Presiding with Principle: Restoring Good Governance in the U.S. Executive Branch


 

Publication Date: October 2008

Publisher:

Author(s): Remi Moncel

Research Area: Government

Keywords: Accountability; Presidential transition; Government transparency

Type: Brief

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

How will the President-elect run his administration? The answer to this question will have direct impacts on the American people's health, safety and the quality of their environment. This note reveals the link between an unchecked presidency and poor policy. It reviews the practices of previous administrations in the context of relevant constitutional and legislative provisions, and attests to the vulnerability of a system of delicate checks and balances to abuse of power.

In addition to the legal abuses they constitute, these cases bring to light significant negative impacts that have resulted from an opaque presidency and make the case for better governance in the next administration.