This is an exceptional read. It's dense and often dry, as any discussion of policy should be. Quite a good and deep dive into proposed reforms to the Presidency and presidential powers in the post-Trump world. This book is a great start to figuring out how we navigate the politic climate we are in.

I appreciated the recognition of Trump as "indifferent to the nonlegal norms of presidential behavior." That was so well-put, right at the start as the premise of an administration that afflicted our nation with great rarity. Yet Bauer and Goldsmith reveal how Trump "has paved the way for worse." This book is full of specific, how-to information, reaching far beyond a superficial survey of optimal changes. The book contains tangible recommendations for reforms and their substance/structure.

After Trump is a detailed look at how the US presidency can be updated or changed to strengthen it and our democracy after Trump has left office. The basic idea is Trump has abused the system of the office, if not breaking the law, at least breaking norms. Traditionally, presidents have respected norms, but Trump has illustrated that the system in place does not work with president who does not respect the integrity of the office.

This this is written by two former White House advisors from two different administrations of two different political parties. They worked on this together to give a bipartisan look at the ways Trump has abused the office and how it could be addressed. What I really liked about this book was that did not fixate heavily on Trump, as many of the Trump books in this era do. Instead, they used Trump as a reference point to have a bigger conversation for the weak points in the presidency. Think of it like a company hiring a hacker to reveal the flaws in their security system; it’s about the system not the hacker.

Their analysis wasn’t just one of limitations. They also consider the long-term effects changes would have on future presidents; you don’t want to be reactionary to one president and end up incapacitating a future president in an urgent situation. In that sense, I think it is a fascinating and interesting book. However, I don't think it's the perfect book for everyone. It's very technical and very policy intense. As someone who is interested in politics, I found it interesting and engaging. Even still, it was extremely dry, but if you're the kind of person who likes policy, you will likely find this book worth reading.

3.5/5 stars

Check out my reading vlog on my YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjCTm7f1lBk

Authored by two former White House Legal Counsel, from a bipartisan perspective, comes this blueprint for reform of the United States Presidency. The analysis considers 5 aspects of the Trump Presidency, from his attack of the free press, self-interest and self-entitlement, to finance transparency, abuse of Pardoning Powers and finally Foreign State Influence. It examines various Presidents from Nixon, Bush and Clinton and places their suggestions in an historical context. They discuss the Ethics in Government Act 1978, FBI investigations, Special Counsel investigations and the role of the White House Counsel. Written PRIOR to the recent American elections, this is a most readable and interesting analysis. With thanks to NetGalley and the authors for a preview copy for review purposes. Highly enjoyable and a balanced, reasoned perspective, deserving a four-star rating.

The office of the US Presidency needs to be reconstructed. Whether it is due to the events with Trump over the past four years or not, reforms still have to be made. In fact, one should not simply blame Trump. Whether he was President or not does not eliminate the need to reform. Trump didn't create the problems. He merely exposed the weaknesses. The authors write: "Some of Trump’s excesses, and some flaws in presidential regulation, had been emerging in prior presidencies. But Trump’s particular brand of executive action has added significantly to past problems in ways that now demand comprehensive treatment." Key to this reformation is an adequate and appropriate accountability for the most powerful seat in the country. Such a seat needs to withstand whimsical personal misuses and blatant abuses. They propose four principles to guide any reforms:

1) Strong Presidency checked by constitution
2) Review Norms and Laws of the Presidency
3) Implementing the Golden Rule to Minimize Hypocrisy
4) Learn from History

Every President in history has his flaws, which was also made visible through the weakness of the office to check such flaws. From Watergate to a Post-Nixon; Clinton; Bush; Obama; and now Trump, the authors argue for urgency in such reconstruction so as to bring back the dignity of the office and the confidence of the people. The fourteen chapters contain over 50 proposed "concrete changes to the laws, regulations, and norms" about the presidency. Part One is about Presidential power for personal and political gains. It needs to be independent from foreign state influences that tempt the President with personal gains. It needs to watch against conflicts of interest, especially in financial and business matters. It needs to require presidents to file their tax returns not as a norm but as law. Then there is the tense relationship between the President and the Press which needs a balanced approach between accountability and appropriate new releases on the basis of responsible understanding of national security. The Presidential Pardon Power needs also to be reformed to prevent abuses.

Part Two looks at the relationship between the White House and the Department of Justice. Meant to be separate for accountability reasons, there is a danger of how the two become one force that threatens judicial independence; invites unethical practices; tempts criminal acts; etc. The authors highlight the predicament of the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller's whose investigation into the Russian influence in the Trump campaign met a number of difficult obstacles that obstruct truth finding. Even the FBI needs to be reformed, especially post-2016.

Part Three deals with the uneasy shifting of power between the executive and legislative branches of government. One of the four issues is with regard to the war powers and nuclear weapons. Due to the expansion of Presidential discretion since the Civil War, the global climate has also changed. Such discretionary powers would need to be reformed simply because modern weaponry has a devastating impact. Any mistakes would be tragic.

