Jeffrey Rosen on The Pursuit of Liberty and the Founding Debate That Still Shapes America
In this episode, Michael sits down with Jeffrey Rosen to discuss his new book, The Pursuit of Liberty, which revisits the enduring clash between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton and the competing visions of power and freedom that shaped the American experiment. Rosen traces how this foundational debate over centralized authority versus individual liberty ignited tensions that continue to influence American politics, law and civic life today, making the book as relevant now as it is historical.
Jeffrey Rosen is the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, the country’s leading platform for constitutional education, dialogue and debate. He is also the host of We the People, a weekly podcast that brings together leading voices from across the ideological spectrum to discuss constitutional issues in the news. In addition, Rosen serves as a professor of law at George Washington University Law School and is a contributing editor at The Atlantic, where his writing frequently explores the intersection of law, history and American democracy.
Together, Michael and Rosen explore why the Jefferson-Hamilton divide still matters, how early arguments about liberty and power echo through today’s institutions, and what the founders’ debates can teach modern leaders about governing, compromise and civic responsibility.
