This is the Reason interview, where we go deep with the artists, entrepreneurs, and academics who are making the world more libertarian, or at least a little more interesting.

I'm Eric Bame, filling in for Nick Gillespie.

This week, our guest is Colleen Shogan, the former archivist of the United States and the editor of an upcoming essay series about America's presidents.

Her In-Pursuit series includes essays

from the likes of John Roberts, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush, whose piece on George

Washington will kick off the series in February. In our conversation, Shogun discusses her

appreciation for some of America's lesser-known commanders-in-chief, the confusing circumstances surrounding

her dismissal as the head of the National Archives, and why America needs institutions

that can remain outside the partisan fray.

And now, the Reason Interview with Colleen Shoghan.

Colleen Shogun, thanks for talking to Reason.

I'm happy to be here.

So you are a former archivist of the United States, I believe the 11th archivist of the United States, if my information is correct.

And as government titles go, I got to say that's one of the coolest ones.

Like, it's not quite chief justice, but it's in the top five for me.

We're going to talk about why you are a former archivist of the United States and the circumstances regarding your departure there.

We'll talk about that a little bit later.

I'm also very eager to chat about your new project, which is a series of essays titled In Pursuit that is tied to the 250th anniversary of the country.

And here we are in the beginning of 2026, beginning that celebration.

We'll get to that shortly as well.

But I wanted to start today by talking about that awesome title that you held for a few years.

I've never gotten to interview an archivist before, and I'm not sure that I ever will again.

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