Best Savannah Eccles Johnston Amp Matthew Brogdon Podcasts (2025)

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Season 3, Episode 1 | 1777: The Crucible That Forged George Washington 43:04

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2d ago43:04

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Season 3 of This Constitution focuses on the people and events surrounding the making of the Declaration of Independence. What if America’s Revolution had collapsed before it truly began? In this episode of This Constitution, host Savannah Eccles Johnston sits down with Dr. Kevin Weddle, retired U.S. Army colonel, military historian, and author of …

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Season 2, Episode 18 | America’s Greatest Invention: Collective Constitution-Making 43:03

7d ago43:03

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What if America’s greatest strength wasn’t just its leaders, but the way everyday people came together to shape history? In this episode of This Constitution, host Matthew Brogdon sits down with Nicholas Cole of Oxford’s Pembroke College, creator of the Quill Project, to dig into the overlooked story of America’s founding. Far from being the work o…

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Season 2, Episode 17 | George Washington: Merit, Power, and the Birth of Civilian Leadership 28:53

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Did you know that George Washington could have become an American Caesar, but instead chose to walk away from power? Unlike Napoleon or Cromwell, he rejected dictatorship and dynasty, setting the precedent for civilian control of the military, limited executive authority, and the peaceful transfer of power. In this episode of This Constitution, hos…

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Season 2, Episode 16 | Parties and the Constitution: Why the Founders Feared Parties and Created Them Anyway 42:32

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How did a political system founded by leaders who warned against factions end up making political parties an indispensable part of democracy? And why has the United States remained a two-party nation for nearly two centuries? In this episode of This Constitution, host Matthew Brogdon sits down with political scientist Daniel DiSalvo to trace the fa…

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Season 2, Episode 15 | Special Counsels vs. the Presidency: Who Holds the Power? 39:01

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How should a democracy balance the need for independent investigations of government wrongdoing with the president’s constitutional authority over prosecutions? Where do we draw the line? In this episode of This Constitution, hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon dig into the fascinating and often murky world of special counsels. From …

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Season 2, Episode 14 | High Crimes or Political Fights? When Impeachment Becomes a Constitutional Battleground 28:34

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When we hear “impeachment,” most of us immediately think: the President. But what if that’s only part of the story? In this episode of This Constitution, Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon explore the lesser-known history of impeaching cabinet secretaries and other executive officials, revealing how the process has always been more politi…

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Season 2, Episode 13 | Judging the Judges: Impeachment and the Courts 30:20

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In This Episode In this episode of This Constitution, Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon explore one of the least understood and most powerful tools in the U.S. Constitution: impeachment. But forget presidents for now, this episode dives deep into judicial impeachments: how they work, why they're rare, and why judges have historically bee…

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Season 2, Episode 12 | John Dickinson: The Reluctant Revolutionary Who Shaped a Nation 36:50

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In this Independence Day episode of This Constitution, Matthew Brogdon is joined by Dr. Jane Calvert, Director of the John Dickinson Writings Project and author of Penman of the Revolution. Together, they explore the legacy of John Dickinson, one of America’s most influential yet often overlooked founders. Best known for Letters from a Farmer in Pe…

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Season 2, Episode 11 | Courting Controversy: Judicial Review and the Constitution 40:27

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What happens when nine unelected judges have the final say on the most divisive questions in American life? In this episode of This Constitution, Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon break down the Supreme Court’s most consequential and contentious tool: judicial review. They explore how this authority allows nine unelected justices to stri…

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Season 2, Episode 10 | The Emancipation Proclamation: The Path to Juneteenth and the End of Slavery in America 34:37

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Abraham Lincoln claimed he only wanted to save the Union. So how did he end up freeing millions of enslaved Americans? In this special Juneteenth episode, host Savannah Eccles Johnston is joined by Diana Schaub, professor emerita of political science at Loyola University Maryland and nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. A…

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Season 2, Episode 9 | The Legislative Veto: Constitutional Check or Power Grab? 31:19

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Can Congress say no after it already said yes? For more than 50 years, the legislative veto let Congress give power to the president, then yank it back when it didn’t like the results. It was a political safety net, a constitutional gray area, and a ticking time bomb. In this episode, hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon unpack how th…

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Season 2, Episode 8 | Executive Resistance: The Veto Power as a Constitutional Check 33:48

