Ep9 Jefferson’s First Inaugural: Learn more about this important event with Jeffrey Rosen, President Emeritus of the National Constitution Center
February 2027 — This month, David interviews Jeffrey Rosen, President Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, Professor of Law at the George Washington University, and author of several books, including The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle over Power in America
About this month’s guest: Jeffrey Rosen is the President emeritus of the National Constitution Center. He serves as a contributing editor of The Atlantic and was previously the legal affairs editor of The New Republic and a staff writer for The New Yorker.
Rosen’s new book, Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle over Power in America, was published in October 2025. His other books include New York Times bestsellers The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America and Conversations with RBG: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law, as well as biographies of Louis Brandeis and William Howard Taft.
Rosen is an elected member of the American Philosophical Society and the American Law Institute. In 2024, the French government recognized him as a Chevalier in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
About Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle over Power in America: With insight and a sweeping historical perspective, Jeffrey Rosen explores the clashing constitutional views of Hamilton and Jefferson: Jefferson championed states’ rights and individual liberties, while Hamilton pushed for a strong Federal government and a powerful executive. In his important First Inaugural Address of 1801, Jefferson attempted to resolve this ongoing tug-of-war with a clarion call to reasoned collaboration between those with differing policy views. The arguments that Jefferson try to calm have recurred in pivotal moments in American history, including Abraham Lincoln’s fight against slavery and southern secession, the expansion of federal power under Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, and Ronald Reagan’s and Donald Trump’s calls to shrink the size of the federal government.
Rosen also shows how Hamilton and Jefferson’s disagreement over how to read the Constitution has shaped landmark debates about executive power, from John Marshall’s battles with Andrew Jackson to the current divisions on issues from presidential immunity to control over the administrative state. Those disagreements can threaten the American democracy that both Hamilton and Jefferson were determined to preserve.
Click here to buy The Pursuit of Liberty.
Author and historian David O. Stewart
Meet David O. Stewart: A trial and appellate lawyer for many years, David writes history and historical novels. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Washington Independent Review of Books, was a reporter for the Staten Island Advance, and for 10 years wrote the monthly Supreme Court column for the American Bar Association Journal. He has also done on-air commentary for CNN, C-SPAN, Bloomberg News, and MSNBC.
About his newest book, The Democracy We Must Keep:
What did America’s founders say about democracy—and can we remain true to their vision for America? Two hundred fifty years ago, passionate men attempted to create something the world had never seen before: a nation built not on kings or armies, but on ideas where the people ruled. In The Democracy We Must Keep, historian David O. Stewart takes readers inside the nine key documents that shaped the formation of the United States—from Patrick Henry’s thunderous cry for liberty to the carefully crafted design of a government chosen by the people, with limits on all officials holding power under the Constitution.
Through the words of seven visionary founders—Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Gouverneur Morris, and others—Stewart shows how a fragile experiment in self-government took shape. These men were not saints. They argued passionately. They worried that the new nation might fall apart. Yet together, they forged the principles that must still define American democracy: That power must be limited. That leaders must answer to the people. That individual rights must be protected by law.
As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, The Democracy We Must Keep urges readers to rediscover core ideas that built the nation—and to consider what it will take to protect them. Accessible, engaging, and timely, this book is for anyone who wants to understand how American democracy started and why it still matters. Learn more: davidostewart.com • Click here to buy David’s books
