UVU launches Constitution-themed podcast

OREM, Utah — With pressing issues abounding in American politics, the Utah Valley University Center for Constitutional Studies is launching a podcast to help Americans learn about the founding document of our nation.

Titled ‘This Constitution,’ the new podcast will teach listeners about how the Constitution has shaped American society.

According to the Annenberg Public Policy Center, most American adults lack understanding of the U.S. Constitution. A 2024 survey found that most could not name most of the rights in the First Amendment. Studies from previous years showed similar results.

The hosts of the new podcast hope to change that.

“The U.S. Constitution is more than parchment under glass at the National Archives. It is a blueprint for American self-government that shapes every part of our civic life — from the rights we cherish to the laws we live under,” said Matthew Brogdon, senior director of the Center for Constitutional Studies at UVU and co-host of the podcast. “We created ‘This Constitution’ to dive deeper into the decisions, debates, and stories that define our nation in the ongoing battle over the meaning and relevance of America’s founding document.”

‘This Constitution’ is co-hosted by Brogdon and Professor Savannah Eccles Johnston of Salt Lake Community College. 

The podcast’s first episode is already available to stream on every major podcasting platform. The first episode delves into presidential immunity and the balance of powers and restraints on that office. 

“You want to grant all necessary powers within the tension between the rule of law and the energetic executive,” the show notes say. “Which is inherent in our system.”

‘This Constitution’ uploads new episodes every two weeks.

Related: The deadline to register to vote is on Oct. 25