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Why Does The President Have The Power To Pardon People?
The Medieval roots of this modern power
The presidential pardon is one of the most expansive powers that a president can wield in the United States. The pardon has a long history. From Civil War participants to former presidents and presidential children, many people have received mercy from the executive branch over the decades. Every president pardons people, often at the end of their term and often without any guidance from the courts or Congress.
The Constitution grants the president the power to:
Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
The presidential pardon is no stranger to controversy. With each new batch of pardons, someone is left upset. The president has the power to bypass both Congress and the courts. The president can sidestep Congress by pardoning people who broke the laws passed by Congress. The president can also subvert the courts by releasing people from their sentences or even fully commuting their convictions. It is a lot of power. In each case where justice is altered or undone, a party is often left grieved.
The most recent example is the case of President Joe Biden, who pardoned his son, Hunter, after swearing up and down for months prior…
