Is America Becoming a Plutocracy?

On Dec. 19 ACS hosted a phone call lead by two leaders in constitutional scholarship, William E. Forbath, associate dean for research and Lloyd M. Bentsen, Chair in Law at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law and Richard W. Painter, S. Walter Richey Professor of Corporate Law at the University of Minnesota Law School; associate counsel to President George W. Bush, to discuss the implications of electing an international business tycoon as president of the United States, a President-elect who is assembling what could be the richest administration in history. Professors Forbath and Painter considered the following questions: What conflicts of interest will President-elect Trump likely have when he is sworn into office next month? Will he be in violation of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause or other laws and ethical rules? And what do his recent cabinet picks means for our democracy? Are we headed for plutocracy?