Donald Trump will enter office at a time when presidential power has significantly expanded, because of a string of Supreme Court decisions in recent years. These decisions can be understood to have two functions: They give presidents a âswordâ to act more decisively and unilaterally, and a âshieldâ that protects them from prosecution against actions taken in their official capacity. What will these capacities mean for Trumpâs second term â especially as he has promised to radically transform the federal government?
Gillian Metzger is a professor at Columbia Law School who has studied the presidency, the administrative state and the Supreme Courtâs relationship to both. In this conversation, guest-hosted by Kate Shaw, a New York Times Opinion contributing writer and law professor, Metzger discusses two key Supreme Court cases â the Trump immunity case, which gave presidents broad protections from prosecution, and the Loper Bright Enterprises case, which overturned the Chevron doctrine, expanding judicial power. Shaw and Metzger also cover how much leeway Trump actually has to take some of the bolder executive actions heâs floated, including ending birthright citizenship; what still remains uncertain about the federal governmentâs regulatory powers in the post-Chevron regime; and more.
âThe Demise of Deference â And the Rise of Delegation to Interpret?â by Thomas W. Merrill
âThe DOGE Plan to Reform Governmentâ by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy
Book recommendations
Creating the Administrative Constitution by Jerry L. Mashaw
The Forging of Bureaucratic Autonomy by Daniel Carpenter
âCuration, Narration, Erasureâ by Karen M. Tani
Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at
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You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of âThe Ezra Klein Showâ at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.
This episode of âThe Ezra Klein Showâ was produced by Elias Isquith. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, with Mary Marge Locker. Mixing by Isaac Jones, with Efim Shapiro and Aman Sahota. Our supervising editor is Claire Gordon. The showâs production team also includes Rollin Hu, Kristin Lin and Jack McCordick. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser.