There was a time when Philadelphians and the local media were writing the obituary for the National Constitution Center (NCC) in Philadelphia. The nadir might have been when the center, which is the only institution chartered by Congress to celebrate democracy’s most important document, hosted a Princess Diana exhibit. With the hiring of George Washington University Law Professor Jeffrey Rosen as President and CEO, the once flagging institution has risen like a phoenix from the ashes.

Some were initially skeptical of Rosen’s hiring since he would be commuting part time from Washington DC but he has exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations. To paraphrase the “Sound of Music,” “The center is alive with the sound of the Bill of Rights/ With debate about fundamental laws that were written 226 years ago.”

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NCC’s current programs are regularly sold out because Rosen chooses topics ripped from the news and doesn’t shy away from controversy. This week, the Supreme Court essentially slapped down President Obama’s use of an executive order for immigration. Last month, NCC sponsored an Oxford style debate, with Intelligent Squared, on whether President Obama has usurped Congressional power. Michael McConnell, director of the Stanford Constitutional Law Center, and Carrie Severino, chief counsel and policy director of the Judicial Crisis Network, argued that Obama had, in fact, wrested authority from Congress. Adam Cox, professor at the New York University School of Law, and Eric Posner, professor at the University of Chicago Law School, argued against the motion. Disagreeing with this week’s Supreme Court decision, the audience voted that Obama has not overextended his reach.