Has the presidency become too powerful?

In this episode of Crayon Box Weekly: Interview Edition, Carl Able sits down with retired Marine Nicholas Hensley to examine the steady expansion of executive authority in the United States government.

The U.S. Constitution established a system of checks and balances intended to prevent any one branch from dominating the others. Congress was granted the largest number of enumerated powers, while the president was designed to execute the laws, not dominate the political system. Yet over the course of American history, wars, national emergencies, economic crises, and political gridlock have gradually shifted more power toward the executive branch.

Carl and Nicholas explore how this shift occurred, from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wartime expansion of presidential authority, to the War Powers era during Vietnam, to the post-9/11 Authorizations for Use of Military Force, and the modern use of executive orders, national emergency declarations, and delegated trade authority.

The conversation also examines the role of Congress in enabling this growth and asks a fundamental question: has a stronger presidency made the United States more effective at governing, or has it weakened the constitutional balance the founders intended?

This episode explores the history, constitutional foundations, and modern implications of the expanding presidency.

Stay informed. Stay engaged. And always color outside the lines.