The National Interest, C'est Moi
This inability to agree on the nature of the national interest is endemic not just to the new nationalism, but to all of politics.
Executive Branch
If Bloomberg's Arrogance Worries You, His Weaselly Positions on Presidential Power Won't Reassure You
The presidential candidate reserves the right to wage unauthorized wars, kill Americans in foreign countries, prosecute journalists, and selectively flout the law.
The Looming Supreme Court Showdown Over Sanctuary Cities
The legal battle over immigration, federalism, and executive power heats up.
Elizabeth Warren Adopts Cory Booker's Plan for a Better Presidential Clemency System
Shifting the process from the Justice Department to the White House can help eliminate bureaucracy and meddling from prosecutors.
Would a Presidential Pardon for Roger Stone Be Unconstitutional?
The argument requires several controversial assumptions and leaps of logic.
Trump White House Considering Limiting Justice Department Influence Over Pardons
Criminal justice reformers say federal prosecutors torpedoed clemency petitions in worthy cases.
On the Money: Presidential Portraiture and Power in D.C.
Kehinde Wiley's pre-presidential works criticized inequalities and hierarchies of power. His presidential portrait doesn't do the same.
Trump's Continuing Commentary on Criminal Cases Reflects His Disdain for the Rule of Law
The president remains frankly puzzled by the distinction between can and should.
Trump Uses Clemency To Help Drug War Victims, Reward GOP Donors, and Spite James Comey
Plus: China boots three reporters, megacities are getting a smaller share of growth than they used to, and Dems gather to debate in Las Vegas..
Imprisoned Leaker Reality Winner Seeks Mercy From Trump
She’s nearly three years into a five-year sentence for releasing classified documents showing Russian attempts to hack U.S. election systems.
A Nondelegation Challenge to Trump's Travel Bans [updated to include some additional material]
Other possible legal challenges to Trump's expanded travel ban may be precluded by the Supreme Court's ruling in Trump v. Hawaii. This one is not.
Even Without Trump's Tweets, the Attorney General's Intervention on Roger Stone's Behalf Would Have Looked Bad
If Barr is so concerned about the appearance of integrity, why did he insert himself into a high-profile case involving a presidential pal?
Michael Bloomberg and the Imperious Presidency
Until we start denuding the Oval Office, we will continue getting the royals we deserve.
Instead of Removing Trump From Power, Remove Power From the Presidency
After Watergate, Democrats rolled back executive power. Under Trump, they just want to be the ones who get to wield it.
Michael Bloomberg and the Imperious Presidency
Until we start denuding the Oval Office, we will continue getting the royals we deserve.
Trump Bashes Socialism While Endorsing a Status Quo Socialism of His Own
The president promised to protect Medicare and Social Security, America's biggest entitlement programs.
State of the Union: Trump Tells Tall Tales, Dems Walk Out
Plus: Iowa updates, Ancestry.com tells cops to buzz off, and more...
Good and Bad Reasons for Acquitting Trump
Republicans should think twice before endorsing the dangerous myth that impeachment requires a criminal violation.
Trump Admitted His Trade Policies Have Hurt Manufacturing Jobs in His State of the Union, but You Probably Missed It
American manufacturing has been in a recession for the past year.
Trump Is Making Criminal Justice Reform a Theme of his Campaign
But he'll have to do more than coast on a few commendable pardons if he wants to prove he's serious.
Trump Brags About Killing Terrorists While Promising He's Working Toward Peace at State of the Union Address
President Donald Trump's schizophrenic approach to foreign policy was on full display during his State of the Union address tonight.
Trump: 'No Parent Should Be Forced To Send Their Child to a Failing Government School'
In his State of the Union address, the president promised to give an opportunity scholarship to a specific child who needed one.
How 3 Past Presidents Dealt With Scandal During Their State of the Union Addresses
From Clinton's cockiness to Reagan's contrition to Nixon's defiance, three different models for Donald Trump
The State of Our Union Is…Drunk?
