Every year, the Carey School of Law holds a special event for students, staff and faculty to commemorate the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787.
Join us Friday, September 17 from noon to 2 pm as the League of Women Voters of Maryland, Carey Law, MLAW Programs, and the Department of Government and Politics present a panel presentation and discussion on “An Audacious Idea Whose Time Has Come: The Democracy Constitution.”
15TH ANNUAL CONSTITUTION DAY
An Audacious Idea Whose Time Has Come: The Democracy Constitution
Friday, September 17, 2021
12:00 – 2:00 PM
Held virtually on Zoom
Most Americans think that contemporary political dysfunction is rooted in a failure to follow constitutional rules and live up to constitutional ideals. From this celebratory perspective, the solution to our political ills is a renewed commitment to the Constitution of the United States. Professor Sanford Levinson and Michael Tomasky think this consensus may be fatal to the future of American constitutional democracy. Their bold view is that political dysfunction is rooted in our commitment to following the constitution. The solution to our political ills is a constitutional convention that would draft a new and better twenty-first century Constitution for the United States.
In our 15th annual Constitution Day program, Levinson and Tomasky will explain why they believe the United States needs a new constitution, and why their proposed constitution may be what the United States needs. That Constitution can be found at The Democracy Constitution published recently in Democracy: A Journal of Ideas with commentary and dissents.
Professors Marley Weiss and Mark Graber from the law school and Professor Brian Gilmore from the MLAW program at College Park will offer comments in response. The panel will be chaired by Associate Dean Peter Danchin.
Sponsored by:
The League of Women Voters of Maryland; the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law; the University of Maryland, Baltimore; the Department of Government and Politics; and MLAW Programs.
Register in advance for this meeting; after registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Speakers:
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Sanford (Sandy) Levinson, W. St. John Garwood Centennial Chair in Law and Government, University of Texas School of Law |
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Michael Tomasky, editor of The New Republic and Democracy: A Journal of Ideas |
Commentators:
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Brian Gilmore, Senior Lecturer, College of Behavioral & Social Sciences and MLAW Program, University of Maryland College Park |
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Marley Weiss, Professor of Law, University of Maryland Carey School of Law |
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Mark A. Graber, University System of Maryland Regents Professor |
Moderator:
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Peter G. Danchin, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development, Jacob. A France Professor of Law |
