Vail Symposium asks: Is it time to modernize the Constitution?

As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, conversations about the durability — and limits — of the Constitution are intensifying. On Wednesday, June 24, the Vail Symposium, as part of its America 250 programming, presents “Modernizing the Constitution: Conversations on Controversial Issues,” a timely program moderated by humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson and scholars Beau Breslin and Sanford Levinson, that asks whether an 18th‑century blueprint can still meet 21st‑century challenges.

The framers designed the Constitution as a living document, but several founders also imagined that each generation might revisit and even overhaul it in light of new realities. Today, questions about executive power, voting rights, technology, polarization and representation have renewed calls for reform, from targeted amendments to more sweeping structural changes. This program will explore where the Constitution may be falling short, what the founders expected future Americans to do about it, and what meaningful modernization could look like in practice.

Jenkinson, a longtime Vail Symposium collaborator, is an independent humanities scholar, author of numerous books and the creator of “The Thomas Jefferson Hour.” He has spent decades examining the founding era, constitutional history and the evolving meaning of American democracy, bringing an accessible, story‑driven approach to complex civic questions. In this program, he will be joined by Beau Breslin, a professor in government at Skidmore College, and Sanford Levinson, a renowned constitutional law professor at the University of Texas Law School, creating a multi‑perspective discussion that encourages rigorous but civil debate.

“This is exactly the kind of conversation we need as we mark America’s semiquincentennial,” said James Kenly, executive director of the Vail Symposium. “Rather than treating the Constitution as sacred text or political weapon, this program invites people to wrestle with it as a human document — brilliant, imperfect and open to improvement.”

The evening will feature a moderated conversation with Jenkinson, Sanford and Breslin, followed by audience Q&A, allowing attendees to ask about specific proposals for reform, from changes to the Electoral College and term limits to campaign finance, voting systems and the amendment process itself.

Support Local Journalism

Donate

The program is part of the Vail Symposium’s “Conversations on Controversial Issues” series and its broader America 250 offerings, designed to spark thoughtful public dialogue as the nation reflects on 250 years of constitutional democracy.