Andover invited Dr. Aziz Rana, Professor of Law and Government at Boston College, to discuss constitutional law and democracy in Kemper Auditorium on May 19. Rana explored the Constitution’s role in American governance and its connection to democratic backsliding.
According to Eric Denby, Instructor in History and Social Science, the talk was hosted as part of “Why History Matters,” an annual speaker series funded by Jim Taylor ’56 that brings a leading scholar to Andover each spring to discuss relevant issues in society. Denby, who organized the talk, spoke on the thought process behind choosing Rana as this year’s speaker.
“The speaker committee thought that with the current assault by President Donald Trump’s administration on seemingly sacrosanct constitutional protections that have never really been assaulted in this way, it would be beneficial to the community to have someone speak about the concept of constitutional protections. That’s why we decided to focus on someone who could talk about the administration’s attack on the Constitution and then give us a little background on how we understand the Constitution today,” said Denby.
During the talk, Rana considered fundamental aspects of American democracy and their influence on how the Constitution is generally perceived. In an interview with The Phillipian, Rana underscored the importance of such conversations at the present time.
“What I tried to do is highlight [that] what Americans really think of as the American Project and the Constitution are a set of commitments that didn’t really get fused until, surprisingly, the mid-twentieth century. These were what I named racial liberalism, civil liberties, a commitment to market capitalism, but tied to an administrative state that regulates economic practice… with a strong Supreme Court… All of this together is what many folks have taken for granted, and it’s facing extreme pressure at the moment,” said Rana.
He continued, “The main thing that I was hoping that the talk would do was to give folks a sense of how we got to where we are and to have students kind of really reflect on what part of that twentieth century compact do we want to defend? What part requires renewal, and how should we think about pathways of reform that can deepen and build on our democratic commitments rather than endanger them?”
Evie Lagrandeur ’26 explained that she found out about the event from her friends, many of whom were encouraged to attend by their history teachers. She appreciated Rana’s engaging presentation and use of concrete examples to support his points.
“The speaker was really articulate. For an hour-long presentation, it was engaging, and it was well-spoken and nuanced, but it was also pretty accessible. He used some examples that we see in real life like [President] Trump issuing a lot of executive orders as an attack on the checks and balances of the Constitution. Those grounding examples helped make it easier to understand,” said Lagrandeur.
Reflecting on the talk, James Del Rio ’25 elaborated on a key takeaway he had, which was that successful change starts with advocating for one’s own ideas before finding a middle ground that satisfies both sides of an argument. He noted how this message was relevant to the protection of constitutional rights today.
“The most meaningful point of the whole talk for me was the very end. It was the fact [of getting] stuff done, or how it works when you were trying to get certain laws approved. You’re going to have to stand at the very opposite end and slowly go to the middle point between you and the other [side]. I found [it] interesting because sometimes, one would think they need to start at the middle point so they can negotiate better, but it was very special to hear that because [Rana] told people to stick to their guts and not get brought down by the ideas of someone else,” said Del Rio.
Acknowledging his work, Rana offered advice for those who not only wish to study constitutional law but also strive to make a positive impact on their society. He stressed the value of engaging with pertinent questions, especially in times when their answers are uncertain.
“There’s a wonderful body of scholarship that folks can always engage with, but I also think that it’s important to appreciate that it’s really never too soon to engage directly with the questions that one cares about and that this is a moment, especially, to invest in all of the spaces of civil society to really push for the kind of country one wants,” said Rana.
