Unitary Executive Theory). A separation-of-powers theory holding that Article II vests **all executive power** in the President, who must have sufficient **control** (including removal power) over executive officers to ensure democratic accountability.
# Core commitments - The President must be able to **direct and remove** executive officials, subject to limited exceptions. - Independent agencies with **for-cause** removal protections are constitutionally suspect when they exercise core executive power.
# Methods & tools - Structural reasoning from **Article II** and historical practice. - Functional analysis: does a scheme **impair** the President’s ability to take care that the laws be faithfully executed?
# Strengths claimed - **Accountability**: a single elected official owns executive action. - **Energy in the executive**: coherent policy execution.
# Common critiques - **Agency independence** and expertise may suffer. - Risks **centralizing** power in ways the Framers also feared.
# Notes - Modern cases have limited independent agency insulation and affirmed strong removal authority in certain contexts.