American History Hit: "How Much Power Does the President Have?"

Host: Don Wildman
Guest: Dr. Graham G. Dodds, Associate Professor of History, Concordia University
Date: December 29, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Don Wildman and guest Dr. Graham G. Dodds explore a timely and foundational issue in American government: just how much power does the President truly have? Their discussion centers on the "unitary executive theory"—its origins, evolution, key proponents, and its potential consequences for American democracy, especially with a pivotal presidential election on the horizon. Drawing on Dr. Dodds's scholarly expertise and recent history, the episode connects abstract constitutional theory directly to contemporary political debates, including the influence of "Project 2025," the Trump presidency, and ongoing concerns about democratic checks and balances.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Historical Roots of Presidential Power

(00:34–04:01)

• Don Wildman opens with a metaphor depicting the presidency as a ship battered by conflicting forces but ultimately steered by a single captain.
• He outlines the shift from the intentionally weak executive under the Articles of Confederation (only a one-year president, answerable to Congress) to the stronger executive established by the U.S. Constitution.
• Alexander Hamilton is credited as the earliest and most vocal proponent of a strong, unitary executive (Federalist No. 70, 1788).
  • Quote [04:19]:
    "This unitary executive thing, as such, has been kicking around since the 1980s. But the people who are in favor of it would say that even though the name is only a few decades old, the idea goes back to the founding, that the Founding Fathers, the framers, had this in mind when they created the Constitution under which we still live today."
    — Dr. Graham G. Dodds

2. What Is the Unitary Executive Theory?

(04:19–10:35)

• Dr. Dodds defines the theory: At its most basic, the President should have ultimate control over all executive branch actions, agencies, and personnel—potentially millions of employees including the military.
  • Quote [05:33]:
    "When you say it like that, it makes the president almost sound like an absolute monarch. In fact, it brings to mind... King Louis XIV of France is claiming, 'I am the state, the state is me.' If the president has that much power, what's the point in having other branches or anything?"
    — Dr. Graham G. Dodds
• The theory is rooted in Article II of the Constitution (the "vesting clause"), the presidential oath, and the "take care" clause—all seen as grounding arguments for a powerful executive.

3. Checks and Balances vs. Unitary Power

(06:26–08:00)

• Wildman and Dodds reflect on how this theory disrupts America's carefully balanced system.
  • Quote [06:39]:
    "The US System is one that famously or infamously fractures power. That breaks it into lots of pieces and institutions. It makes it very hard to get anything done. And some people say that's a problem. I'm inclined to say no. That shows the system is working as it was designed."
    — Dr. Graham G. Dodds

4. Key Legal Precedents & the Expansion of Power

(14:11–16:20)

• Important Supreme Court cases are mentioned:
  • Myers v. United States (1926): Upheld the President’s exclusive power to remove executive officials.
  • Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (1935): Limited the President’s power, ruling he couldn’t fire certain independent agency officials at will.
• The Supreme Court has never definitively settled the status of the unitary executive theory.

5. Related Theories: Imperial, Administrative, & Unilateral Presidencies

(16:37–19:02)

• Dr. Dodds distinguishes unitary executive theory from:
  • Imperial Presidency: Characterized by excessive presidential power (Schlesinger, 1970s; Nixon, Watergate).
  • Administrative Presidency: Control over the bureaucracy to implement presidential will (Nixon era).
  • Unilateral Presidency: Focuses on the President’s ability to act via executive orders without Congress.
  • Quote [16:37]:
    "There are a million different theories of presidential power... the unitary executive theory just says all executive functions should be controlled uniquely by this one individual..."
    — Dr. Graham G. Dodds

6. Modern Political Application and Partisan Dynamics

(20:06–25:49)

• The theory gained prominence under Presidents Reagan, George W. Bush (with Dick Cheney’s support), and Trump, especially around firing executive branch officials and the use of executive orders.
• Under George W. Bush, the theory was extended from domestic issues to justifying expansive presidential powers in the War on Terror.
  • Quote [20:14]: "Cheney had this sense, based on his experience in the Ford administration, that in the aftermath Watergate... Congress had pulled back too much power. He saw the opportunity to do this... by embracing the unitary executive theory..."
    — Dr. Graham G. Dodds
• Criticism holds that the theory’s origins with conservative legal activism in the Reagan era should inform our understanding of its aims.

