The final installment of a SCOTUSblog series, republished by Reason, argues that the past two decades have dramatically enlarged presidential power while diminishing Congress's authority over the executive branch. The analysis is based on five editions of a constitutional law casebook, the latest due in December.
The essay identifies late-breaking changes in enumerated powers cases like Landor and Thomas's concurrence in Hemani, but the most significant revisions concern separation of powers. Only three cases survived all five editions, and Trump v. Slaughter formally overruled Humphrey's Executor, allowing the president to remove members of independent agencies.
Reason's post highlights a generational dimension: law professors who came of age during a period of doctrinal stasis are struggling to cope with sudden changes, and their students are too. Both sources agree on the overall trajectory, though Reason focuses more on the teaching implications than on the doctrinal details.