# America's Dangerous Devotion to Executive Power **URL:** **By** Gene Healy, Aaron Ross Powell, Trevor Burrus **Published:** May 12, 2014 --- Gene Healy joins us to talk about the growing power of the Executive Branch. What are the President's actual duties according to the U.S. Constitution? What does Article 2 of the Constitution say about the powers of the Executive Branch? How did we get to where we are now, with the executive wielding so much discretionary power? And is there anything we can do about it? Gene Healy, vice president of the Cato Institute and author of [_The Cult of the Presidency_](http://www.amazon.com/The-Cult-Presidency-Dangerous-Executive/dp/1933995157/) and [_False Idol_](http://www.amazon.com/False-Idol-Barack-Continuing-Presidency-ebook/dp/B009RUR0NO) joins us to answer these questions and more about America's most popular branch of government. **Show Notes and Further Reading** F. H. Buckley, [_The Once and Future King_](http://www.amazon.com/Once-Future-King-Government-America/dp/1594037191/) (book) Juan Linz, [_The Perils of Presidentialism_](http://www1.american.edu/ia/cdem/pdfs/linz_perils_presidencialism.pdf) (article) Alan Greenspan, [_The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World_](http://www.amazon.com/The-Age-Turbulence-Adventures-World/dp/0143114166) (book) Gawker Video at 2012 Democratic National Conference, ["Ask the DNC: Is Romney Ready for the Kill List?"](http://gawker.com/5941326/ask-the-dnc-is-romney-ready-for-the-kill-list) (video) Theodore Lowi, [_The Personal President: Power Invested, Promise Unfulfilled_](http://www.amazon.com/Personal-President-Invested-Promised-Unfulfilled/dp/0801494265) (book) Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., [_Rating the Presidents: Washington to Clinton_](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/choice2004/leadership/schlesinger.html) (article) Siena College Research Institute [Presidential Ranking Survey](http://www.siena.edu/uploadedfiles/home/parents_and_community/community_page/sri/independent_research/Presidents%20Release_2010_final.pdf) U.S. News and World Report, [_The 10 Worst Presidents_](http://www.usnews.com/news/history/features/the-10-worst-presidents) (article)