Prof. Epps: Obama Leaves a 'Weaker' Constitution
January 3, 2017
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Garrett Epps, professor in the University of Baltimore School of Law, contributed a piece to The Atlantic on the legacy of President Obama and the U.S. Constitution. While some criticisms of Obama's use of signing statements and executive orders were inflated and ill-considered by his opponents, the nation's founding document, Epps says, is "weaker" at the end of the president's second term.
"The new far-right Republican Party that emerged from the 2010 elections took, and takes, no responsibility for constitutional norms, whether it was honoring the obligations of the national debt or considering presidential nominees to judgeships and executive agencies.
"But the job of a president is to overcome obstacles, build political support, and mobilize public opinion. Obama's record is that of a smart, determined, but politically weak president. Regardless of fault, there's little doubt that he leaves the Constitution weaker than he found it."
Read the article.
Learn more about Prof. Epps and the University of Baltimore School of Law.