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Articles 31 - 60 of 123
Full-Text Articles in President/Executive Department
"When The President Does It": Why Congress Should Take The Lead In Investigations Of Executive Wrongdoing, Andrew B. Pardue
"When The President Does It": Why Congress Should Take The Lead In Investigations Of Executive Wrongdoing, Andrew B. Pardue
William & Mary Law Review
Asked by British journalist David Frost whether the President of the United States has the ability to authorize illegal acts when he believes such action is justified, Richard Nixon infamously replied: “Well, when the President does it, that means it is not illegal.” A majority of Americans disagreed with the former President’s assessment. But the question remains: If the President is theoretically capable of breaking the law while in office, what is the best way to determine whether a crime has actually been committed? This question has forced lawmakers to attempt to reconcile various investigatory mechanisms—all differing in their independence …
Section 6: Separation Of Powers, Institute Of Bill Of Rights Law, William & Mary Law School
Section 6: Separation Of Powers, Institute Of Bill Of Rights Law, William & Mary Law School
Supreme Court Preview
No abstract provided.
The Emperor’S New Clothes: The Variety Of Stakeholders In Climate Change Regulation Assuming The Mantle Of Federal And International Authority, Linda A. Malone
The Emperor’S New Clothes: The Variety Of Stakeholders In Climate Change Regulation Assuming The Mantle Of Federal And International Authority, Linda A. Malone
Faculty Publications
In June 2017, President Donald Trump announced the United States would be withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord. President Trump believes the United States should be more focused on its economic wellbeing than on environmental concerns. Since being elected, President Trump has, with the help of the Environmental Protection Agency, been rolling back, or attempting to roll back, major climate change regulations. However, this Article points out that due to factors such as international law, the United States Constitution, and the Administrative Procedure Act, one cannotjust simply withdraw from an international agreement, such as the Paris Accord, or take back …
"Un-Designating" Marine Sanctuaries?: Assessing President Trump's America-First Offshore Energy Strategy, Kevin O. Leske
"Un-Designating" Marine Sanctuaries?: Assessing President Trump's America-First Offshore Energy Strategy, Kevin O. Leske
William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review
No abstract provided.
When Influence Encroaches: Statutory Advice In The Administrative State, William C. Hudson
When Influence Encroaches: Statutory Advice In The Administrative State, William C. Hudson
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
This Article revisits the D.C. Circuit’s 1993 decision in FEC v. NRA Political Victory Fund, and concludes that the separation of powers reasoning applied in NRA Political Victory Fund could invalidate other common practices in the administrative state, such as statutory requirements that Executive Branch officers serve on the boards of corporations created and staffed by Congress.
Why A President Cannot Authorize The Military To Violate (Most Of) The Law Of War, John C. Dehn
Why A President Cannot Authorize The Military To Violate (Most Of) The Law Of War, John C. Dehn
William & Mary Law Review
Waterboarding and “much worse,” torture, and “tak[ing] out” the family members of terrorists: President Trump endorsed these measures while campaigning for office. After his inauguration, Trump confirmed his view of the effectiveness of torture and has not clearly rejected other measures forbidden by international law. This Article therefore examines whether a President has the power to order or authorize the military to violate international humanitarian law, known as the “law of war.” Rather than assess whether the law of war generally constrains a President as Commander-in-Chief, however, its focus is the extent to which Congress requires the U.S. military to …
The Next Forty Presidents, Ori Aronson
The Next Forty Presidents, Ori Aronson
William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice
A thought experiment in feminist constitutionalism, this Article explores a radical argument: allow only women to be elected as the next forty U.S. presidents. While on its face blatantly discriminatory, the forty female presidents rule turns out to be a robustly justifiable idea, along multiple axes of political fairness, and not to women alone—rather to the electorate as a whole. Due to several of its unique characteristics, the presidency turns out to be particularly fitting to innovation that would correct past injustices of political exclusion. Corrective justice, affirmative action, feminist critique, voter autonomy, and the democratic costs of identity politics …
Congress, The Courts, And Party Polarization: Why Congress Rarely Checks The President And Why The Courts Should Not Take Congress’S Place, Neal Devins
Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Section 4: Immigration Law Panel, Institute Of Bill Of Rights Law, William & Mary Law School
Section 4: Immigration Law Panel, Institute Of Bill Of Rights Law, William & Mary Law School
Supreme Court Preview
No abstract provided.
