A MORE OR LESS PERFECT UNION, A PERSONAL EXPLORATION BY JUDGE DOUGLAS GINSBURG

Can't stay up to watch the broadcast? The series is available to stream on demand!

A MORE OR LESS PERFECT UNION, A PERSONAL EXPLORATION BY JUDGE DOUGLAS GINSBURG, a new three-part documentary series, explores the U.S. Constitution – the document that governs those who govern us – delving into past, present, and future struggles for liberty.

Hosted by Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg, a constitutional expert with 30 years of experience on the Federal Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., “A More or Less Perfect Union” features perspectives and interviews from constitutional experts of all stripes — liberal, conservative and libertarian — examining the key issues of liberty: freedom of religion and press, slavery and civil rights, the Second Amendment, separation of powers and more.

To add context to the shaping of American governance, the series offers firsthand perspectives, including those of a diverse range of American citizens, direct descendants of those involved in pivotal civil rights cases, historians, Constitutional experts, business owners, and judges.

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The ratification of the 19th Amendment 100 years ago earned women the right to vote, thanks to suffragettes (pictured in parade - undated photo). Women of all ages claim their Constitutional right in Episode 2, “A Constitution For All,” in the PBS series, A MORE OR LESS PERFECT UNION.

Courtesy of The Library of Congress

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In Episode 2, “A Constitution For All,” in the PBS series, A MORE OR LESS PERFECT UNION, Dr. Ibrahima Seck, director of research at the Whitney Plantation, describes the daily life of slaves on the plantation. The bell served as the clock, calling slaves to work before the sun came up, working until sundown, or as the slaves referred to it, working from “can’t see to can’t see.”

Courtesy of Barbara Potter

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Sybil Haydel Morial is a descendant of a slave held captive at the Whitney Plantation. In Episode 2, “A Constitution For All,” in the PBS series, A MORE PERFECT UNION, she shares her ancestor's story of captivity and life at the plantation.

Courtesy of Barbara Potter

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Phoebe Ferguson (left) and Keith Plessy (right), descendants of Homer Plessy and John Ferguson of Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme court case, met for the first time in the location where Homer Plessy was originally arrested in Episode 3, “Our Constitution At Risk,” in the PBS series, A MORE OR LESS PERFECT UNION.

Courtesy of Barbara Potter

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Lynne Jackson, a descendant of Dred and Harriet Scott and president and founder of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation details the struggles of her ancestors' path to freedom from slavery in Episode 2, “A Constitution For All,” in the PBS series, A MORE OR LESS PERFECT UNION.

Courtesy of Barbara Potter

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Charlie Birnbaum, a piano tuner, shares his fight for his home in Atlantic City due to an eminent domain claim by the government in Episode 3, “Our Constitution At Risk,” in the PBS series, A MORE OR LESS PERFECT UNION.

Courtesy of Barbara Potter

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Newly sworn-in United States citizens are all smiles and waving flags during a naturalization ceremony at Faneuil Hall in Boston, in the PBS series, A MORE OR LESS PERFECT UNION.

Courtesy of Barbara Potter

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Comedian Jeremy McLellan performs on-stage and talks about free speech being “the life blood of comedy” in Episode 3, “Our Constitution At Risk,” in the PBS series, A MORE OR LESS PERFECT UNION.

Courtesy of Jim Taylor

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Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg, U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, visits the Montpelier Train Station in Orange County, Va., an example of “separate but equal” in Episode 2, “A Constitution For All” in the PBS series, A MORE OR LESS PERFECT UNION.

Courtesy of Jim Taylor

“More than any other program Free to Choose Media has produced, A MORE OR LESS PERFECT UNION is relevant to audiences of every social, political, and economic background,” said Free to Choose President/CEO Robert Chatfield. “The Constitution is ours as a nation and we all have an interest in protecting it.”

EPISODE GUIDE:

Episode 1: “A Constitution In Writing” airs Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 11 p.m. - Examine the struggles and compromises in the creation of the document that protects our liberties. Constitutional experts, "Framers" and everyday Americans weigh in on the rule of law, the branches of government and the debate over originalism.

Episode 2: “A Constitution For All” airs Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 11 p.m. - Delve into the Bill of Rights, which protects free speech, religious freedom and the rights of persons accused of a crime, and discover the Supreme Court decisions that set back racial justice for nearly a century after the Civil War.

Episode 3: “Our Constitution At Risk” airs Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 11:30 p.m. - Discover how the Constitution is under assault today and how all three branches of government - and we the people - are contributing to the problem. See how Americans have fought for more than two centuries to establish, expand and preserve liberty.

THE BOOK:

To extend the conversation beyond the series, community engagement events across the U.S. will provide an opportunity for viewers to engage in conversations about the Constitution and related issues of governance. A companion book to the miniseries, “Voices of Our Republic,” edited by Judge Ginsburg, will be available Jan. 28, 2020 via Skyhorse.

The book is a collection of personal essays and thoughts about the Constitution from judges, journalists, academics, and everyday heroes, including Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg,  Neil Gorsuch, and Sandra Day O’Connor, publisher Arthur Sulzberger, professor Alan Dershowitz, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and historians Joseph Ellis and Ron Chernow, along with Jack Nicklaus, Gene Simmons and many others.

WATCH ON YOUR SCHEDULE:

All 3 episodes from this series are currently available to stream on demand in the KPBS Video Player through June 1, 2020. Watch with the PBS Video App.

CREDITS:

A production of Free to Choose Media in association with THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. Jim Taylor is director. Barbara Potter is producer. Bob Chitester, Thomas Skinner and Robert Chatfield are executive producers. Stephen Segaller is executive in charge for WNET.