Answer: After 9/11, Americans became afraid and often looked to the president to defend the nation, said Edelson. Supporters of broad presidential power exploit this context in order to argue it is actually dangerous to set limits on the president’s power. Congress in the post-9/11 era isn’t pushing back on executive power as much as it should, says Edelson, and presidents aren’t necessarily seeking approval from Congress when they decide to act. The War on Terror further complicates this as it has no clear end and no clear target, making it harder to define the parameters of the president’s emergency powers.
