About the Executive Functions Substack
Welcome to the Executive Functions newsletter, run by Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith, and devoted to analysis of presidential and broader executive power issues.
Bob previously served in government as White House Counsel to President Barack Obama. He now teaches at New York University School of Law. Many of his publications can be found here, here, and here. Jack previously served as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel during the George W. Bush administration. He now teaches at Harvard Law School. Many of his writings can be found here and here.
We have both seen executive power up close, albeit from different spots on Pennsylvania Avenue and in two very different presidential administrations. As we explained in our 2020 book, After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency, we believe that “a powerful, vigorous presidency is vital to the proper functioning of American democracy.” But we also believe, following Arthur Schlesinger Jr., that “a strong presidency” works best when couched “within an equally strong system of accountability.”
Executive Functions aims to provide informed assessments of executive branch actions that puts them in legal, political, and historical context. We have our opinions, and we do not always agree. We will do our best to provide accurate and fair-minded analysis, to separate analysis from opinion, and to acknowledge mistakes.
We plan to publish at least one essay each week. We also plan to respond to breaking news events when we can. And we may eventually include other features, such as a video discussion, podcast interviews, and a weekly round-up of the best content on our topic, broadly conceived.
About Subscriptions
All Executive Functions content is free. For those who wish to support the project, we have monthly, annual, and Founding Member subscription plans. Your contributions will fund administrative and editorial support (though our work is and will remain uncompensated). Subscribers will gain access to one or two group Zoom calls each year featuring discussions on key topics, with opportunities for Q & A. We will also provide a channel for readers to propose questions or request in-depth analysis.
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