As the Supreme Court grants certiorari in the State of Texas’ constitutional challenge to President Obama’s executive order on immigration, Professor Harold Bruff has written an impressive book that examines the powers and responsibilities of the president. An expert on the separation of powers, the author focuses special attention on the limits of executive orders and the duties imposed by the Faithful Execution clause of Article II—the two core constitutional issues to be addressed in the Texas case. It is a useful book that promotes understanding of the development of presidential power.
The book is arranged in 15 chapters that discuss the 44 presidents chronologically. In analyzing the contours of presidential power, the author principally focuses on four aspects of Article II: (a) the executive power as head of state; (b) the veto power; (c) command of the military; and (d) presidential responsibilities, such as faithfully executing the laws. To provide context, the author enriches the narrative with concise summaries of the pertinent historical events.