Much Ado About Nothing: Signing Statements, Vetoes, And Presidential Constitutional Interpretation, Keith E. Whittington
Much Ado About Nothing: Signing Statements, Vetoes, And Presidential Constitutional Interpretation, Keith E. Whittington
William & Mary Law Review
During the Bush presidency, presidential signing statements became briefly controversial. The controversy has faded, but the White House continues to issue statements when signing legislation. Those statements frequently point out constitutional difficulties in new statutes and sometimes warn that the executive branch will administer the statutes so as to avoid those constitutional difficulties. This Article argues that the criticisms of signing statements were mostly misguided. Signing statements as such present few problems and offer some benefits to the workings of the American political system. While there might be reason to object to the substantive constitutional positions adopted in any given …
Understanding The Department Of Defense's Policy Regarding Transgender Servicemembers, A. Benjamin Spencer
Understanding The Department Of Defense's Policy Regarding Transgender Servicemembers, A. Benjamin Spencer
Faculty Publications
In June 2016, the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) issued Directive-type Memorandum (DTM) 16-005, "Military Service of Transgender Service Members." This DTM announced that, based on the premise that the "military should be open to all who can meet the rigorous standards for military service and readiness," "transgender individuals shall be allowed to serve in the military." The attachment to the memo declared that servicemembers could no longer be "involuntarily separated, discharged or denied reenlistment or continuation of service, solely on the basis of their gender identity." The core purpose of the new policy was to ensure that transgender persons would …
The Erosion Of Congressional Checks On Presidential Power, Neal Devins
The Erosion Of Congressional Checks On Presidential Power, Neal Devins
Popular Media
No abstract provided.
Category Errors And Executive Power, Jonathan H. Adler
Category Errors And Executive Power, Jonathan H. Adler
Faculty Publications
The purpose of this brief essay is to provide some clarity in the muddled discussion over executive power. Specifically, the aim is to help clarify what sorts of actions taken by the executive branch can be properly characterized as “enforcement” actions—where the President’s inherent authority to exercise prosecutorial discretion applies—and what sorts of actions cannot. Specifically, this essay seeks to explain why some particularly controversial actions—such as the Administration’s decision to delay the so-called employer mandate imposed by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and to “tailor” the application of federal regulations governing greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act …
The Architecture Of Constitutional Time, Richard Alexander Izquierdo
The Architecture Of Constitutional Time, Richard Alexander Izquierdo
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
Bruce Ackerman’s account in his We the People series urges the legal recognition of constitutional amendments enacted outside of Article V as part of a larger descriptive project concerning the creation of distinct republics within the Constitution of 1787. One of its limitations is that he and other scholars have not fully appreciated the way in which the original institutional design of the Constitution has facilitated—and perhaps even anticipated—the construction of subregimes during extraordinary times. This Article presents constitutional time and presidential incentives for a lasting legacy as the most important factors influencing constitutional meaning. It is constitutional time—the extraordinary …
Section 2: Congress & The Obama White House, Institute Of Bill Of Rights Law, William & Mary Law School
Section 2: Congress & The Obama White House, Institute Of Bill Of Rights Law, William & Mary Law School
Supreme Court Preview
No abstract provided.
Standing Outside Article Iii, Tara Leigh Grove
Standing Outside Article Iii, Tara Leigh Grove
Faculty Publications
The U.S. Supreme Court has insisted that standing doctrine is a “bedrock” requirement only of Article III. Accordingly, both jurists and scholars have assumed that the standing of the executive branch and the legislature, like that of other parties, depends solely on Article III. But I argue that these commentators have overlooked a basic constitutional principle: federal institutions must have affirmative authority for their actions, including the power to bring suit or appeal in federal court. Article III defines the federal “judicial Power” and does not purport to confer any authority on the executive branch or the legislature. Executive and …
The Transformative Twelfth Amendment, Joshua D. Hawley
The Transformative Twelfth Amendment, Joshua D. Hawley
William & Mary Law Review
Scholars have long treated the Twelfth Amendment as a constitutional obscurity, a merely mechanical adjustment to the electoral college—and perhaps a less than successful one at that. This consensus is mistaken. In fact, the Twelfth Amendment accomplished one of the most consequential changes to the structure of our constitutional government yet. It fundamentally altered the nature of the Executive and the Executive’s relationship to the other branches of government. The Amendment changed the Executive into something it had not been before: a political office. The presidency designed at Philadelphia was intended to be neither a policymaking nor a representative institution, …
Congress's (Limited) Power To Represent Itself In Court, Tara Leigh Grove, Neal Devins
Congress's (Limited) Power To Represent Itself In Court, Tara Leigh Grove, Neal Devins
