The Law of the Executive Branch: Presidential Power places the law of the executive branch firmly in the context of constitutional language, framers' intent, and more than two centuries of practice. Each provision of the US Constitution is analyzed to reveal its contemporary meaning and in concert with the application of presidential power.

The scope of presidential authority has been a constant focus of constitutional dispute since the Framing. The bases for presidential appointment and removal, the responsibility of the Executive to choose between the will of Congress and the President, the extent of unitary powers over the military, even the ability of the President to keep secret the identity of those consulted in policy making decisions have all been the subject of intense controversy. The scope of that power and the manner of its exercise affect not only the actions of the President and the White House staff, but also all staff employed by the executive agencies. There is a clear need to examine the law of the entire executive branch.

They could not have picked a more ideal subject-author combination to launch such a project. Professor Fisher enjoys unparalleled status as an acclaimed national expert on questions of separation of powers, in general, and on presidential authority, in particular. Given the author's background, this particular offering in the Oxford Commentaries on American Law series fulfills an important and pressing need. No significant topic in the law of the executive branch goes uncommented on in this volume's 400-plus pages of case analysis and commentaries." -David Yalof, University of Connecticut, Congress & the Presidency