Constitution Day: Gateway Library Resources

This 8-part series explores how The U.S. Constitution came to be.

Discusses the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States.

Discusses why we have and need a constitution, what federalism is, how implicit and explicit rights are defined and how separation of powers ensures that no one branch of government obtains too much power

Disc 1. Conversation on the Constitution with Justices Stephen G. Breyer, Sandra Day O'Connor, and Anthony M. Kennedy: freedom of speech - Conversation on the Constitution with Justices Stephen G. Breyer, Sandra Day O'Connor, and Anthony M. Kennedy: jury service -- FAQs : juries --

The Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution and The Bill of Rights represent much more than the words used by America’s Founding Fathers to define a fragile, nascent country. They’re the living, breathing realization of America’s democratic ideal, the bedrock of a society that its people have built over nearly two-and-a-half centuries, and they provide a blueprint that is, was and will be a template for democracy around the world.

This program examines the search for balance between the original Constitution and the need to interpret and adjust it to meet the needs of changing times. It explains the original Jeffersonian-Madisonian debate, the concept of checks and balances, and the stringent procedures for amending the Constitution.

Sagal explores the Constitution’s most striking and innovative feature: its resilient brand of federalism. The framers created a strong national government while preserving much of the power and independence of the states. This delicate balance of power, seemingly hard-wired for disagreement and conflict, has served America well for more than two centuries. But it has also led to tensions throughout American history and still sparks controversy today over medical marijuana, gun control and “Obamacare.” Distributed by PBS Distribution.