Constitution Breakdown #8: Jill Lepore
3/27/20261 hr 6 min
This is the eighth episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution.
This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article V, which lays out the process to amend the Constitution.
Then, Jill Lepore lays out her thesis that the Constitution is truly meant to be amended, explains why Article V amendments have become functionally impossible, and tells some fascinating stories about the people who have championed amendments.
The 99% Invisible Breakdown of the Constitution
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First 90 secondsRoman Mars· Host0:00
[upbeat music] This podcast is brought to you by Hotels.com. Make your next trip work for you. Hotels.com's new Save Your Way feature lets you choose between instant savings now or banking rewards later. It's a flexible rewards program that puts you in control with no confusing math or blackout dates. Book now at hotels.com. Save Your Way is available to loyalty members in the US and UK on hotels with member prices. Other terms apply. See site for details. This episode is brought to you by Progressive, where drivers who save by switching save nearly seven hundred and fifty dollars on average. Plus, auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Quote now at progressive.com to see if you could save. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates, national average twelve-month savings of seven hundred and forty-four dollars by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June twenty twenty-two and May twenty twenty-three. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. [upbeat music] This is the ninety-nine percent invisible breakdown of the Constitution. I'm Roman Mars.
Elizabeth Joh· Host1:10
And I'm Elizabeth Joe.
Roman Mars· Host1:11
Today we are discussing Article Five, which lays out the ways to amend the Constitution. And from the beginning of this series, we knew there was only one person we wanted to have for this episode, historian and writer Jill Lepore. Jill is an American history professor at Harvard, a staff writer at The New Yorker, and author of one of my favorite