unalienable rights, this phrase finds its roots in the classical works of the Greek and Roman moral philosophers which would have made up our Founders’ libraries. Speaking to the moral character that the Founders hoped to imbue in the new American citizen, it also exemplified a dedication to the idea of personal self-government. Yet like so many of our founding documents, this phrase in the Declaration of Independence sat in stark contrast to the legality of slavery in the new nation. In conversation with David Rubenstein, constitutional expert Jeffrey Rosen explores the origins and implications of this iconic phrase in the American lexicon.

Recorded on March 4, 2024

Prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, oppressive voter registration literacy tests disenfranchised Black voters across the United States. In direct response to these restrictions, community organizers and activists launched an underground Citizenship Schools project that helped tens of thousands of Black citizens not only learn to read and write, but how to navigate Jim Crow literacy tests and demand their right to vote. In this conversation with David M. Rubenstein, Elaine Weiss takes a deep dive into the stories of four organizers at the center of this movement: Septima Clark, Esau Jenkins, Myles Horton, and Bernice Robinson.

Recorded on February 27, 2025