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In this episode, hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon examine the presidential veto — what it is, what it isn’t, and why it remains one of the most potent constitutional powers in modern governance. They dissect the mechanics of Article I, Section 7, and explain the differences between the qualified veto (which Congress can override) …

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Season 2, Episode 7 | Checks, Balances, and Budget Showdowns 38:13

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This Constitution | Season 2, Episode 7 Checks, Balances, and Budget Showdowns The President can’t spend a dime without Congress. But how often does Congress actually say no? In this episode, hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon examine the constitutional power of the purse and how budget appropriations and oversight give Congress a c…

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Season 2, Episode 6 | Executive Agreements vs. Treaties: Skirting the Constitution? 36:52

5M ago36:52

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Executive Agreements vs. Treaties: Skirting the Constitution? What makes a treaty binding? Who holds the power to shape U.S. foreign policy, the President or the Senate? In this episode, hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon unpack the constitutional roots and modern challenges of the U.S. treaty-making process. From Washington's awkwa…

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Season 2, Episode 5 | Judicial Confirmations—Checks, Balances, or Political Theater? 32:08

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A Supreme Court justice serves for life, no term limits. No reelection. Almost no way to remove them. So… who decides who gets that kind of power? In this episode, hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon explore the constitutional design, evolution, and growing controversy of judicial confirmations. From the first public hearing 1916 to …

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Season 2, Episode 4 | The Shot Heard 'Round the World: Understanding Lexington and Concord 30:35

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Why did the American Revolution begin with armed conflict in 1775, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence? What was the significance of Lexington and Concord, and how did these events set the stage for what would become a bitter struggle for independence? In this episode of This Constitution, host Matthew Brogdon is joined by renow…

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Season 2, Episode 3 | Surviving the Senate: Executive Confirmations 28:58

6M ago28:58

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Why does the President need the Senate’s approval to appoint people to the executive branch? Why is it so hard to get those people confirmed? And has the whole process become more about political theater than public service? In this episode of This Constitution, hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon unpack the constitutional roots and …

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Season 2, Episode 2 | State vs. Federal Power: How Identity Shapes American Democracy 26:48

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State vs. Federal Power: How Identity Shapes American Democracy Do you feel more Texan than American? If you had to choose, would you say you’re a Texan first and an American second? What about an Alaskan, a New Yorker, or a Californian? For much of U.S. history, people identified more with their state than the nation itself—and in many places, tha…

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Season 2, Episode 1 | Does the Separation of Powers Actually Make the Government More Powerful? 31:34

7M ago31:34

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What if the very system designed to keep our leaders in check… is starting to fail? In this episode of This Constitution, hosts Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon kick off Season 2 with a deep dive into the delicate balance of power in the U.S. government. They break down the difference between checks and balances and the separation of po…

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Season 1 Extra, Episode D | The Standard Story of Judicial Review in American Politics Gets It All Wrong 42:32

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Host Matthew Brogdon talks with Keith Whittington, Yale Law School, about Keith’s book, his book, Repugnant laws: Judicial Review of Acts of Congress from the Founding to the Present, outlining the history of the Supreme Court and other federal courts declaring national laws unconstitutional, which has a long and venerable tradition in American pol…

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Season 1 Extra, Episode C | The Bard's Blueprint: Shakespeare and the Foundation of American Governance 32:10

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How can the words of a 16th-century playwright possibly hold the key to understanding American governance today? The answer may lie in the very heart of classical education—a time-tested foundation for thoughtful leadership and civic responsibility. Shakespeare’s plays, brimming with powerful depictions of power, virtue, and moral conflict, weren’t…

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Season 1 Extra, Episode B | A Woman’s Voice in America’s Revolution: The Legacy of Mercy Otis Warren 34:18

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Mercy Otis Warren was no ordinary figure in America’s founding story. How many women of her time had the opportunity to receive a classical education, let alone become influential political thinkers and writers? As one of the few, Warren used her intellect and talent to champion liberty during the American Revolution. But why is her name so often l…

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Season 1 Extra, Episode A | The Pursuit of Happiness: Virtue in the Founding Era 32:58

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What does the "pursuit of happiness" really mean? It’s a question we often skim over, but the Founding Fathers had a very specific idea in mind—one deeply rooted in classical virtue and self-mastery. In this episode, Matthew Brogdon sits down with Jeff Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, to unpack this phrase from the Decl…

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Season 1, Episode 11 | How to Thwart a Tyrant: Lincoln's Lyceum Address 28:04

