Primer: Presidential Pardons

Just before leaving office, former President Joe Biden pardoned his family of all crimes, known and unknown, to prevent President Donald Trump from going after them. In the first week of his administration, Trump then pardoned all January 6 rioters, including those of whom were violent. These actions, dubious at best, bring us to Political Union’s resolution for this week: Presidents should have pardon power.

The presidential pardon power was added to the Constitution to allow the executive to safeguard against judicial decisions later deemed too harsh, and it has succeeded in this endeavor. Biden pardoned over 2,000 nonviolent drug offenders who he believed suffered from disparities in sentencing, a legacy of the War on Drugs. While the power may have been misused recently, it is still a vital source of protection against unjust convictions and disproportionate sentences. Our society will continue to evolve, and the pardon is a way to incorporate modern values into our criminal justice system,

But the power of the pardon is simply too great and ripe for corruption. The ability to wipe away crimes has obviously dangerous implications, and presidents now are more willing to deal with bad press in order to help those around them. Biden with his family is the obvious example, but in his first term Trump also pardoned his chief strategist, former campaign manager, and a top fundraiser. Presidents can direct others to commit crimes for them, with a pardon waiting on the other side. The presidential pardon is simply too dangerous of a power, and the abuse of it will continue for as long as it exists. 

Come join our debate at 7pm on Monday in Scott Hall 201!

"President Bill Clinton, 1999" by US Department of State is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.