The Reason Roundtable podcast grapples with a news week so packed it makes Manhattan look like Kansas
Trump's Expanded Travel Ban Compounds the Wrongs of Previous Versions
The courts may not strike it down. But it remains both illegal and deeply unjust.
The Ultimate Impact of Trump's Impeachment Remains to be Seen
While Trump will almost certainly be acquitted within the next few days, impeachment might still damage him politically. And the long-term impact of this process will likely take a long time to unfold.
The Real Problem With Alan Dershowitz's Position on Quid Pro Quos and Impeachment
Trump's lawyer did not say a president "can do anything" to get re-elected, but he did say that goal cannot count as a corrupt motive.
In Trump Subpoena Fight, the Supreme Court Weighs Executive vs. Congressional Power
A major constitutional clash is unfolding at SCOTUS.
Republican Senators Say the Truth Is Irrelevant in Evaluating the Gravity of Trump's Misconduct
Republicans are setting a dangerous precedent they may come to regret the next time a Democrat occupies the White House.
Trump's Failed Impeachment Is Still Worth It
It at least sends a message against future abuses of executive power.
Did Trump Just Admit To Withholding Material From the Impeachment Process?
As Rep. Justin Amash notes, the second article of impeachment charges the president with obstructing Congress by refusing to provide documents and testimony.
Is Impeaching Some "Normal" Politicians too High a Price to Pay for Getting Rid of Presidents who Abuse their Power? - A Rejoinder to Josh Blackman
Josh Blackman argues that the tradeoff isn't worth it. Here's why I disagree.
Congress Passed a New North American Trade Pact but Failed To Limit Trump's Tariff Powers
Republicans might rue that mistake when Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders inherits Trump's beefed-up trade authority.
Was Trump's Sin Acting "Like a Politician"?
A response to Josh Blackman's New York Times op-ed on the case against Trump (with updates)
War Worries Transcend Trump
Even the president’s buddies understand the threat posed by the unconstrained use of military force.
No War With Iran, House Tells Trump. Next Up: Finally Forbidding Military Force in Iraq?
Plus: Tarriffs are killing U.S. wine, Vermont bill would ban cell phones for kids, and more...
Sarah Sanders 'Can't Think of Anything Dumber Than Allowing Congress To Take Over Our Foreign Policy'
The former press secretary thinks abiding by the Constitution would be the worst thing for America right now.
More Impeachments! Dumping Bad Presidents Should Be No Big Deal
"Somehow we've decided that the one job in America that gets the most job protection is the one where you actually get nuclear weapons," says the Cato Institute's Gene Healy.
Don't Freak Out About Impeachment
Americans can lose their jobs for almost anything. Why are we so hesitant to give presidents the boot?
Dems Promise To Close Gitmo. Again.
Democratic presidential candidates sparred over how they'd close one of the worst excesses of the war on terror.
As the Dismissed Charges Against Paul Manafort Show, New York Democrats Love Double Jeopardy When It Hurts Trump's Cronies
Recent revisions to state law will facilitate such duplicative prosecutions of people associated with the president.
Trump Is Getting Impeached Today. Should His Complaints About the Process Be Taken Seriously?
Many of the president's beefs are frivolous, but he is right that impeachment has been rushed.
New Kentucky Governor Restores Voting Rights to 140,000 Nonviolent Felons
Meanwhile, outgoing Gov. Matt Bevin made some controversial pardon choices as he headed for the door.
Trump Abused His Power, but a Hasty Impeachment Will Undermine That Point
The gaps in the record invite the public to dismiss impeachment as a purely partisan exercise.
Trump's Congressional Defenders Deny Reality
While the president’s motives in seeking Ukrainian investigations are a matter of dispute, his actions are clear from the public record.
Impeachment and the Spending Power Revisited
In assessing impeachment, we should keep in mind Trump's usurpation of Congress' power over federal spending. This is a serious violation of the Constitution, and focusing on it overcomes some standard objections to impeachment.
Michael Bloomberg and the Imperious Presidency
Rules are for the little people, not the eighth richest man on the planet.
Republicans Are Learning to Love Unconstrained Executive Power
Just like their counterparts in the Democratic Party do!
