Legal Commentary

Eric Posner, Guest-Blogging About Executive Unbound: After the Madisonian Republic

By Eugene Volokh

I?m delighted to report that Prof. Eric Posner (University of Chicago) ? who had blogged with us a few years ago ? will be visiting again this week, to blog about his and Prof. Adrian Vermeule?s new book, Executive Unbound: After the Madisonian Republic. A very brief summary:

The book argues that the Madisonian system of separation of powers has eroded beyond recognition and been replaced with a system of executive primacy (which others have called the ?imperial presidency?) in which Congress and the courts play only a marginal role. Most scholars who have recognized this development have called for a return to the Madisonian system, but we believe that the rise of the executive has resulted from a recognition among political elites that only a powerful executive can address the economic and security challenges of modern times.

Not a thesis to make anyone happy, on the left or right.

But you?ll hear much more detail on the subject this coming week.

Full post as published by The Volokh Conspiracy on March 21, 2011 (boomark / email).