Constitutional Chats
Live podcast hosted by Janine Turner, Cathy Gillespie, and students: Tova Love Kaplan, Jorne Gilbert and Jewel Gilbert
Topic: Live Podcast: The Absolute Monarchy of Saudi Arabia Vs. Our U.S. Constitution
When: Tuesday 05/16/2023 at 2:00 pm ET
Join us weekly as we chat with Constitutional experts on hot-topic issues via Zoom! The audience is not on camera but is encouraged to ask questions via the Q&A.
Meet the Guest
Ilan Berman
Ilan Berman is Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, DC. An expert on regional security in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Russian Federation, he has consulted for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency as well as the U.S. Departments of State and Defense, and has also provided assistance on foreign policy and national security issues to a range of governmental agencies and congressional offices. He has been called one of America’s “leading experts on the Middle East and Iran” by CNN.
Mr. Berman is a member of the Associated Faculty at Missouri State University’s Department of Defense and Strategic Studies. A frequent writer and commentator, he has written for the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, the New York Times, Foreign Policy, the Washington Post and USA Today, among many other publications.
Mr. Berman is the editor of six books: Dismantling Tyranny: Transitioning Beyond Totalitarian Regimes (Rowman & Littlefield, 2005), co-edited with J. Michael Waller; Taking on Tehran: Strategies for Confronting the Islamic Republic (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007); Iran’s Strategic Penetration of Latin America (Lexington Books, 2015), co-edited with Joseph Humire; The Logic of Irregular War: Asymmetry and America’s Adversaries (Rowman & Littlefield, 2017); Digital Dictators: Media, Authoritarianism, and America’s New Challenge (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018); and, most recently, Wars of Ideas: Theology, Interpretation and Power in the Muslim World (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021).
He is also the author of five others: Tehran Rising: Iran’s Challenge to the United States (Rowman & Littlefield, 2005), Winning the Long War: Retaking the Offensive Against Radical Islam (Rowman & Littlefield, 2009), Implosion: The End of Russia and What It Means for America (Regnery Publishing, 2013); Iran’s Deadly Ambition: The Islamic Republic’s Quest for Global Power (Encounter Books, 2015), and The Fight for Iran: Opposition Politics, Protest, and the Struggle for the Soul of a Nation (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).
Meet the Hosts
Janine Turner
Actress Janine Turner is famous for her role as Maggie O’Connell in television’s Northern Exposure. She is the Founder and Co-President of Constituting America which launched in 2010. She is still acting but is also actively teaching kids about the U.S. Constitution and has given over 540 speeches to classrooms across the country.
Cathy Gillespie
Cathy Gillespie is the Chair of Constituting America, a former Congressional Chief of Staff and former Commissioner of the White House Fellows Commission. She is currently serving as one of 16 private citizens serving on the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, helping organize the celebration of our country’s 250th birthday in 2026!
Tova Love Kaplan
Tova Love Kaplan is a student at Harvard University. She currently serves as the National Youth Director for Constituting America and runs the National Youth Advisory Council. She is a three-time winner of the “We The Future” Contest and is passionate about educating and empowering young people to use their constitutional rights!
Jorne Gilbert
Jorne Gilbert is a recent graduate of Moravian University where he designed a major entitled Dramatic Production and Musical Performance. He used what he learned to further develop the charitable organization Sing For America which he co-founded to produce musicals portraying the art of Truth and Light.
Jewel Gilbert
Jewel Gilbert is Executive Producer of Sing for America, a charity founded by him and his family. Sing for America reveals the Art of Truth and Light through live performance. He is the Operations Director for a new business venture, J. Barker Paving. Jewel holds a BA in Musical Performance/Dramatic