Description: Today, pardons seem to be astonishingly broad and everywhere, with candidates promising pardons and presidents eagerly passing out get-out-of-jail free cards to allies and relatives. Saikrishna Prakash explores the transformation of the pardon--once mostly a rare feat of principled deliberation, now a routine matter of pure political expediency.
Brief description: Saikrishna Bangalore Prakash is the James Monroe Distinguished Professor of Law and Miller Center Senior Fellow at the University of Virginia. He has written for the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, testified before Congress at the request of Democrats and Republicans, and appeared on CNN, Fox, and PBS Newshour.
Review Quotes: Arrives at a fraught time for the Constitution in general and the pardon clause in particular. Those who find the issue perplexing would do well to start their research here.--Garrett Epps "Washington Monthly" (1/14/2026 12:00:00 AM)