The Constitution and Political Economy

For generations, a main current in American constitutional thought held that oligarchy—defined as too much economic and political power concentrated in too few hands—threatens the “Republican form of government” at the heart of the U.S. Constitution.

Join ACS, the Center for Constitutional Governance, and the Columbia Center for Political Economy for a day-long conference on Friday, March 3, that will explore the long tradition of progressive constitutional political economy, and how it might be revived in this unique and challenging political moment.

Schedule of Events:

Breakfast and Check-in, 8:00-9:00 am

Welcome and Introduction to Conference, 9:00-9:30 am

Jessica Bulman-Pozen, Columbia Law School

Zinelle October, American Constitution Society

Willy Forbath, University of Texas School of Law

Panel I: Lessons from Constitutional History, 9:30-11:00 am

Moderator: Maeve Glass, Columbia Law School

Christine Desan, Harvard Law School 

Lev Menand, Columbia Law School

Bill Novak, University of Michigan Law School

Kim Phillips-Fein, Columbia University

Aziz Rana, Cornell Law School

Panel II: Constitutional Political Economy: Promise or Peril? (Roundtable),11:15 am-12:45 pm

Moderator: Madhav Khosla, Columbia Law School

Ash Ahmed, Columbia Law School

Genevieve Lakier, University of Chicago Law School 

Sam Moyn, Yale Law School 

David Pozen, Columbia Law School 

Reva Siegel, Yale Law School

Commenter: Joey Fishkin, UCLA School of Law

Lunch Break, 12:45-2:00 pm

Panel III: Building an Egalitarian, Democratic Constitution, 2:00-3:30 pm

Moderator: Olatunde Johnson, Columbia Law School

Katherine Franke, Columbia Law School

Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Columbia University (on public service leave)

ReNika Moore, American Civil Liberties Union

Jed Purdy, Duke University School of Law 

Zephyr Teachout, Fordham University School of Law 

Closing Comments, 3:30-4:00 pm

Ira Katznelson, Columbia University 

Kate Andrias, Columbia Law School