Balkinization  

Sunday, March 01, 2026

The Youngstown Concurrence Empowering the President Abroad

Gerard N. Magliocca

One notable aspect of Justice Jackson's Youngstown concurrence is its deference to the President's unilateral authority to use force overseas. The OLC's most common citation of the opinion is:

"I should indulge the widest latitude of interpretation to sustain his exclusive function to command the instruments of national force, at least when turned against the outside world for the security of our society."


For all practical purposes, this is now the law. Jackson dropped a footnote to say that this was not always so (citing Jefferson's views on America's conflict with the Barbary Pirates). But in light of the Korean War, the Cold War, and nuclear weapons, the demands of experience necessitated a change. 


Of course, the political consequences of any given unilateral executive action are far from clear.


Older Posts

Home