Jeffrey Crouch
Biographic Data
| ID | 4194004 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jeffrey Crouch |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jeffrey |
| FAMILY NAME | Crouch |
| SIGNATURE | CROUCH J |
| AFFILIATIONS | American University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-0475-7222 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 15 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 28 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 15 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1995 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
President Biden's Clemency Record
This article provides an overview of how our most recent presidents have reshaped a once underused and underappreciated presidential power. Before providing a comprehensive look at President Joe Biden's federal executive clemency record, I consider the state of the president's pardon power immediately before and after the Biden administration. While most of Biden's clemency record was “traditional,” including his decision to abuse the clemency po…
When Norm Violations Become the Norm
The main goal of this article is to examine how vanishing norms have freed presidents of both major political parties to abuse their clemency power to pursue their own personal interests rather than the traditional purposes of mercy or serving the public interest. In the piece, I look more closely at the pardon power in practice, considering vanishing norms related to both mass pardons and individual pardons over the last half century. I explain …
The “False Front” of Presidential Power
In a time of vigorous debate about the proper extent of presidential power, Kenneth Lowande argues in False Front that presidents will sometimes forgo their usual push for substantive legislation in favor of symbolic moves designed to provide quick political wins. Lowande's study concludes by contending that democracy is threatened by an excessively powerful president. This observation dovetails with scholarly debates over the “unitary executive”…
Nationalized Politics
President Trump's Clemency Record
Was President Donald J. Trump's use of the clemency power extraordinary or just ordinary? Does his record of pardons and commutations suggest that extensive reforms are needed? In this article, I take a close look at Trump's clemency record and the questions raised by his actions. I conclude by considering whether any aspects of the clemency power's review process require revision in the wake of the Trump administration
The Unitary Executive Theory
The Presidential Pardon Power
Until President Gerald Ford pardoned former president Richard Nixon for the Watergate scandal, most members of the public probably paid little attention to the president's use of the clemency power. Ford's highly controversial pardon of Nixon, however, ignited such a firestorm of protest that, fairly or unfairly, it may have cost him the presidency in 1976. Ever since, presidential pardons have been the subject of increased scrutiny and the focus…
The Law
The unitary executive theory first went mainstream during the George W. Bush administration as the president's justification for exercising broad executive powers. Barack Obama did not explicitly embrace the unitary executive theory, but he followed in Bush's footsteps by expanding and augmenting presidential power in new and questionable ways. President Donald J. Trump's campaign rhetoric, coupled with an early, controversial executive order on …
A Brief Note From The Guest Editor/Reviews and Book Editor
The Law Barack Obama and the Clemency Power
On February 9, 2014, the New York Times editorial board described the Obama administration as “one of the least merciful ... in modern history.” Over the past year and a half, President Barack Obama has shown renewed interest in clemency. However, as of July 13, 2015, real reform remains elusive: Obama has granted less than 1% of pardon and commutation requests. Is anything likely to change in the remaining months of the Obama administration? In …
The Law
Barack O bama campaigned for president of the U nited S tates on a promise of fidelity to the C onstitution and stated that he would not issue any signing statements to revise legislative intent. His vision of the presidency stood in marked contrast to President G eorge W . B ush's actions and seemed to suggest a reversal of the trend toward increased executive powers. We will analyze how and why President O bama has largely continued the unilate…
The Toussie Pardon, “Unpardon,” and the Abdication of Responsibility in Clemency Cases
On December 23, 2008, President George W. Bush pardoned Isaac Robert Toussie. The decision triggered an immediate media and public backlash, so Bush took back the pardon the next day. With scholars distracted by arguments that the pardon had not been “delivered,” and thus was ineffective and revocable, the Bush administration succeeded in obscuring a larger controversy: an abdication of responsibility by the president and the Department of Justic…
Understanding the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy Debate
The Law
Before Watergate, presidents were generally reluctant to pardon executive branch officials after their administrations had been investigated by an outside prosecutor. Since Watergate, however, presidents are less reluctant to use clemency for their own personal interest, as demonstrated by controversial clemency decisions involving executive branch officials or cronies made by our most recent three presidents. This practice is contrary to Preside…
Clinton's “slow boat to Korea”
The Clinton administration's rhetoric has belied its policy of concession and inaction toward North Korea's nuclear program. This policy has convinced the North Korean leadership that the longer it stalls, the more the concessions will be forthcoming. While paying lip service to military aspects of counter proliferation, the administration is still emphasizing cooperative, nonadversarial tools. Nuclear deterrence commitments to US. allies (especi…
Nationalized Politics
The Law
The unitary executive theory first went mainstream during the George W. Bush administration as the president's justification for exercising broad executive powers. Barack Obama did not explicitly embrace the unitary executive theory, but he followed in Bush's footsteps by expanding and augmenting presidential power in new and questionable ways. President Donald J. Trump's campaign rhetoric, coupled with an early, controversial executive order on …
The Law
Barack O bama campaigned for president of the U nited S tates on a promise of fidelity to the C onstitution and stated that he would not issue any signing statements to revise legislative intent. His vision of the presidency stood in marked contrast to President G eorge W . B ush's actions and seemed to suggest a reversal of the trend toward increased executive powers. We will analyze how and why President O bama has largely continued the unilate…
The Law
Before Watergate, presidents were generally reluctant to pardon executive branch officials after their administrations had been investigated by an outside prosecutor. Since Watergate, however, presidents are less reluctant to use clemency for their own personal interest, as demonstrated by controversial clemency decisions involving executive branch officials or cronies made by our most recent three presidents. This practice is contrary to Preside…
