Recess Appointments: Forgotten Constitutional Limits from the Founders

Even Alexander Hamilton - no opponent of big, centralized government - held a far more restrictive view of executive power on “recess appointments” than most politicians and judges today. That tells you just how far things have gone off the rails. In this episode, we’re breaking down one of the most misunderstood parts of the Constitution - the Recess Appointments Clause. We’ll cover how the Founders viewed the clause, what they meant by recess, adjournment, and happen, and three key takeaways that expose how modern practices have strayed from the Constitution’s original design.