I'm Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, and welcome

to We The People, a weekly show of constitutional debate.

The National Constitution Center is a nonpartisan nonprofit chartered by Congress to increase

awareness and understanding of the Constitution among the American people.

This episode marks the 50th anniversary of the 26th Amendment, which

lowered the voting age to 18 and was ratified on July 1st, 1971. We'll discuss the

history and significance of the 26th Amendment and how it has been invoked in the courts.

First, let's hear from one of the principal architects of the 26th Amendment amendment Senator Birch By.

I, it's no question if

if they're old enough to fight aren't the old enough to vote.

Well, that's okay.

But fighting is more a physical thing than it is a mental thing. But they also pay taxes.

And they also have the responsibility of many young people starting homes.

So that to me was a part of the whole package that said, okay, they ought to have a right to determine the

law that govern their lives, the lives of their families and their neighborhoods.

On today's episode, I'm joined by two of America's leading scholars of the 26th Amendment.

Jason Berman spent over a decade as a close advisor to U.S. Senator Birch Bayh, who was one of the principal architects

of the 26th Amendment.

He later served in the Clinton White House and held many important positions in the private sector. Jay, thank you so much for joining.

Happy to be here.

And Yayel Bromberg is a constitutional litigator and principle of Bromberg Law LLC.

She is the author of Youth Voting Rights

...