Grading America's first 250 years

Grading America's first 250 years

From Today, Explained by Vox

May 2, 2026 · 27 min

About this episode

Historian Heather Cox Richardson discusses the need for a new social contract as America turns 250 years old.

America at 250 years old may need a new founding document. Historian Heather Cox Richardson drafts a new social contract. This show was edited by Kasia Broussalian, fact checked by Esther Gim, mixed by Shannon Mahoney, video edited by Christopher Snyder, and hosted by Astead Herndon. In this episode, Richardson references a tweet of Boebert's, not a text. A protester holds a copy of the Declaration of Independence and a US flag at a rally. Photo by ANDREW HOLBROOKE/Corbis via Getty Images. You can also watch this episode on youtube.com/vox. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Astead Herndon

Guest: Heather Cox Richardson

Topics covered

  • American history
  • social contract
  • founding document
  • historical analysis
  • political commentary

Keywords

  • America
  • founding document
  • social contract
  • Heather Cox Richardson
  • politics
  • history
  • Vox

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Vox, Getty Images

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