Mitchel Sollenberger, PhD
Professor of Political Science

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters
Social Sciences
3095 College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters Building | 4901 Evergreen Road |
Dearborn, MI
48128
Teaching Areas:
Master of Public Administration and Policy, Political ScienceResearch Areas:
Branches of American Government, Obama Administration, Politics / Political ScienceBiography and Education
Education
PhD Institution: Politics, Catholic University, 2006
Teaching and Research
Courses Taught
- POL 101: Introduction to American Government
- POL 315: The American Presidency
- POL 316: The American Judicial Process
- POL 413/513: American Constitutional Law
- POL 414/514: Civil Rights and Liberties
- POL 417: Constitution & National Security
Selected Publications
Books:
- The Unitary Executive Theory: A Danger to Constitutional Government (University Press of Kansas, 2020) (With Jeff Crouch and Mark J. Rozell)
- Executive Privilege: Presidential Power, Secrecy, and Accountability (University Press of Kansas, 2020) (With Mark J. Rozell)
- The President’s Czars: Undermining Congress and the Constitution (University Press of Kansas, 2012) (With Mark J. Rozell)
- Judicial Appointments and Democratic Controls (Carolina Academic Press, 2011)
- The President Shall Nominate: How Congress Trumps Executive Power (University Press of Kansas, 2008)
Articles:
- “President Biden’s Influence on the use of Executive Privilege,” Kentucky Law Journal (In Press) (With Mark J. Rozell)
- “The Unitary Executive Theory and President Donald J. Trump,” Presidential Studies Quarterly, vol. 47, Sept. 2017 (With Jeffrey Crouch and Mark J. Rozell)
- “Presidential Studies, Behavioralism, and Public Law,” Presidential Studies Quarterly, vol. 44, Dec. 2014
- “The Origins and Development of Executive Branch Czars,” Journal of Policy History, vol. 25, Fall 2013 (With Mark J. Rozell)
- “President Obama's Signing Statements and the Expansion of Executive Power,” Presidential Studies Quarterly,vol. 43, Dec. 2013 (With Jeffrey Crouch and Mark J. Rozell)
- “The Blue Slip: A Theory of Unified and Divided Government,” Congress & the Presidency, vol. 37, May-August 2010
- “Statutory Qualifications on Appointments: Congressional and Constitutional Choices,” Public Administration Quarterly, vol. 34, Summer 2010
Book Chapters:
- “Michigan’s Governor and Executive Branch,” in John S. Klemanski and David A. Dulio, eds., Michigan Government, Politics and Policy (University of Michigan Press, 2017)
- “The Power to Advise and Consent,” in Brien Hallett, ed., The Powers of U.S. Congress: Where Constitutional Authority Begins and Ends (ABC-CLIO, 2016)
- “Presidential and Congressional Relations: An Evolution of Military Appointments,” in Colton Campbell and David Auerswald eds., Congress and Civil-Military Relations (Georgetown University Press, 2015)
- “Resolved, Presidential ‘Czars’ Undermine Congress and the Constitution,” in Richard J. Ellis and Michael Nelson, eds., Debating the Presidency: Conflicting Perspectives on the American Executive (CQ Press 2014) (With Mark J. Rozell)
- “The Unitary Executive Theory and the Bush Legacy” in Taking the Measure: The Presidency of George W. Bush, Donald R. Kelley and Todd G. Shields, eds. (Texas A&M University Press, 2013) (With Mark J. Rozell)
Opinion Pieces:
- “Hubris and conceit: Why Musk is having so much trouble as czar,” The Hill, March 4, 2025 (With Mark J. Rozell)
- “Presidential immunity from prosecution is now a dead argument,” The Hill, Feb. 7, 2024 (With Mark J. Rozell)
- “Executive privilege for ex-presidents? Not this time,” The Hill, May 23, 2022 (With Mark J. Rozell)
- “President Biden: Open the White House virtual visitor logs: Campaign promises of improving transparency have yet to fully materialize,” Roll Call, April 2, 2021 (With Mark J. Rozell)
- “How Biden can end executive order ping-pong,” The Hill, January 20, 2021 (With Jeffrey Crouch and Mark J. Rozell)
- “A Judicial Win for Executive Privilege, Not Transparency,” The Hill, September 23, 2020 (With Mark J. Rozell)
- “A Supreme Court Compromise? How Republicans and Democrats could fairly fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat,” New York Daily News, September 22, 2020 (With Mark J. Rozell)
- “Does the country need a coronavirus testing czar? Not really,” The Hill, April 25, 2020 (With Mark J. Rozell)
- “Can Executive Privilege Prevent Bolton’s Testimony,” Law & Liberty, Jan. 21, 2020 (With Mark J. Rozell)
- “Trump’s Executive Privilege Claims: Where we go from here,” New York Daily News, May 13, 2019 (With Mark J. Rozell)
- “Congress is Right to Probe Trump White House Security Clearances. Hand Over the Documents,” USA Today, March 24, 2019 (With Mark J. Rozell).
- “Why Trump Can’t Bury the Mueller Report by Claiming Executive Privilege.” New York Daily News, February 21, 2019 (With Mark J. Rozell).
- “Open all the Trump visitor logs, starting with the White House.” USA Today, Aug. 1, 2017 (With Mark J. Rozell).
Awards and Recognition
Distinguished Research Award, University of Michigan-Dearborn, 2012