Executive Functions Chat

Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith
  • 4.3 (10)
  • Government
  • Updated Semiweekly

Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith discuss news about the presidency. www.execfunctions.org

  1. 5d ago

    Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall on Bioweapons in the Age of AI

    Jack interviews Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, the Ashton B. Carter Visiting Professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and formerly Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Deputy National Security Advisor, about her new Kennedy School report, Deterrence by Resilience: Securing the United States and Promoting Innovation in the Age of Bioconvergence. They discuss how artificial intelligence has changed the biological threat landscape since ChatGPT, the scenarios that worry her most, and the report's recommendations across prevention, detection, attribution, readiness, response, and resilience—among them a nationwide early warning system, rapid attribution, a federally chartered National Institute for Bioresilience, and an Operation Warp Speed-style partnership with industry built before the crisis rather than during it. They also take up the legislation this would require, what the frontier AI labs might make of it, and the surveillance and privacy tradeoffs the program implies. Get full access to Executive Functions at www.execfunctions.org/subscribe

    Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall on Bioweapons in the Age of AI

  2. Aug 27

    The Postal Service and the 2026 Elections

    Jack and Bob discuss litigation over the Trump administration’s executive order on the Postal Service and election integrity, and the recent final rule that the Postal Service issued to implement the order. They explain what the Trump administration is seeking to accomplish with these maneuvers and examine the fate of two cases challenging the final rule that are pending in the District of Columbia and Massachusetts. They also analyze the practical difficulties in implementing the rule before the fall election, the role of federal criminal enforcement as a source of pressure on the states, and how the Purcell principle bears on litigation brought this close to an election. Get full access to Executive Functions at www.execfunctions.org/subscribe

    The Postal Service and the 2026 Elections

  3. Jul 30

    States’ Protection of Their Elections

    Bob speaks with Danielle Friedman, Legal Director of the State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School, about the Initiatives’ recently published analysis of state criminal laws that could apply to potential federal government interference in the 2026 and future elections. They discuss laws, varying from state to state, that address deployment of military or other armed forces at the polls; actions to delay or disrupt the delivery of election mail, such as registration forms and ballots; and the seizure and removal of voting materials from election offices. Their discussion covers the likely federal government defenses against state criminal prosecutions of this kind. Get full access to Executive Functions at www.execfunctions.org/subscribe

    States’ Protection of Their Elections

  4. Jul 24

    Jeh Johnson on Presidential War Powers and Congressional Retreat

    Jack Goldsmith interviews former Homeland Security Secretary and Pentagon General Counsel Jeh Johnson about the article he co-authored in the Journal of National Security Law and Policy, "Presidential War Powers, Executive Expansion, and Congressional Retreat." They discuss how Congress's power over war has eroded, the constitutional and practical obstacles to reasserting it, and the war in Iran as a live example. Mentioned: * Jeh Johnson and Ethan Klaris, Presidential War Powers: Executive Expansion and Congressional Retreat (2026) * Cyrus Vance, Striking the Balance: Congress and the President Under the War Powers Resolution (1984) Get full access to Executive Functions at www.execfunctions.org/subscribe

    Jeh Johnson on Presidential War Powers and Congressional Retreat

  5. Jul 9

    Trump and the Midterms

    As the 2026 midterms approach, Jack and Bob give a big-picture overview of the Trump administration’s efforts to use federal law enforcement and executive power to influence the congressional elections. They discuss the constitutional limits on presidential authority over election rules, the administration’s novel tactics and mounting losses in court thus far, and the potential deployment of the military or ICE to the polls. They also examine the effects of the administration’s agenda on voter turnout, public confidence in the electoral process, and the risk of contested results. Get full access to Executive Functions at www.execfunctions.org/subscribe

    Trump and the Midterms

  6. Jul 1

    Sai Prakash on Slaughter and Cook

    Jack speaks with University of Virginia School of Law Professor Saikrishna Prakash about the implications of the Supreme Court’s decisions in Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook. They discussed the breadth of the holding in Slaughter; its implications for the president’s control over inferior officers, civil servants, and non-Article III courts; and its broader import for the non-delegation doctrine, the major questions doctrine, and other mechanisms that could constrain the now-more-broadly-empowered unitary executive. They also discussed the validity of the carve-out in both cases for the Federal Reserve. Relevant reading: - “The Executive Power of Removal” by Aditya Bamzai and Saikrishna Bangalore Prakash (Harvard Law Review, 2023) - “New Light on the Decision of 1789” by Saikrishna Prakash (Cornell Law Review, 2006) Get full access to Executive Functions at www.execfunctions.org/subscribe

    Sai Prakash on Slaughter and Cook

  7. Jun 19

    The God Test

    Jack chats with Robert Wright about his forthcoming book, The God Test: Artificial Intelligence and Our Coming Cosmic Reckoning. They discuss why Wright views AI through an evolutionary lens, the promises and perils of increasingly capable AI systems, and the prospects for international cooperation—particularly between the U.S. and China—in managing AI-related risks. They also examine Wright’s argument that successfully governing AI may require a modest moral upgrade across society, including individual efforts to preserve cognitive sovereignty and mitigate the biases and tribal instincts that can hinder global cooperation. Mentioned: - Robert Wright, The God Test: Artificial Intelligence and Our Coming Cosmic Reckoning (2026) - “When AI Builds Itself” (Anthropic, June 4, 2026) - “US National Security Agency using Anthropic’s Mythos for cyber attacks,” by Cristina Criddle and Demetri Sevastopulo (Financial Times, June 4, 2026) - “Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security,” (The White House, June 2, 2026) Get full access to Executive Functions at www.execfunctions.org/subscribe

    The God Test

  8. Jun 12

    Attorney General Todd Blanche?

    Bob and Jack discuss President Trump’s nomination of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the current acting attorney general, to become Attorney General. They review Blanche’s record at DOJ, including his role in political weaponization, ethics concerns, and the fallout from the proposed Anti-Weaponization Fund. They also examine why Trump is forcing a confirmation fight when Blanche could plausibly lead the Justice Department for the rest of Trump’s term without Senate confirmation. What’s at stake, they discuss, is whether the Senate will endorse, and thus take responsibility for, Trump’s DOJ weaponization campaign. Mentioned: * “The High Stakes of the Blanche Nomination” by Bob Bauer (Executive Functions, June 9, 2026) Get full access to Executive Functions at www.execfunctions.org/subscribe

    Attorney General Todd Blanche?
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Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith discuss news about the presidency. www.execfunctions.org

Information

  • Creator
    Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith
  • Show Website
    Executive Functions Chat

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