The audacious power creep of the Executive Branch

The expansion of the power of the Executive Branch of our federal government, during the last decade, is both unprecedented and troubling. All of the Presidents that served our nation between 1945 and 2001 appointed a total of only about forty four czars, on average, less than one appointee per year. Nearly half of those appointments were confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

The last two Presidents have appointed a total of about ninety two czars during the past thirteen years. On average, that is about eight appointments each year. Fully two thirds of those appointments were made without confirmation by the Senate. The rapid increase in the number of appointments, as well as the move away from the requirement for Senate confirmation, represents a significant shift away from the checks and balances established in the U.S. Constitution.

Moreover, the last two Presidents have issued a total of 455 Executive Orders. Presidential Executive Orders have the full force of federal law, until and unless, they are countermanded by a subsequent Executive Order, or by an act of Congress.

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