Faculty Publications
Scholars and jurists have long assumed that, when the executive branch declines to defend a federal statute, Congress may intervene in federal court to defend the law. When invalidating the Defense of Marriage Act, for example, no Supreme Court Justice challenged the authority of the House of Representatives to defend federal laws in at least some circumstances. At the same time, in recent litigation over the Fast and Furious gun-running case, the Department of Justice asserted that the House could not go to court to enforce a subpoena against the executive. In this Article, we seek to challenge both claims. …
The Indefensible Duty To Defend, Neal Devins, Saikrishna B. Prakash
The Indefensible Duty To Defend, Neal Devins, Saikrishna B. Prakash
Faculty Publications
Modern Justice Department opinions insist that the executive branch must enforce and defend laws. In the first article to systematically examine Department of Justice refusals to defend, we make four points. First, the duties to enforce and defend lack any sound basis in the Constitution. Hence, while President Obama is right to refuse to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, he is wrong to continue to enforce a law he believes is unconstitutional. Second, rather than being grounded in the Constitution, the duties are better explained by the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) desire to enhance its independence and status. By …
The Article Ii Safeguards Of Federal Jurisdiction, Tara Leigh Grove
The Article Ii Safeguards Of Federal Jurisdiction, Tara Leigh Grove
Faculty Publications
Jurisdiction stripping has long been treated as a battle between Congress and the federal judiciary. Scholars have thus overlooked the important (and surprising) role that the executive branch has played in these jurisdictional struggles. This Article seeks to fill that void. Drawing on two strands of social science research, the Article argues that the executive branch has a strong incentive to use its constitutional authority over the enactment and enforcement of federal law to oppose jurisdiction-stripping measures. Notably, this structural argument has considerable historical support. The executive branch has repeatedly opposed jurisdiction-stripping proposals in Congress. That has been true even …
Partisan Conflicts Over Presidential Authority, Jide Nzelibe
Partisan Conflicts Over Presidential Authority, Jide Nzelibe
William & Mary Law Review
No abstract provided.
Executive Branch Czars, Who Are They? Are They Needed? Can Congress Do Anything About Them?, Jonathan D. Puvak
Executive Branch Czars, Who Are They? Are They Needed? Can Congress Do Anything About Them?, Jonathan D. Puvak
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
No abstract provided.
On The Evasion Of Executive Term Limits, Tom Ginsburg, James Melton, Zachary Elkins
On The Evasion Of Executive Term Limits, Tom Ginsburg, James Melton, Zachary Elkins
William & Mary Law Review
Executive term limits are precommitments through which the polity restricts its ability to retain a popular executive down the road. But in recent years, many presidents around the world have chosen to remain in office even after their initial maximum term in office has expired. They have largely done so by amending the constitution, sometimes by replacing it entirely. The practice of revising higher law for the sake of a particular incumbent raises intriguing issues that touch ultimately on the normative justification for term limits in the first place. This Article reviews the normative debate over term limits and identifies …
Presidential Unilateralism And Political Polarization: Why Today's Congress Lacks The Will And The Way To Stop Presidential Initiatives, Neal Devins
Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
A Constitutional Anomaly: Safeguarding Confidential National Security Information Within The Enigma That Is The American Vice Presidency, Todd Garvey
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
No abstract provided.
Imperial And Imperiled: The Curious State Of The Executive, Saikrishna B. Prakash
Imperial And Imperiled: The Curious State Of The Executive, Saikrishna B. Prakash
William & Mary Law Review
In the last four decades, the presidency has been characterized both as the "imperial presidency" as well as the "imperiled presidency. "From an originalist perspective, both camps have elements of truth on their side. When it comes to the conduct and initiation of wars, modern Presidents exercise powers that rival those the Crown possessed in England. Presidents claim the power to start wars, notwithstanding Congress's power to declare war. Moreover, Presidents insist that they have the sole right to determine how the armed forces will wage all wars, even though Congress clearly has considerable power over the armed forces. Law …
The "Ongoing Criminal Investigation" Constraint: Getting Away With Silence, Luke M. Milligan
The "Ongoing Criminal Investigation" Constraint: Getting Away With Silence, Luke M. Milligan
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
No abstract provided.
Not-So-Independent Agencies: Party Polarization And The Limits Of Institutional Design, Neal Devins, David E. Lewis
Not-So-Independent Agencies: Party Polarization And The Limits Of Institutional Design, Neal Devins, David E. Lewis
Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
The On/Off Switch, Philip Heymann
The On/Off Switch, Philip Heymann
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
No abstract provided.
Introduction: The Last Word? The Constitutional Implications Of Presidential Signing Statements, Charlie Savage
Introduction: The Last Word? The Constitutional Implications Of Presidential Signing Statements, Charlie Savage
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
No abstract provided.