The Toussie Pardon, “Unpardon,” and the Abdication of Responsibility in Clemency Cases
On December 23, 2008, President George W. Bush pardoned Isaac Robert Toussie. The decision triggered an immediate media and public backlash, so Bush took back the pardon the next day. With scholars distracted by arguments that the pardon had not been “delivered,” and thus was ineffective and revocable, the Bush administration succeeded in obscuring a larger controversy: an abdication of responsibility by the president and the Department of Justic…
President Trump's Clemency Record
Was President Donald J. Trump's use of the clemency power extraordinary or just ordinary? Does his record of pardons and commutations suggest that extensive reforms are needed? In this article, I take a close look at Trump's clemency record and the questions raised by his actions. I conclude by considering whether any aspects of the clemency power's review process require revision in the wake of the Trump administration
The Law Barack Obama and the Clemency Power
On February 9, 2014, the New York Times editorial board described the Obama administration as “one of the least merciful ... in modern history.” Over the past year and a half, President Barack Obama has shown renewed interest in clemency. However, as of July 13, 2015, real reform remains elusive: Obama has granted less than 1% of pardon and commutation requests. Is anything likely to change in the remaining months of the Obama administration? In …
Understanding the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy Debate
Clinton's “slow boat to Korea”
The Clinton administration's rhetoric has belied its policy of concession and inaction toward North Korea's nuclear program. This policy has convinced the North Korean leadership that the longer it stalls, the more the concessions will be forthcoming. While paying lip service to military aspects of counter proliferation, the administration is still emphasizing cooperative, nonadversarial tools. Nuclear deterrence commitments to US. allies (especi…
The Law
Before Watergate, presidents were generally reluctant to pardon executive branch officials after their administrations had been investigated by an outside prosecutor. Since Watergate, however, presidents are less reluctant to use clemency for their own personal interest, as demonstrated by controversial clemency decisions involving executive branch officials or cronies made by our most recent three presidents. This practice is contrary to Preside…
Understanding the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy Debate
The Toussie Pardon, “Unpardon,” and the Abdication of Responsibility in Clemency Cases
On December 23, 2008, President George W. Bush pardoned Isaac Robert Toussie. The decision triggered an immediate media and public backlash, so Bush took back the pardon the next day. With scholars distracted by arguments that the pardon had not been “delivered,” and thus was ineffective and revocable, the Bush administration succeeded in obscuring a larger controversy: an abdication of responsibility by the president and the Department of Justic…
The Law
Barack O bama campaigned for president of the U nited S tates on a promise of fidelity to the C onstitution and stated that he would not issue any signing statements to revise legislative intent. His vision of the presidency stood in marked contrast to President G eorge W . B ush's actions and seemed to suggest a reversal of the trend toward increased executive powers. We will analyze how and why President O bama has largely continued the unilate…
A Brief Note From The Guest Editor/Reviews and Book Editor
The Law Barack Obama and the Clemency Power
On February 9, 2014, the New York Times editorial board described the Obama administration as “one of the least merciful ... in modern history.” Over the past year and a half, President Barack Obama has shown renewed interest in clemency. However, as of July 13, 2015, real reform remains elusive: Obama has granted less than 1% of pardon and commutation requests. Is anything likely to change in the remaining months of the Obama administration? In …
The Law
The unitary executive theory first went mainstream during the George W. Bush administration as the president's justification for exercising broad executive powers. Barack Obama did not explicitly embrace the unitary executive theory, but he followed in Bush's footsteps by expanding and augmenting presidential power in new and questionable ways. President Donald J. Trump's campaign rhetoric, coupled with an early, controversial executive order on …
The Presidential Pardon Power
Until President Gerald Ford pardoned former president Richard Nixon for the Watergate scandal, most members of the public probably paid little attention to the president's use of the clemency power. Ford's highly controversial pardon of Nixon, however, ignited such a firestorm of protest that, fairly or unfairly, it may have cost him the presidency in 1976. Ever since, presidential pardons have been the subject of increased scrutiny and the focus…
The Unitary Executive Theory
President Trump's Clemency Record
Was President Donald J. Trump's use of the clemency power extraordinary or just ordinary? Does his record of pardons and commutations suggest that extensive reforms are needed? In this article, I take a close look at Trump's clemency record and the questions raised by his actions. I conclude by considering whether any aspects of the clemency power's review process require revision in the wake of the Trump administration
Nationalized Politics
The “False Front” of Presidential Power
In a time of vigorous debate about the proper extent of presidential power, Kenneth Lowande argues in False Front that presidents will sometimes forgo their usual push for substantive legislation in favor of symbolic moves designed to provide quick political wins. Lowande's study concludes by contending that democracy is threatened by an excessively powerful president. This observation dovetails with scholarly debates over the “unitary executive”…
President Biden's Clemency Record
This article provides an overview of how our most recent presidents have reshaped a once underused and underappreciated presidential power. Before providing a comprehensive look at President Joe Biden's federal executive clemency record, I consider the state of the president's pardon power immediately before and after the Biden administration. While most of Biden's clemency record was “traditional,” including his decision to abuse the clemency po…
When Norm Violations Become the Norm
The main goal of this article is to examine how vanishing norms have freed presidents of both major political parties to abuse their clemency power to pursue their own personal interests rather than the traditional purposes of mercy or serving the public interest. In the piece, I look more closely at the pardon power in practice, considering vanishing norms related to both mass pardons and individual pardons over the last half century. I explain …
Political science (12 works) · Law (11 works) · Law (10 works) · Politics (9 works) · American Constitutional Law and Politics (8 works) · Power (physics (7 works) · Presidential system (6 works) · Executive power (5 works) · Law, Rights, and Freedoms (5 works) · Sociology (5 works)