John Bolton

Paper Summary:

The paper explains how the recent appointment of John Bolton as the US ambassador to the UN by President Bush through the use of "recess appointment" powers has evoked heated debate. This paper explains the "recess appointment" powers of the President as outlined in the US Constitution, discusses Ambassador Bolton's qualifications for the position and analyzes whether the appointment was a "good" use of the recess powers. The paper concludes with a personal view that Bolton's recent recess appointment is the latest in the long series of attempts by the executive to undermine the delicate framework of checks and balances that are at the core of American democracy.

Contents:
Recess Appointment
Ambassador Bolton's Qualification for the Appointment
Was Bolton's Appointment as Ambassador to the UN a "Good" Use of the Recess Power?
What Do you Think About the Recess Appointment Power?

From the Paper:

"Recess appointments are authorized by Article II, Section 2 of the US Constitution which states: "The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the end of their next Session." The framers had included this provision in the US Constitution since they had anticipated that vacancies of important government officers such as Ambassadors, Public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court and District Courts, could fall vacant during a recess of the Senate. As clearly stated in the law, the Senate must ratify the appointment by the end of the next session [emphasis added], or the position becomes vacant again ("What is a Recess Appointment?" 2005)."

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