1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036
-
-
Email Event
-
-
If you cannot attend, we welcome you to watch the event live on this page.
The Obama administration has stirred up constitutional passions more than any presidency in recent history. In this new book, edited by Carol McNamara and Melanie M. Marlowe, a diverse group of presidential scholars steps back from the partisan debate to consider the first two years of the Obama presidency through the lens of constitutional theory, structure, and practice. They ask how President Barack Obama understands and exercises formal constitutional powers and informal powers and responsibilities, from foreign policy and public policy to his political leadership of the Democratic Party and the nation as a whole. This timely look at the Obama presidency establishes a constitutional yardstick of interest to scholars of the presidency, constitutional thought, and American political thought.
Registration
9:30
Panelists:
JAMES CEASER, University of Virginia
STEPHEN KNOTT, US Naval War College
MELANIE M. MARLOWE, Miami University
CAROL MCNAMARA, Utah State University
DAVID NICHOLS, Baylor University
Moderator:
STEVEN F. HAYWARD, AEI
Question and Answer
11:30
Adjournment
WASHINGTON, APRIL 28, 2011--Contributors to The Obama Presidency in the Constitutional Order analyzed the first two years of the Obama presidency from a constitutional standpoint Thursday at the American Enterprise Institute. Moderator Steven F. Hayward noted that President Barack Obama is only the second president in US history with an academic background, and as such, his history teaching constitutional law makes him a particularly interesting subject to study from a constitutional perspective. David Nichols said that Obama's teaching background helped him gain clarity in his understanding of the Constitution and that his policies are moderate and sensible only in the very narrow field where his teaching focused. Obama's campaign promises of transparency and open information were not carried out in his presidency, Melanie Marlowe and Stephen Knott agreed. Both argued that more often than not, Obama has continued the same Bush administration policies that he had slandered as unconstitutional and an overreach of executive power. Carol McNamara questioned whether Obama will be able to transcend racial politics and be judged solely on his progressive agenda. James Ceaser touched on Obama's leadership as a whole and argued that despite charisma, strong oratory, and personal appeal, the first two years of his presidency have lacked presidential presence.
--HIWA ALAGHEBANDIAN
