Mark Rozell.
In the final Vision Series lecture of the academic year, professor of public policy Mark Rozell will address “Obama and the Constitution: War Powers, Czars and Signing Statements.” The lecture is based on his new book.
Rozell will give the free lecture at the Center for the Arts on Monday, April 30, at 7 p.m. Tickets are not required, and an informal reception with refreshments will follow.
In 2008, candidate Barack Obama promised to reverse former President George W. Bush’s concentration of executive powers and to respect the constitutional role of Congress.
However, as president, Obama instead has learned the utility of exercising various unilateral powers, Rozell says. Obama has “stiff-armed the legislative branch in the using of war powers, appointing unconfirmed czars and even issuing a signing statement to negate a part of an act of Congress,” he contends.
Rozell’s presentation will examine the constitutional-based controversies surrounding Obama’s expansive use of certain executive powers.
Rozell is the author of nine books and editor of 20 books on various topics in U.S. government and politics, including the presidency, religion and politics, media and politics and interest groups in elections.
His newest book, written with Mitchel A. Sollenberger, is titled “The President’s Czars: Undermining Congress and the Constitution” and was published by the University Press of Kansas.
Some of Rozell’s other recent books are: “The Oxford Handbook of Southern Politics”; “Religion and the American Presidency,” 2nd edition; “Interest Groups in American Campaigns: The New Face of Electioneering,” 3rd edition; and “Executive Privilege: Presidential Power, Secrecy and Accountability,” 3rd edition.
Rozell has testified before Congress on executive privilege issues and has lectured extensively in the United States and abroad. He frequently writes op-ed columns in Roll Call and Politico and regularly comments in the media on political topics.