Collins v. Yellen
View Official PDFBelow are plain-language sections to help you understand what the Court decided in Collins v. Yellen and why it matters. Quotes are taken from the syllabus (the Court’s short summary at the start of the opinion).
Summary
A short, plain-English overview of Collins v. Yellen.
In Collins v. Yellen, the Supreme Court addressed the constitutionality of the Federal Housing Finance Agency's (FHFA) structure, specifically the President's power to remove its Director. The Court found that the FHFA's structure violated the separation of powers by limiting the President's removal authority. The shareholders' statutory claim was dismissed, but the constitutional claim regarding the removal restriction was upheld.
Holding
The single most important “bottom line” of what the Court decided in Collins v. Yellen.
The Court held that the Recovery Act's restriction on the President's power to remove the FHFA Director is unconstitutional.
Constitutional Concepts
These are the Constitution-related themes that appear in Collins v. Yellen. Click a concept to see other cases that involve the same idea.
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Why Administrative Law is relevant to Collins v. Yellen
The case involves the constitutional limits on agency authority, specifically the separation of powers and the structure of the FHFA.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)The FHFA's structure violates the separation of powers, and concluded that the appropriate remedy for the constitutional violation was to sever the removal restriction from the rest of the Recovery Act.
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Why Appointments and Removals is relevant to Collins v. Yellen
The Court addressed the constitutionality of the President's power to remove the FHFA Director, which is central to the case.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)The Recovery Act's restriction on the President's power to remove the FHFA Director, 12 U. S. C. § 4512(b)(2), is unconstitutional.
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Why Executive Power is relevant to Collins v. Yellen
The case discusses the scope of the President's constitutional authority and limits on presidential action regarding agency heads.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)The President's removal power serves important purposes regardless of whether the agency in question affects ordinary Americans by directly regulating them or by taking actions that have a profound but indirect effect on their lives.
Key Quotes
Short excerpts from the syllabus in Collins v. Yellen that support the summary and concepts above.
The Recovery Act's for-cause restriction on the President's removal authority violates the separation of powers.
The shareholders' statutory claim must be dismissed.
The shareholders' constitutional claim is not moot.
