The Past, Present, and Future of the Second Amendment

In this episode, Joseph Blocher of Duke University School of Law and Clark Neily of the Cato Institute trace the ongoing debates over the Second Amendment. They analyze recent Supreme Court decisions on this key provision, preview a case on the Court’s docket this term, and look ahead to the issues on the horizon. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources 

The Second Amendment, Interpretation & Debate, National Constitution Center  

District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) Supreme Court Cases Library, National Constitution Center 

McDonald v. Chicago (2010) 

New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen (2022)  

United States v. Rahimi (2024) 

“No earthquake, but did the Supreme Court shift a bit in its approach to guns?,” NCC’s Constitution Daily blog, (June 24, 2024) 

United States v. Hemani (2025) 

“Supreme Court rules in favor of man facing gun ban for using marijuana,” NCC's Constitution Daily blog, (June 18, 2026) 

Josephe Blocher and David Pozen, “The Excluded Middle of Law: Constitutional Drivers of Extremism in Gun and Drug Policy,” Duke Law School 2026 Supreme Court Review (forthcoming) 

Wilford v. Lopez (2025)