The Constitution and The Presidency
Presidential power—what the Constitution permits and forbids—has been debated since the founding of the United States, and views on this issue have shifted over time. For example, Theodore Roosevelt believed that a president’s authority is restricted only by what the Constitution and law explicitly prohibit.
This interpretation gave rise to the modern presidency, making the office far more powerful than originally intended. Now, Donald Trump is aiming to expand presidential power even further. His strategy involves asserting powers that contradict established laws and judicial precedents, effectively seeking to push the courts to redefine the limits of the presidency. The outcomes of these legal battles will shape the scope of presidential authority for years to come.
On Friday, Sept. 19, as part of Constitution Day 2025 observances at Del Mar College, the Social Sciences Department is hosting a free lecture, “The Constitution and The Presidency,” by Harvard University’s Dr. Thomas E. Patterson, Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press with the Harvard Kennedy School. The lecture begins at 11 a.m. in Wolfe Recital Hal located adjacent to Viking Hall on the Heritage Campus. Dr. Patterson is a nationally recognized expert on media, public opinion and democratic governance as well as a prolific author. His influential books include “Informing the News: The Need for Knowledge-Based Reporting,” “How America Lost Its Mind: The Assault on Reason That’s Crippling Our Democracy” and “Is the Republican Party Destroying Itself?”— each tackling the challenges facing American democracy today.
Other works, such as “The Vanishing Voter” and “Out of Order,” have shaped political communication scholarship with “Out of Order” earning the American Political Science Association’s 2002 Doris Graber Award for best political communication book of the decade. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear a thought-provoking lecture from one of the most influential voices in American political deliberation as the DMC community reflects on the Constitution, the health of the nation’s democracy and the role of informed citizenship.
• Friday, Sept. 19, 11 a.m., Constitution Day 2025 Lecture with Harvard Professor Dr. Thomas E. Patterson.
• Location: Wolfe Recital Hall (adjacent to Viking Hall), DMC Heritage Campus, 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404), get online directions and campus map.
• Cost: free.
• Questions? Contact Dr. Adrian Clark, DMC Professor of Political Science, at 361-698-1639 or aclark14@delmar.edu or the DMC Social Sciences Department at 361-698-1228.