Presidents, Populism, and the Crisis of Democracy

Contemporary politics is full of jeremiads warning that the runaway expansion of presidential power threatens the very fabric of American democracy. But might a strengthened presidency be part of a solution, rather than the root cause of America’s institutional malaise?

Professor William Howell will explore the complicated relationships between presidential power, populism, and the future of American democracy.
William Howell is the Sydney Stein Professor in American Politics at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and a professor in the Department of Political Science and the College. He has written widely on separation-of-powers issues and American political institutions, especially the presidency. He currently is working on research projects on Obama’s education initiatives, distributive politics, and the normative foundations of executive power.