Hot Topic Program: The Constitutional Politics of Presidential Czar Appointments

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Session Type: AALS Hot Topic Programs

Session Capacity: N/A

Location: N/A

Room: Jefferson

Floor: Third Floor

The presidential practice of appointing “czars” without the advice and consent of the Senate has recently become the topic of hearings in the United States Congress, the subject of headlines in major newspapers, and the focus of public discussion on whether the current administration has overstepped the bounds of its constitutional authority. The escalating controversy arises from the considerable power and influence that czars often wield within the executive branch despite not being subject either to Senate confirmation or, in some cases, to any congressional oversight at all. This panel will explore the constitutional politics of presidential czar appointments, with particular consideration to the theory of separation of powers, the scope of executive authority, the purpose of Senate confirmation, and the role of presidential advisors in the administrative management of the state.