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What if the biggest threats to our democracy aren’t coming from outside our borders, but from within? In 1838, a young Abraham Lincoln warned exactly about that in his Lyceum Address. Standing before a group of young men, he didn’t just talk about foreign invaders or military conflict. Instead, he sounded the alarm about the dangers of mob rule, un…

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Season 1, Episode 10 | Myth of the Modern Presidency: The Office Since TR 36:34

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What happened to the presidency around the turn of the 20th century? How did it go from being a strong institution under leaders like Washington and Lincoln to one that progressives saw as weak and ineffective? Could it be that the rapid changes of the Progressive Era revealed cracks in the system? What was it that so frustrated these thinkers, pro…

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Season 1, Episode 9 | Who Needs Congress? POTUS as Chief Executive 31:48

10M ago31:48

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Who Needs Congress? POTUS as Chief Executive Who holds the real power in Washington's sprawling federal bureaucracy? In this episode, Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon explore the President's role as Chief Executive. How does a single individual manage thousands of appointments, oversee countless agencies, and navigate the fine line betw…

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Season 1, Episode 8 | Starting Wars or Just Finishing Them? POTUS as Commander in Chief 36:37

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When bombs drop and troops mobilize, who pulls the strings—Congress or the President? Can we afford to leave the fate of nations in the hands of one person, or does the voice of the people demand more say? The Founding Fathers designed checks and balances for a reason, but when it comes to war powers, does the balance still hold? In this episode of…

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Season 1, Episode 7 | Ballots, Not Bullets: A 2024 Election Recap 26:57

11M ago26:57

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Have you ever wondered what happens when an election unfolds in unexpected ways? This episode dives into the surprisingly decisive 2024 presidential election, exploring its unique dynamics and the implications for American democracy. Despite expectations of a close race, the results were clear almost immediately, leaving room to reflect on the shif…

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Season 1, Episode 5 | Where's the Party? Presidential Selection Gone Wrong 40:24

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Where’s the Party? Presidential Selection Gone Wrong Are presidential elections as democratic as we believe? How did we go from the Framers' carefully crafted vision to the whirlwind of primaries and national conventions that define our elections today? Over the years, the process of selecting a president has transformed—political parties have rise…

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Season 1, Episode 6 | Is the Electoral College the Best We Can Do? 35:43

11M ago35:43

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Ever wonder why the candidate with the most votes doesn’t always win the presidency? Or question if the Electoral College still makes sense in today’s democracy? The Electoral College has been at the center of political debates for centuries, leaving many of us scratching our heads about its fairness and relevance. But how did this system come abou…

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Season 1, Episode 2 | An Elected Monarch? Creating the American Presidency 33:01

11M ago33:01

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An Elected Monarch? Creating the American Presidency. Have you ever wondered how the Founding Fathers managed to create a powerful executive branch without sliding into dictatorship? In this episode of This Constitution, host Savannah Eccles Johnston sits down with Greg Jackson, a professor of national security studies at Utah Valley University and…

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Season 1, Episode 3 | George Washington Builds the Presidency 41:19

11M ago41:19

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George Washington Builds the Presidency. Are you ready to uncover how one man's choices shaped the very essence of the American presidency? How did George Washington, a military leader turned statesman, navigate the turbulent waters of power and liberty? What challenges did he face as he established the precedents that govern our leaders today? In …

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Season 1, Episode 4 | Lincoln Saved the Union. Did He Violate the Constitution? 27:24

11M ago27:24

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Lincoln Saved the Union. Did He Violate the Constitution? Did Abraham Lincoln really have to break the very rules he swore to uphold to save the nation? It’s a tough question, isn’t it? As the Civil War raged on, Lincoln faced a monumental dilemma: how far should a leader go to protect the country when the Constitution seemed to get in the way? He …

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Season 1, Episode 1 | Above the law? Executive Privilege and Presidential Immunity 30:56

12M ago30:56

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The American presidency is likely the key contribution of the American Founding. And it's in response to democracy's inability to handle crisis. This is the dark logic of the American presidency at its heart. You want to grant all necessary powers within the tension between the rule of law and the energetic executive, which is inherent in our syste…

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This Constitution - Trailer 1:38

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This Constitution is an every-two-weeks podcast ordained and established by the Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University, the home of Utah’s Civic Thought & Leadership Initiative, Co-hosted by Savannah Eccles Johnston and Matthew Brogdon, This Constitution equips listeners with the knowledge and insights to engage with the most p…