Bigotry vs Bureaucracy: State Action and Private Freedom

About this episode

The episode discusses the intersection of state action and private freedom in the context of a whites-only enclave in Missouri.

There’s some highly questionable behavior going on in an area of Missouri, where a fringe group seeks to establish a whites-only enclave. Objectionable? We think so. Unconstitutional? Therein lies an opening to a whole host of questions. Government action versus private action. When is private action beyond private purview? When does state action overlap into private domains, and where are the lines? Where do these rules come from? How can we think about new issues that may arise? Akhil has thought about this, and written about it, so now we offer you a framework to think about such questions as they arise, now and in the future. And, sadly, a giant was lost this week. We offer some thoughts, with more to come. CLE credit is available for lawyers and judges from podcast.njsba.com.

People in this episode

Host: Akhil Reed Amar

Topics covered

• bigotry
• bureaucracy
• state action
• private freedom
• constitutional questions
• government action
• private action

Keywords

• bigotry
• bureaucracy
• state action
• private freedom
• constitutional law
• Missouri
• Akhil Reed Amar

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NJSBA

Places: Missouri

More episodes of Amarica's Constitution

• Rosen on Liberty; Gorsuch on Gorsuch - with Jeffrey Rosen and Justice Neil Gorsuch · June 3, 2026 · 1h 17m
• Unrehearsed Answers · May 27, 2026 · 54 min
• Scrip for Scripture on the National Mall · May 20, 2026 · 1h 22m
• JFK's Wall · May 13, 2026 · 1h 14m
• Fourteen Colonies, Ten Commandments · May 6, 2026 · 1h 35m
• Remember the Alamo Heights · April 29, 2026 · 1h 40m