Keith E. Whittington

Princeton University

Keith E. Whittington is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Politics at Princeton University. His work has focused on American constitutional theory and development, federalism, judicial politics, and the presidency. He is the author most recently of Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech. He received his B.A. and B.B.A. from the University of Texas and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Yale University.

Keith E. Whittington's Articles

Constitutional Law, Separation of Powers

President Trump, #MeToo, and Congressional Power

February 20, 2018

Does Congress have the power to investigate the allegations of sexual misconduct against President Trump, as Senator Kirsten Gillibrand recently demanded? Could Congress impeach the President on those grounds? Answering these difficult questions requires an appreciation of the limits of congressional authority to hold the President accountable for past transgressions. A #MeToo Reckoning for Trump?…

Constitutional Law, Legal Theory

The Problem with Zombie Constitutional Amendments

June 8, 2018

Spurred by a reenergized feminist movement in the wake of Hillary Clinton’s surprising loss in the 2016 presidential election and the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment, the Illinois state legislature reached into the past and attempted to revivify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Observers were quick to declare that a ratification vote by only one…