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Many journalists consider profiles one of their favorite writing assignments. Reporters spend hours interviewing fascinating figures, drawing out insightful details to give readers a window into how influential people think and act.

But can a reporter write a profile of anÌý¾±»å±ð²¹? At the Monitor, we are interested as much in ideals and endeavors as we are in events. We watch for ways to report on the currents of thought that impact the news.

That’s why you’ll find a profile of a legal concept known as the unitary executive theory in the pages of this week’s magazine.

Several months ago, reporter Henry Gass and I began discussing a story about this theory, which developed in the 1980s as a constitutional rationale for a strong presidency. Since then, presidents from both political parties have tested how much power the Constitution grants those in the role.

The unitary executive theory doesn’t make daily headlines. But it is part of a major debate underway in the United States about government checks and balances. It plays a part in cases the U.S. Supreme Court took up this term regarding whether the president can fire officials at the Federal Reserve and the Federal Trade Commission.

Rather than write a piece better suited to a law review, Henry, who covers the high court for the Monitor, set out to use the storytelling tools of a profile – examining background and character – and applying them to an intellectual framework. He has crafted an engaging look at how unitary executive theory developed, rose in prominence, and impacts politics and law today.

You’ll also find other articles in this issue that focus on ideals. Contributing writer Lorela U. Sandoval takes us to the Philippines, where locals are debating what a peaceful, safe approach to
nuclear power looks like. In London, senior global correspondent Mark
Sappenfield assesses where the Brexit movement stands a decade after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union.