Past Event
Progressive Visions of Jurisprudence: A Debate
July 18, 2011
On July 18, Brookings hosted a debate between two competing visions of liberal jurisprudence for the Supreme Court and federal judiciary—one arguing that the principles set forth in the Constitution do not change, but that interpretation must evolve over time and the other asserting that progressive values are inherent in the Constitution’s text, history and structure, and that liberals should base their constitutional arguments, first and foremost, on text.