Emergency powers in the aftermath of 9/11

In the 25 years since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, presidents from both parties have taken on significant powers related to national security. How did 9/11 change the tools presidents turn to for national security issues? Do they have deeper domestic consequences? In the fourth episode of Executive Summary, Bill Antholis and Lydia Schumann interview University of Massachusetts- Amherst lecturer Chris Edelson. They discuss the presidencies of Bush through Trump and explain why some presidents view emergency powers—and presidential power in general—as above the law.  They also discuss “constitutional failure” – how we know it when we see it, and what we might do about it. 

“Executive Summary” is the Miller Center’s Presidency Project podcast. Our first season dives into the history and future of emergency powers, which is one of three focus areas for The Presidency Project.  

Presidents of both parties have become more powerful, more partisan, and less popular. One sign of that: Presidents increasingly use emergency powers to go around Congress to spend money or use force. These emergency powers are also wielded in domestic politics, creating great concerns about our constitutional order. 

 The Miller Center is a nonpartisan institution at the University of Virginia that explores how the American presidency meets national priorities and engages scholars with leading citizens to help solve major problems.