Event Summary
On June 11, AEI’s Yuval Levin introduced his new book, American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation—and Could Again, laying out how the Constitution can create unity by forcing us to act together for our shared future. He gave five propositions for how we should understand the Constitution: (1) unity means acting together, not thinking alike; (2) policymaking requires enduring coalitions; (3) any congressional reform should make cross-partisan negotiation necessary; (4) the presidency should prioritize steady administration; and (5) the role of the courts is to police the boundaries of Constitutionalism.
In conversation with AEI’s Ramesh Ponnuru, Dr. Levin emphasized that our constitution is well-made for our situation because it addresses the challenges inherent in a sprawling democracy. The discussion moved to our constitutional system’s specific challenges. Parties, Dr. Levin argued, are a mechanism for building coalitions. Regarding the potential for congressional reform, Dr. Levin argued for expanding the House of Representatives. He and Mr. Ponnuru discussed the right’s new disaffection for the Constitution and the judiciary’s role in our system.
Dr. Levin emphasized the Constitution’s remarkable longevity, and he urged that we stop thinking of it as an experiment and focus on preserving it. The event concluded with an audience Q&A.
—Sophie Rizzieri
Event Description
Critics often treat the American Constitution as an antidemocratic cudgel that only aggravates our national fault lines. But what if the Constitution is the solution to our problems of disunity rather than the cause? In American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation—and Could Again, AEI’s Yuval Levin showcases the Constitution’s exceptional power to facilitate constructive disagreement, negotiate resolutions to disputes, and forge unity in a fractured society.
Please join us for a conversation between Dr. Levin and AEI’s Ramesh Ponnuru on how studying the Constitution’s strengths can help us grasp the dysfunction driving contemporary politics and identify constitutional reforms that will enable Americans to act together even when they don’t think alike.
Event Materials
Yuval Levin: American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation—and Could Again