My Thoughts
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The title of the book is revealing. It could mean in terms of time. Both Bauer and Goldsmith believe that any reforms that happen would have to be done "after" Trump leaves office, whether in 2021 or 2024. This however presumes that the next incoming President would make it easier to do such reforms. No guarantee exists. In fact, any reforms might even need the signature of the sitting President, and no President would willingly cede powers unconditionally. Plus, any reform would need the support of a large spectrum of political powers. "After" could also mean anytime in the future. Knowing the long-drawn process of anything that is political or any reforms that curtail the powers of any position, it might need a higher power to reform the highest power of the land.

Trying to reform the most powerful office in the country would require not only the political will of the leaders and influential people, it needs the combined public opinion to sustain any such initiative. Bauer and Goldsmith admit that the biggest challenge of all is the public romancing of the "heroic presidency." Once this takes root in the minds of the common citizen, any reforms would be curtailed. In an Internet and Social Media age, public opinion would have an even bigger influence than before. Perhaps, even when the reforms might not be made in the near future, at least this book creates an awareness as well as a path forward to any would-be reformer. I would even say that every institution needs reforms on a regular basis. This is simply because times change and people change. Political structures too need to adapt accordingly. While vague on the specifics, Bauer and Goldsmith help us appreciate the need for change. Not only that, they have clearly outlined the various organs of ministry. If tackling any one of them is already challenging, imagine trying to work on all of them at the same time! As again, resolve is key. At all levels.

Bob Bauer served as White House Counsel to President Obama. In 2013, the President named Bob to be Co-Chair of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration. He is a Professor of Practice and Distinguished Scholar in Residence at New York University School of Law (on leave), as well as the co-director of the university's Legislative and Regulatory Process Clinic.

Jack Goldsmith is the Learned Hand Professor at Harvard Law School, co-founder of Lawfare, and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Before coming to Harvard, Professor Goldsmith served as Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel from 2003-2004, and Special Counsel to the Department of Defense from 2002-2003.

Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Lawfare Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

I do not think anyone could have gone through the Trump presidency without thinking about the laws and norms that exist for the presidency. The authors discuss each of them in detail, while making suggestions/recommendations about how they can be fixed/tightened, so that we never again wonder about how each individual who fills it looks at the job/position follows the laws/norms related to it. I think a lot of people just took it all for granted, and the Trump presidency has changed that in many ways for many of us. This book looks at the presidency in light of Donald Trump and how he has sought out and used the many loopholes and inconsistencies and vague notions/laws/norms to his advantage. The authors have also drawn on history to point out other times other presidents did likewise to some extent—but never before to the extent the current president has. Both authors have a wealth of experience and knowledge they draw upon. I have heard Mr. Bauer on TV many times and can only say that he knows what he is talking about. In today’s world, we need someone to look at the current presidency and all things related, so we can build a new path forward. It may seem to like both authors ae a bit prejudiced discussing what has gone on, but the truth can and does hurt.

This imay not be a book for the average reader. It could easily be used as a text for a college level course on the presidency: what it currently is and how we can make it better. Reading it in one sitting may be difficult because it reads like a textbook, but, in bit and pieces, as I did, it provides a good basis to understand what has gone on throughout history, what the last few years brought out and what can be done, as I said, to make it better. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith lay out the consequences of loopholes and traditions in the presidency and actually in government. They write quite comprehensively about other instances in history where the laws were bent and eventually broken. After Trump lays out the case for tightening up the job duty loopholes, removing the ambiguity in regulations and laws, and explores accountability at all levels. I did sense an aversion to the continuation of the Trump Administration, but they have laid out a comprehensive, conversational plan that addresses all possibilities and permutations.
The authors don't sugar coat life in government before the Trump years - laws have been skirted before, we were never perfect. I liken it to the tax code updates; always intended to close the loopholes, but sometimes encouraging the discovery of new and improved ways to cheat!
If you are looking for a good explainer, After Trump fits the description. If you want an unbiased opinion, perhaps this one's not for you.
3.5
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

There will be life after Trump but will it be in 2020 or 2024. The author sure has a lot of opinions and biases, and I am not a Trump supporter but this book was off putting, I have read other books on Trump and the what-ifs that are better than this. Obviously, this author is passionate about getting the US back to how it was pre-Trump. Recommended if you are anti-Trump and pro Democracy.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith and Lawfare Institute Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available" 9/15/20

The letter of the law versus the spirit of the law.... or above the law? These are some of the issues brought to mind as I read this book. This book definitely shines a light on where the deficiencies are as well as suggestions on how to amend them. There is a lot of material to absorb in this book covering many Presidencies and their abuses or takes on the law. It takes into account the many ways the laws have been used to remain just inside the laws, or blatantly disregarded and broken. It is now apparent the laws are open to interpretation in whose best interest they serve. This presidency, no different than others before him but in a larger scale, have unfortunately exposed many areas of concern. Some of these may be able to be corrected, but until a future President that uses the office for his own personal agenda, time will tell if these were actually a solution or a way to create more loopholes for the dishonest. Many of these proposals for change are sound. I believe it will take a lot of time and discussion on how to implement the necessary changes. The question will be how to get Congress to make these changes. Being so partisan it is doubtful they will come together on anything in the near future under Trump. This lays open that we as a nation have many problems to solve.

The authors have a lot of ideas about changing things after we are finished with trump as President....let's hope it is sooner rather than later. Some I can go along with some not. But I am not sure we can or should do any of them. For that reason I am not happy with this book.