In Case You Missed It
In a new piece for Persuasion, IHS President Emily Chamlee-Wright warns that the rise of unchecked executive power in trade policy, particularly through the unilateral imposition of sweeping tariffs, poses a deeper threat than just higher prices. It also threatens core constitutional principles dating back to the American Revolution.
“This isn’t just a policy debate: it’s a break from our constitutional law and the basics of the American tradition. The Founders understood that liberty requires lawful process, and that the power to tax or restrict trade must never rest in the hands of a single individual. When a president can trigger a trade war with Canada, Mexico, or the European Union—without a vote, without a hearing, without even a rational basis for the rates imposed—it’s not merely a trade problem. It’s a crisis of consent.”
Tariffs, especially those justified under broad and pretextual claims of “national security,” have become tools of unilateral executive action. Congress has ceded its constitutional role over trade and taxes, eroding the separation of powers and leaving citizens with fewer ways to hold decision-makers accountable. Restoring congressional authority over tariffs is a critical step for both economic stability and, more importantly, democratic accountability under the rule of law.
Read the full article here: “These Tariffs Are a Democratic Crisis, Not Just an Economic One”
