Chris Edelson Asst Professor Department of Government
- Additional Positions at AU
- Fellow, Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies
- Degrees
- JD, Harvard Law School
BA, Brandeis University - Favorite Spot on Campus
- A tie between the library, the gym, and Kerwin 101.
- Book Currently Reading
- How Democracies Die
- Bio
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Chris Edelson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Government. His teaching and research interests focus on presidential national security power under the U.S. Constitution. His first book, Emergency Presidential Power: From the Drafting of the Constitution to the War on Terror, was published by the University of Wisconsin Press in fall 2013. His second book, Power Without Constraint: The Post 9/11 Presidency and National Security was published in spring 2016.
- See Also
- SPA Department of Government
- SPA Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies
- For the Media
- To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.
Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities
Selected Publications
- Judging in a Vacuum, Or Once More Without Feeling: How Justice Scalia’s Jurisprudential Approach Repeats Errors Made in Plessy v. Ferguson (forthcoming, Akron Law Review http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1770723
- Missed Opportunity: What We Should Have Learned From the Kagan Hearings, Washington Lawyer, October 2010 http://www.dcbar.org/for_lawyers/resources/publications/washington_lawyer/october_2010/stand.cfm
Professional Presentations
- TV Interview: "The Growing Power of the Presidency: From Lincoln to Obama, the Executive Branch Has Expanded its Reach" on Reason TV, January 2014.
- Book Talk: "Emergency Presidential Power: From the Drafting of the Constitution to the War on Terror, Politics and Prose," Washington, DC, January 2014.
- “Moving Beyond Racial Blindsight? The Influence of Social Science Evidence After the North Carolina Racial Justice Act”: Michigan State University College of Law (presentation and panel discussion with other panelists), April 2011.
- “Focus on Immigration: The Immigration Debate and SB 1070”: American University, (panel discussion sponsored by University Honors Program), October 2010.
- “D.C. and Gay Marriage: ‘Til Congress Do Us Part”, American University, Washington College of Law (panel discussion with Prof. Nancy Polikoff), November 2009.
- “Marriage Equality: An Update”, American Constitution Society (panel discussion with Ariela Dubler, Christopher Landau, Camilla Taylor), June 2009 (Washington, D.C.).
AU Experts
Area of Expertise
Constitution, Constitutional law, executive power, presidential power, Congress, emergency power, national security, civil rights law, terrorism, national security law, human rights law
Additional Information
Chris Edelson is an assistant professor in the Department of Government. He is an expert in presidential national security power under the U.S. Constitution. Edelson is a Harvard Law School graduate and practiced law before joining the AU faculty. He has authored Emergency Presidential Power: From the Drafting of the Constitution to the War on Terror (Wisconsin Press, 2013) and Power without Constraint: The Post 9/11 Presidency and National Security (Wisconsin Press, 2016). Edelson is available to discuss: the legal scope and limits of presidential national security power; Congress's role regarding national security and the use of military force; relevant precedents applicable to the use of military force; and issues of presidential national security power arising in the context of the presidential election. Edelson's op-eds have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, USA Today, Newsday, Constitution Daily, US News & World Report, Reason Magazine, The Hill, as well as other print and online outlets. He's appeared on C-SPAN's Washington Journal and Book TV, NPR, and Sinclair Broadcast Group Television, in addition to other media outlets.
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.