7. Project 2025, Current Affairs, and the 2024/2025 Election

(27:36–34:04)

• Wildman and Dodds connect theory to current context:
  • Project 2025 (Heritage Foundation) is described as an explicit blueprint for expanding the unitary executive, particularly if Trump is reelected.
    • Quote [31:27]:
      "Project 2025, which was created by the Heritage foundation, is central to this whole situation. It's basically a blueprint for the greatest unitary executive practice that's in the history of the land. Is that fair to say?"
      — Don Wildman
    • Quote [31:27]:
      "Yeah, I think so... You can find this online. It's not a secret. This isn't a conspiracy. It's quite out in the open saying, given the chance, this is what we want to do. And here it is. So it's something that I suppose voters should look at and be aware of when they decide who to support come November."
      — Dr. Graham G. Dodds
  • Trump’s previous and potential use of Schedule F (which would enable him to fire thousands of federal workers at will) is given special attention.
  • The theory’s potential expansion is presented as a live, critical issue for voters—regardless of political ideology.
    • Quote [34:44]:
      "This is not sort of an abstract theory that academics just fight over in law journals... this has some real world influence and especially, look... we're at a time where people are worried about the future of American democracy. So... the unitary executive theory is a big piece of that."
      — Dr. Graham G. Dodds

8. Broader Implications for Democracy and Governance

(34:04–36:56)

• Both host and guest note that the balance of power is delicate, that autocratic tendencies (referenced with Mussolini and the idea of "getting the trains running on time") are a perennial temptation when crises loom.
  • Quote [35:47]:
    "Every president wants more power. Every president is inclined to latch onto a principled account that would justify doing what he would like to be able to do. So you can understand the sympathies for it. But it is worrisome from the standpoint of democracy. This thing would, I think, further aggravate the imbalance among the three branches. It would make the president even more powerful. It goes against the ideas of administrative neutrality and expertise... That's not a big jump, and that's a real danger."
    — Dr. Graham G. Dodds

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the self-perpetuating nature of presidential power-seeking:
  "Almost every president, especially in recent memory, has said, it's hard to do things, even though they are perhaps the most powerful person on the planet... Inevitably, presidents are sympathetic to theories, to justifications that say they should be able to do this, that, and the other thing, and they are inclined to seize on any kind of principled rationale to justify doing what they would want to do."
  — Dr. Graham G. Dodds [24:56]

• On current relevance:
  "I'm squirming in my chair because it's so exciting to me to use history in this fashion to understand the present day... the choices we make based on this idea of the theory of unitary executive will determine your political choices certainly in the upcoming presidential election."
  — Don Wildman [34:04]

• On the dangers of unchecked presidential authority:
  "It doesn't go too far from saying the president has all the executive power to the President saying, I can do whatever I want. That's not a big jump, and that's a real danger."
  — Dr. Graham G. Dodds [36:36]

Key Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |--------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 00:34–04:01 | Historical overview: from Articles to Constitution | | 04:01–10:35 | Defining the unitary executive theory | | 14:11–16:20 | Legal precedents: Myers and Humphrey’s Executor | | 16:37–19:02 | Distinguishing related theories | | 20:14–21:57 | Cheney, Bush, and post-9/11 expansion | | 27:36–31:27 | Project 2025, Trump / schedule F, and current affairs| | 31:27–34:44 | Partisan dynamics and real-world impact | | 34:04–36:56 | Democratic implications and autocratic risks | | 36:56–37:29 | Closing |

Takeaways

• The “unitary executive theory” is both a conceptual and practical battleground in American government, with deep historical roots but urgent modern relevance.
• The President’s power is not absolute by design, but the ideological, legal, and political winds of recent decades have often pushed in the direction of greater executive control—sometimes at the expense of checks and balances.
• The 2024/2025 presidential election, and efforts like Project 2025, have sharpened debates over the unitary executive to perhaps the highest stakes in generations.
• Ultimately, how Americans interpret, accept, or resist this theory may shape the nature of American democracy for decades to come.