"Exceptionally timely and impressive.... Edelson has amassed a wealth of historical evidence and examples about how presidents use (and misuse) emergency powers." —Nancy Kassop, State University of New York at New Paltz

"If you want to understand both legitimate and illegitimate uses of emergency powers, this is the book to read." —James Pfiffner, George Mason University

In the current US political climate, the appropriate use of and constraints on emergency presidential powers have become the topic of much heated debate. How did the framers of the Constitution intend to balance emergency powers with limits? How has this balance eroded over time? And why is Donald Trump's presidency so concerning for the future of liberal democracy in the United States?

Addressing these questions and more, Chris Edelson traces the evolution of emergency executive authority in the US government from the eighteenth century to the second Trump administration.