Author: Eleanor Stratton

Constitutional Basis for Tariff Authority Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution vests the power to lay and collect tariffs with Congress. The Founding Fathers intended for legislative oversight on taxation, tariffs, and related financial matters, viewing tariffs as strategic levers to be used with caution and prudence. Historically, Congress set tariffs and maintained…

What the Constitution Allows (and What It Doesn’t) Article II of the U.S. Constitution provides the foundation for executive orders, vesting the president with the authority to ensure laws are faithfully executed. This power, while significant, is bound by existing federal laws and constitutional rights. Presidents throughout history have used executive orders in various ways.…

Constitutional Authority and Congressional Role The United States Constitution outlines the powers of government branches, ensuring all operate within prescribed boundaries. For agencies like the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), creation or abolition is governed by legislation. The founders crafted a system requiring congressional involvement for establishing or dismantling federal entities. USAID was initially…

As the Trump administration issues sweeping directives—from freezing federal funds to redefining citizenship—the debate over executive power has never been more urgent. For some, these orders are a necessary response to political gridlock, allowing the president to enforce policies that Congress refuses to act on. For others, they represent a dangerous expansion of executive authority,…

Judicial vs. Executive Authority The recent clash between the judiciary and the executive branch over federal spending reveals a fundamental issue with constitutional implications. U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. found himself at the center of this controversy when he declared that the Trump administration was defying his order to release federal grant funds.…

Few tools in the president’s arsenal generate as much debate as the executive order. With the stroke of a pen, presidents can shape national policy, bypass legislative gridlock, and set the course for government action. But where does this power come from—and more importantly, where does it end? The Trump administration’s recent actions have reignited…

Constitutional Crisis or Executive Reform? A presidency reshaping the boundaries of power. A Congress struggling to assert its authority. A judiciary caught in the middle. Are we witnessing a necessary course correction in government efficiency—or the early signs of a constitutional unraveling? Constitutional Safeguards and Executive Power The U.S. Constitution, guided by Article I, entrusts…