What Roman Mars Can Learn About Con Law
Professor Elizabeth Joh teaches Intro to Constitutional Law and most of the time this is a pretty straight forward job. But when Trump came into office, everything changed. During the four years of the Trump presidency, Professor Joh would check Twitter five minutes before each class to find out what the 45th President had said and how it jibes with 200 years of the judicial branch interpreting and ruling on the Constitution. Acclaimed podcaster Roman Mars (99% Invisible) was so anxious about all the norms and laws being tested in the Trump era that he asked his neighbor, Elizabeth, to explain what was going on in the world from a Constitutional law perspective. Even after Trump left office, there is still so much for Roman to learn. What Roman Mars Can Learn About Con Law is a weekly, fun, casual Con Law 101 class that uses the tumultuous activities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches to teach us all about the US Constitution.
All music for the show comes from Doomtree, an independent hip-hop collective and record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Our Editor's Take
What Roman Mars Can Learn About Con Law is a conversation between two astute neighbors about constitutional law. It originated during Donald Trump's presidency. Author and podcaster Roman Law felt Trump's behavior tested legal limits. So, he asked his neighbor, UC Davis School of Law Professor Elizabeth Joh, to educate him. Mars and Joh meet at his house to produce this podcast about structural aspects of the Constitution.
The What Roman Mars Can Learn About Con Law podcast started as What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law. Trump's presidency produced several questions that prompted constitutional analysis. What are the parameters for claiming election fraud? Can the government force people to share content on their phones? Is it legal to build a border wall?
The podcast outlasted Trump's presidency. It became What Roman Mars Can Learn About Con Law in 2021. It's no surprise that Trump remains a topic. But there's much more to analyze here. Joh notes that the Federal Constitution has remarkable stability. It has undergone 27 changes, 10 of which were the Bill of Rights. By contrast, California's Constitution has changed over 500 times.
Joh and Mars discuss profound changes, like the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibited businesses from denying services based on race, sex, religion, or nationality. The owner of Ollie's Barbecue filed a lawsuit after the ruling. He feared that allowing Black customers inside would deter White customers. Listeners learn the outcome and what has changed since then. In 2012, a same-sex couple filed discrimination charges against Masterpiece Cake Shop. The owner said forcing him to sell them a wedding cake violated the First Amendment. Listeners hear how the judge ruled in that case and why.
As Joh says, the Constitution is stable. But several parts are due for reconsideration. She believes questioning each provision is an important part of preserving democracy. Listeners learn about their rights through Mars' and Joh's informed dialogue. New episodes of What Roman Mars Can Learn About Con Law come out on an irregular basis.
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