Episode 5: State of Emergency | The Kingmakers
Summary
This episode of Master Plan profiles Dick Cheney as the architect of the modern imperial presidency, tracing his decades-long quest to expand executive power. From his early career through the post-9/11 era, Cheney utilized the unitary executive theory to bypass Congress, enabling warrantless surveillance, torture, and the Iraq War. The narrative positions Cheney as the crucial bridge linking Reagan-era conservatism to Donald Trump’s unchecked authority.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Shopify, Sallie Mae, and Pepsi
9/11: Bush in the classroom and the initial confusion
Cheney in the bunker: Asserting executive power
Cheney's legacy: From Iran-Contra to Kamala Harris
Early career: Nixon, Ford, and the rise of conservatism
Congressional years: Iran-Contra and the minority report
Defense Secretary: Panama, Gulf War, and 1992 loss
VP Selection and the Energy Task Force secrecy
Post-9/11: The Unitary Executive Theory in action
Guantanamo, warrantless wiretapping, and torture memos
The Iraq War: WMDs, oil, and fait accompli
Stellar Wind: Ashcroft, Comey, and Abu Ghraib leaks
Legal defeats: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and classified docs
Cheney's death, legacy, and final sponsor reads
Listen ad-free on Castria