Year of Award
2009
Presentation Date
11-20-2009
Abstract
University of Utah's Quinney College of Law professor Scott M. Matheson, Jr., presents his 2009 Palmer Prize award-winning book, Presidential Constitutionalism in Perilous Times (Harvard University Press, 2009).
Presidential Constitutionalism in Perilous Times explores the use of presidential power in times of crisis. The book analyzes executive branch actions that have raised serious constitutional concerns about individual liberties and separation of powers. It examines Abraham Lincoln's suspension of the writ of habeas corpus during the Civil War, Woodrow Wilson's enforcement of the Espionage Act of 1917 during World War I, Franklin D. Roosevelt's evacuation and internment of West Coast Japanese during World War II, Harry S. Truman's seizure of the steel mills during the Korean War, and George W. Bush's implementation of torture, surveillance, and detention programs in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The book offers guidance for presidents to balance security and liberty within our constitutional framework, with emphasis on the working relationships among the branches of government.
Runtime: 01:00:05
Recommended Citation
Matheson, Scott M. Jr., "2009 Palmer Prize Winner - Presidential Constitutionalism in Perilous Times" (2009). The Palmer Prize Lecture. 6.
https://scholarship.kentlaw.iit.edu/palmer/6