The Living Presidency: An Originalist Argument Against Its Ever-Expanding Powers

Many conservative lawyers have been writing about the expansion of federal powers, and the role of the presidency and how it has changed, especially post-1933. This book follows that similar path and tries to provide responses and ways to constrain those powers back to more of an original reading of the Constitution. Professor Prakash’s best part of the book is when he is examining how the powers of the President have expanded over the decades, while those of Congress has seemed to regress, and the courts playing a larger role than envisioned. He kind of cherry-picks from the Framers, focusing those that more agree with his arguments. Though at times he ignores when people like Thomas Jefferson expand their powers, even though they might have written against the expansion of powers. Mr. Prakash believes that we are living in a very monarchical style presidency and that unless things change, the President will become more and more powerful. His solutions are doubtful about if and how they will work. Often they read like solutions that were put forth years ago by every President since Reagan. His heart might be in the right place, but his solutions are not.