Seven Cases to Watch as the Courts Weigh Trump’s Reach for Power

President Donald Trump is now defending his wave of executive orders and directives against dozens of lawsuits that say he’s vastly overstepped his constitutional authority.

The cases, brought by nonprofits, state attorneys general, civil rights groups and private citizens, challenge Trump’s directives to freeze trillions of dollars in federal funding, shrink the federal workforce, allow access to citizens’ personal information and limit birthright citizenship, among others.

While they address different issues and legal specifics, most are asking the courts to decide a question fundamental to Trump’s second term: How much power can the President exercise without the approval of Congress? They ...