Law’s Abnegation: From Law’s Empire to the Administrative State

267 Pages·2016·1.7 MB·English

by  Adrian Vermeule

LAW’S ABNEGATION

LAW’S
ABNEGATION
From Law’s Empire to the
Administrative State
ADRIAN VERMEULE
Cambridge, Mass a chu setts . London, Eng land 2016
Copyright © 2016 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of Amer i ca
First printing
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Vermeule, Adrian, 1968– author.
Title: Law’s abnegation : from law’s empire to the administrative state /
Adrian Vermeule.
Description: Cambridge, Mas sac hus etts : Harvard University Press, 2016. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifi ers: LCCN 2016015023 | ISBN 9780674971448 (alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Judicial review of administrative acts— United States. |
Administrative discretion— United States. | Administrative agencies—
United States. | Administrative law— United States. | Administrative
procedure— United States. | Rule of law— United States.
Classifi cation: LCC KF5425 .V47 2016 | DDC 342.73/06— dc23
LC rec ord available at https://l ccn. l oc . gov / 2016015023
For Yun Soo

Contents
Introduction
The Abnegation of Law’s Empire 1
1. The Legality of Administrative Law 23
2. Separation of Powers without Idolatry 56
3. Deference and Due Pro cess 87
4. Rationally Arbitrary Decisions 125
5. Thin Rationality Review 155
Appendix 190
6. How Law Empowers Nonlawyers 197
Conclusion
Law on the Margin 209
NOTES 221
ACKNOWL EDGMENTS 247
INDEX OF CASES 249
GENERAL INDEX 251

There is no question of returning to
the pre-1968 situation, if only for the
reason that the pre-1968 situation
included the conditions that led to 1968.
— V aléry Giscard d’Estaing,
quoted in Jon Elster, Sour Grapes