The Presidential Pardon: The Short Clause with a Long, Troubled History

In The Presidential Pardon, Saikrishna Prakash examines the short pardon clause in Article II of the Constitution, which grants the president broad power to issue reprieves and pardons for federal offenses except impeachment.

The book traces its English origins, Founding-era understanding, and transformation over centuries into a potent instrument often used for mercy but also abused in politics, impacting law, justice, and democratic accountability.

Prakash highlights its extraordinary discretion and historical controversies from the Founding to modern times.