NYU Law Forum—All the President’s Men: The Realpolitik of Running the Government

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The president may be the head of the government. But the president’s right to shape its workforce is not absolute. The Constitution’s advice and consent clause involves the Senate in the appointment of senior officials, and more than two million civilian workers are employed under civil service laws that protect their hiring and firing from political interference. Donald Trump has railed against this “Deep State,” which he believes undermined his policies during his first term. Returning to office now, he has threatened to skirt congressional oversight and vowed to dismantle government bureaucracy. At this Forum, panelists with extensive expertise on the role of the Senate and government staffing will discuss how effective these legal checks have been on presidential power and how they may come into play with the incoming administration.

Panelists 

• Sarah Binder, Professor of Political Science, The George Washington University
• Bob Kerrey, US Senator from Nebraska, 1989–2001
• Christina Kinane, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Yale University
• Gregg Nunziata, Executive Director, Society for the Rule of Law; General Counsel, Office of US Senator Marco Rubio, 2013–2016; Chief Nominations Counsel, Senate Judiciary Committee, 2005–2008 

Moderator

• Noah Rosenblum, Associate Professor of Law, NYU Law