Arts & Culture
Crisis Leadership and the Expansion of Executive Discretion
Quick fact
Across political systems, from democracies to autocracies, executives gain significantly expanded discretion during crises: they can issue binding orders without prior legislative approval, often referred to as 'emergency powers' or 'executive orders.' For example, in the United States, the National Emergencies Act has allowed presidents to declare emergencies that unlock over 100 special statutory powers, such as mobilizing the military, seizing property, and controlling financial transactions—powers that remain available as long as the declaration is in effect.
Why this is interesting
When a crisis strikes—a pandemic, a financial collapse, a terrorist attack—leaders often abandon their usual consultative style and act with lightning speed, bypassing parliaments and courts. Why do we accept—and even expect—this concentration of power in one person during an emergency?