It’s easy to think of the Constitution as having been written by 55 men in Philadelphia. But more than 40 percent of it was actually written after 1787, in its 27 amendments. The People’s Constitution, a new book out this week by the Brennan Center’s John Kowal and Wilfred U. Codrington III, dives into the many changes to the nation’s charter and why the updates were made.

Much of what we consider to be fundamental Constitutional rights — from the freedom of speech and religion to due process and equal protection of the laws — come from these later additions. The book identifies the four waves of constitutional change that have taken place across American history and argues that the next one may be right around the corner.

This week, a group of key Senate Democrats led by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the Freedom to Vote Act. Its reforms would protect elections from subversion, voter suppression, dark money, and partisan gerrymandering. The comprehensive bill gives powerful new momentum to the urgent fight to protect democracy. The Brennan Center’s experts have detailed the bill’s key provisions and the path for it to become law.

The Department of Homeland Security was created in the aftermath of 9/11 and has since instituted a wide range of invasive surveillance programs, with scant evidence that this excess has made Americans any safer. From government “fusion centers” that collect private information to extremism prevention initiatives that unduly target minorities, the need for reform is clear. DHS must learn to defend Americans' civil rights and civil liberties as much as their physical safety.

Congress is moving forward with bipartisan reform bills to reshape our criminal justice system and reduce the injustices caused by past federal drug laws. On the cusp of this historic moment, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) is criticizing past reforms to argue against new ones, and he's making misleading and misguided claims about crime to do so. Disinformation cannot and should not stand in the way of redemptive justice.

Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America
Wednesday, October 6 // 7–8 p.m. ET, 6–7 p.m. CT

Join Keisha N. Blain in conversation with Donna Brazile for the launch of Blain’s new book, Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America.

Hamer, who came to political activism in mid-life after a forced sterilization, was a relentless advocate for voting rights for Black Americans and against white supremacy. Award-winning historian and New York Times bestselling author Blain shines a light on Hamer’s life, ideas, and political strategies, situating her as a key political thinker of the civil rights movement, alongside Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, John Lewis, and Rosa Parks. RSVP today.

Midnight in Washington: A Conversation with Rep. Adam Schiff
Wednesday, November 10 // 6–7 p.m. ET
The congressman who led the first impeachment of Donald Trump offers an inside account of American democracy in its darkest hour — and a warning that the forces of autocracy released by Trump remain as potent as ever. In his new book, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) argues that the Trump presidency has so weakened our institutions and compromised the Republican Party that the peril will last for years. RSVP today.

The Protecting Our Democracy Act would restore checks and balances that guard against presidential abuses of power. Read more on Instagram >>