Interviews
Interviews

Interviews
America’s Constitution with Akhil Reed Amar, Part 1
America’s Constitution with Akhil Reed Amar, Part 1
In a time when division often makes the headlines, what truly binds us together? Sharon sits down with Yale constitutional law professor Akhil Reed Amar to explore why the U.S. Constitution remains a powerful force in bringing Americans together. Despite our different regions, backgrounds, cultures, and even languages, what we share is a constitutional framework and the historic events and documents that shaped our nation. Amar reflects on his own journey as a first‑generation American, from the gift of citizenship at birth to his evolving understanding of the Constitution’s role in defining our common identity.
- Host: Sharon McMahon
- Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks
- Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon
- Audio Producer: Craig Thompson

- Host: Sharon McMahon
- Supervising Producer: Melanie Buck Parks
- Executive Producer: Sharon McMahon
- Audio Producer: Craig Thompson
Guests
Guests
Akhil Reed Amar
Akhil Reed Amar is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, where he teaches constitutional law in both Yale College and Yale Law School. After graduating from Yale College, summa cum laude, in 1980 and from Yale Law School in 1984, and clerking for then Judge (later Justice) Stephen Breyer, Amar joined the Yale faculty in 1985 at the age of 26. He is Yale’s only living professor to have won the University’s unofficial triple crown—the Sterling Chair for scholarship, the DeVane Medal for teaching, and the Lamar Award for alumni service. Amar’s work has won awards from both the American Bar Association and the Federalist Society, and he has been cited by Supreme Court justices across the spectrum in over 45 cases—tops among scholars under age 65. He was an informal consultant to the popular TV show, The West Wing, and is the author of more than a hundred law review articles and several books.His latest and most ambitious book, The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840, came out in May, 2021. He has recently launched a free weekly podcast, Amarica’s Constitution. A wide assortment of his articles and op-eds and video links to many of his public lectures and free online courses may be found at akhilamar.com.