Stanford’s Pulitzer-Winning Prof. Jack Rakove on James Madison, The Federalist Papers, & U.S. Constitutionalism

This week on “The Learning Curve," Cara and Gerard talk with Dr. Jack Rakove, Coe Professor of History and American Studies and Professor of Political Science Emeritus at Stanford University, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution. Professor Rakove reviews the biography of James Madison, often called the "Father of the Constitution," and the influence of classical and Enlightenment learning on his farsighted political thought and leadership. They discuss key arguments from Madison's essays in The Federalist Papers that should inform civics lessons today and his crucial role at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. In addition, they explore Madison's handling of the three-fifths clause and slavery, the central moral and constitutional problem of the Founding era. Professor Rakove explains Madison's involvement, along with Thomas Jefferson, in America’s first opposition political party, and the bitter partisan politics of the 1790s. They conclude with a reading from Dr. Rakove’s book, Original Meanings.

Stories of the Week: In Vermont, some students are struggling to obtain drivers’ licenses due to a shortage of drivers education instructors. One silver lining from the otherwise disappointing NAEP results recently released, is the performance of Catholic schools, which surpassed their public school peers across the country.

Guest:

Dr. Jack Rakove is Coe Professor of History and American Studies and Professor of Political Science Emeritus at Stanford University. His principal areas of research include the origins of the American Revolution and Constitution, the political practice and theory of James Madison, and the role of historical knowledge in constitutional litigation. He is the author of nine books, including Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution, which won the Pulitzer Prize in History, Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America, A Politician Thinking: The Creative Mind of James Madison, and The Cambridge Companion to The Federalist. He earned an A.B. with Honors in History from Haverford College and a Ph.D. in History from Harvard University.

The next episode will air on Weds., November 9th, with Amar Kumar, founder and CEO of KaiPod Learning.

Tweet of the Week:

News Links:

Catholic schools outperformed public schools across the nation. Here's why - The Lion

https://readlion.com/2022/10/27/catholic-schools-outperformed-public-schools-across-the-nation-heres-why/

Scarcity of driver education instructors delays students’ ability to get their licenses

https://vtdigger.org/2022/10/31/scarcity-of-driver-education-instructors-delays-students-ability-to-get-their-licensesefbfbc/