Written by Michigan State University law professor Brian Kalt, Constitutional Cliffhangers envisions six constitutional controversies that could arise in selecting, replacing, and punishing a U.S. president. None of Kalt’s scenarios, such as the criminal prosecution of a sitting president, a president pardoning himself, or a two-term president attempting to stay in power, have actually occurred, though some have come close. In the book Kalt provides a legal guide to navigating these situations, should they ever occur, and in the process offers insight into pertinent structural and procedural provisions in the Constitution.
Brian Kalt is joined by critical commenter Seth Barrett Tillman, a Lecturer in the Department of Law at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, to discuss the book.