Marian Miner Cook
Athenaeum

A distinctive
feature of social and
cultural life at CMC

 

The Oath and the Office: A Guide to The Constitution for Future Presidents

Thu, February 21, 2019
Lunch Program
Corey Brettschneider

In "The Oath and the Office," professor of political science at Brown University Corey Brettschneider offers a new, yet historically grounded, ideal of a limited presidency. He argues that the oath of office creates an independent moral and legal obligation for the president to promote the Constitution’s values­­­—and only exercise power within the Constitution’s limits. Using history and case law, Brettschneider applies a “value-based” lens to understand the core powers and limits of the office, as well as how the ideals of Bill of Rights bind the president and posits that citizens are the ultimate limit on presidential power, offering a number of ways the people can stop a rogue president.

Corey Brettschneider is professor of political science at Brown University, where he teaches constitutional law and politics. He has also been a visiting professor at Fordham Law School, University of Chicago Law School and Harvard Law School.

Brettschneider will draw from his recent book, “The Oath and The Office: A Guide to the Constitution for Future Presidents” which has garnered significant national attention and which Kirkus calls “vital reading for all Americans,” as a jumping off point to reflect on the presidency in an age of deep controversy. While President Trump generates plenty of controversies worthy of study, this lecture—like the book—will use these salient contemporary issues for deeper reflection about the president’s constitutional role.

His recent writing has appeared in the New York Times, Politico, and the Washington Post and he  is frequently interviewed about constitutional issues on BBC, Sirius XM, and MSNBC. He is also the author of two books about constitutional law and civil liberties and numerous articles that appear in top academic journals and law reviews. His constitutional law casebook is widely used in classrooms throughout the United States.

Brettschneider holds a Ph.D. in Politics from Princeton and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Professor Brettshneider’s Athenaeum presentation is co-sponsored by the Salvatori Center at CMC.
 


View Video: YouTube with Corey Brettschneider

Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum

Claremont McKenna College
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Claremont, CA 91711

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