“What we’re seeing is a salutary operation of checks and balances,” says Ernest Young, a constitutional law professor. “A lot of presidents come into office with a very broad view of what they’re going to be able to do. It’s not that uncommon (to be blocked by the courts), but that’s how the system is supposed to work.”
Read More in The Christian Science MonitorCategory: Trump Administration
Economics of Dakota Access Pipeline
“The financial crisis and ensuing banking bailouts ensured private profits while socializing losses. Trump is bringing the same logic to the table, socializing costs associated with pollution — and not counting them — while privatizing profits from the pipelines,” writes Mark Paul, postdoctoral associate at the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity. (Photo by Tony Webster)
Read More in The Huffington Post
Should Churches and Politics Mix?
President Trump’s proposal to give churches the opportunity to participate in political campaigns “may well prove to be unhealthy for both the political process and for churches themselves,” writes law professor Richard Schmalbeck. “This is primarily because contributions to churches (and other charities) are deductible for federal and state income tax purposes. This means that churches, if freed from the ban on campaign participation, would be the only institutions in our society that could engage in political activity on a tax-deductible basis.”
Read More in the Journal Sentinel
Trump Travel Ban Ensnares Academics
“How would you fare if you couldn’t pursue your most vibrant passions and professional collaborations? How would you feel if you couldn’t make good on your responsibilities to the world and the commitments you have made to your fellow humans? Where would you be without your dreams and your vision? Who would you be?” writes literature professor Negar Mottahedeh.
Why Justice Anthony Kennedy is Not Stupid
“Movement conservatives have derided and insulted Kennedy for most of his time on the bench. Now they apparently believe him to be foolish enough to step aside because their pick for the court this time around isn’t the affront to the judicial branch that it could have been,” writes law professor Neil Siegel and a colleague.
Read More in Slate
Future of Foreign Policy Under Trump
Public policy professor Bruce Jentleson is interviewed about recent foreign policy developments, including the White House putting Iran “on notice” following the launch of a ballistic missile, the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of former Exxon Mobil Chairman Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State, and a reportedly tense phone call between President Trump and the Prime Minister of Australia.
Listen on Wisconsin Public Radio
America’s New Opposition: The Left Reborn
“The mass protests in response to Trump’s policies, both at the women’s march and at airports around the country, in the last weeks show a sense of urgency and willingness to fight for robust legal equality and inclusiveness. At the very moment when establishment politics have been severely undermined — the GOP hijacked by Trump, the Democrats confounded by Hillary Clinton’s loss — the American left has been reborn,” writes law professor Jedediah Purdy.
Read More in New Republic
Immigration Ban: Handing Bin Laden a Triumph
“Donald Trump’s disastrous immigration executive order has now accomplished what 9/11 and 15 years of terrorist attacks could not – cause a genuine estrangement between the worlds’ Muslims and the United States,” writes Sanford School professor David Schanzer, director of the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security.
Comparing Turkey, U.S. Immigration Policies
During a visit to Duke, Turkish investigative journalist Cüneyt Özdemir analyzed the parallels between Turkey’s immigration law and President Trump’s immigration ban.
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Can He do That? Trump’s Executive Order
A panel of scholars discuss the legality and ramifications of President Trump’s executive order regarding immigrants. Panelists at the law school event were professors Walter Dellinger, Neil Siegel, Guy Charles, Chris Schroeder, Stephen Sachs and David Schanzer.
Watch More From Duke Law
My Family’s Refugee Stories: America at its Best – and Worst
“No country can have a completely open border. We are right to be vigilant about who enters the United States. Certainly in these times. But this ban does nothing to make America safer. The Muslim refugees are not the danger. They are in danger,” writes professor Frederick Mayer, director of The Center for Political Leadership, Innovation and Service (POLIS).
Read More in The Charlotte Observer
Lessons From the Firing of AG Sally Yates
“I’m convinced that too many in the national security law community in our law schools and beyond have allowed their animus toward Trump personally to cloud their legal judgments on a range of issues. In fact, some are making statements I’ll bet they’ll regret when applied to a future administration more congenial to their ideological druthers,” writes law professor Charles Dunlap.
Read More in Lawfire
