Archives to Host Book Talk on Constitution’s Role in Maintaining Government

By Pete Lewis 

WASHINGTON, DC

Why is the Constitution important? How does it affect our government and the rule of law? On Tuesday, October 29, at 6 p.m. ET, Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan will welcome authors Dennis Hale and Marc Landy to the National Archives in Washington, DC, to ponder these questions during a discussion of their book, Keeping the Republic: A Defense of American Constitutionalism. 

“I’m happy to welcome Professor Hale and Professor Landy to the National Archives. Both are treasured members of the faculty of my alma mater Boston College, and I look forward to discussing the strengths of the Constitution and its most prominent critiques with them,” said Dr. Shogan. “As the home of our nation's founding documents, I’m glad we can host thoughtful and meaningful conversations at the Archives about our democracy and how we work together to strengthen our republic.”

Hale and Landy’s book posits that it is the Constitution that allows the government to operate as it does because the document outlines necessary limits on the use of power, which is a critical element to establishing a good and fair government.

“The Constitution is at the heart of our democratic republic,” Landy said. “It embodies the necessary balance between liberty and energy. It provides safeguards against the two greatest threats a massive modern state poses: oppression by the central government and tyranny of the majority. It checks power and restrains popular impulsiveness by creating hurdles, but not barriers, that popular majorities must overcome.” 

The discussion will be broadcast live on the National Archives YouTube Channel, and those  interested may register to attend the event in person. 

Visitors can view the Constitution and the other founding documents—collectively known as the Charters of Freedom—from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. everyday except Thanksgiving and Christmas, in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building, at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, in Washington, DC.

Visit the National Archives online for more news, and view the Calendar of Events for upcoming programs.

Visit the National Archives Catalog to search digitized federal records in our holdings.

This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Comcast Corporation, Microsoft, and Procter & Gamble.