What Is the Supreme Court Doing to Presidential Power? - The New York Times
nytimes.com
The Supreme Court ruled Trump can fire an independent commissioner without cause — reigniting a century-old fight over how much the president can control the executive branch.
Unitary Executive TheorySeparation of PowersPrincipal-Agent ProblemConstitutional Originalism
Theory Briefing
- The Court embraced the unitary executive theory, holding that all executive-branch officers must answer directly to the president.
- The ruling lets Trump remove an independent commissioner without cause, eroding the traditional firewall protecting agency heads.
- Unitary executive theory has been debated for decades — critics say it dangerously concentrates power; supporters say it restores constitutional accountability.
- Independent agencies like the FTC and SEC were built on the assumption that commissioners could only be fired for cause, a premise now in question.