A Twenty-First Century Framework for Digital Privacy

Dive into one of today’s most urgent constitutional debates: How should we balance privacy and security in the Digital Age? The latest edition of Constitution in the Headlines pulls from the National Constitution Center’s special project on digital privacy to help students explore how cloud storage, encryption, and global data movement are reshaping Fourth Amendment doctrine. Use this resource to ground classroom conversations in expert analysis, essential questions, and real-world tensions at the heart of modern civil liberties.

This edition of Constitution in the Headlines includes:

• A headline story featuring Jeffrey Rosen about how technology complicates traditional privacy protections.
• Scholar perspectives that unpack key questions—What counts as a “search” in the digital world? How should courts weigh intrusion, encryption, and evolving technology?
• Classroom-ready prompts about primacy source analysis and student activities like creating a comic strip or engaging in civil dialogue about the future of digital privacy.

Give students the tools to link foundational Fourth Amendment ideas with today’s digital realities and to grapple with the evolving balance between privacy, security, and technological change.

More From the National Constitution Center

WATCH

Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Still Matters

Run time: 1 hour

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson discusses his newest book, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Still Matters. This book traces the idea of American independence in one pivotal year—1776—and explores why this year continues to hold significance today. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Watch now

LISTEN

From Pursuit: Silence in Order to Listen

Run time: 28 minutes

Jeffrey Rosen, filmmaker Ken Burns, and scholar Robert P. George explore Benjamin Franklin’s virtue of silence, which he defines as “speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.” Listen now

Summer Educator Programs at the NCC

Applications are now open for the National Constitution Center’s 2026 summer educator programs, including the Educator Institutes and the weeklong Summer Intensive. These residential learning experiences bring together teachers from across the country to explore constitutional ideas, strengthen instructional practice, and build professional community against the inspiring backdrop of the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary. Programs are designed for educators in grades 5–12, are free to attend, and include stipends to help offset travel and lodging costs.

Across June and July, participants will engage with constitutional scholars, legal experts, and historians; explore the National Constitution Center’s exhibitions; and visit cultural institutions and historic sites throughout Old City. Each program offers rich opportunities to deepen content knowledge and gather fresh ideas for the classroom. Applications for all summer programs are due January 23, with notifications shared by February 20.

You’re Invited: Events in December

🗓️ America's Town Hall: The Constitutional Legacy of Justice Robert Jackson

Monday, December 8 | Noon-1 p.m. ET

John Q. Barrett, discoverer and editor of Robert H. Jackson’s acclaimed book That Man: An Insider’s Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt and writer of the popular blog The Jackson List, joins author and constitutional scholar Gerard Magliocca, author of The Actual Art of Governing: Justice Robert H. Jackson’s Concurring Opinion in the Steel Seizure Case, and G. Edward White, author of Robert H. Jackson: A Life in Judgment, to discuss the Justice’s influential concurrence in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, his approach to constitutional interpretation, and the lasting legacy he left on debates over presidential power. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

🗓️ America’s Town Hall: William F. Buckley and the History of American Conservativism

Thursday, December 11 | Noon-1 p.m. ET

Matthew Continetti, author of The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism, joins prize-winning biographer Sam Tanenhaus to discuss Tanenhaus’s new book, Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America, and to trace American conservatism’s evolution from the Progressive Era, through the rise of William F. Buckley Jr., to today. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

🗓️ Monthly Virtual Session: First Amendment

Wednesday, December 17 | 6:30-8 p.m. ET

During this session, participants will learn about the text and history of the First Amendment, and how the First Amendment is considered today. Join us as our scholar examines historical and modern interpretations of the First Amendment. A member of the Center’s teacher network will share classroom-ready resources on the First Amendment and the amendment process.

🗓️ Special Event: Bill of Rights Trivia Night

Saturday, December 27 | 4:15-6:30 p.m. ET
In person

Celebrate the season and the Bill of Rights! Join us for an evening of historically themed Quizzo with prizes for the top three teams. Admission and entry to the trivia contest are free, and complimentary food will be available from 4:15–6:30 p.m. You can also enjoy the museum’s galleries, including Signers’ Hall, The 19th Amendment, and Civil War and Reconstruction. Beginning at 5 p.m., a cash bar will be available for guests over 21.

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About the National Constitution Center’s Educational Resources 

The National Constitution Center provides K-12 curriculum, professional learning, and student programs that make constitutional education engaging and relevant. Learn more at: constitutioncenter.org/education.

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