Constitutional Dictatorship to a State of Exception: A Look Within America’s Past to Answer its Present

Author: Sarah Shapiro

Field of Study: Political Science

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Matthew Cole

Easel: 96

Timeslot: Midday

Abstract: From the beginning of U.S. history to the present, the Constitution has been under threat, endangering our basic democracy. As such, this study serves to answer why it is that in times of crisis, the limits of the U.S. constitution are able to be eroded, with a unitary executive taking control. Through creating a timeline of instances within American history, from the Alien and Sedition Acts to the re-election of Trump, and analyzing each case using both primary and secondary sources, commonalities are discovered. It is seen that a constitutional dictatorship remained the theme until the latter half of the 20th century, when a shift towards a state of exception occurred, which this study argues is more dangerous than the latter. In conclusion, this research proposes a new type of constitutional crisis to explain this shift, one wherein political gain serves as the cause to violate the Constitution.