--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The power to enforce the law, which…" description: "\"“The power to enforce the law, which carries with it the equally salient power not to enforce the law, is a president’s most imposing domestic weapon, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/andrew-mccarthy-4162_armed-forces_the-power-to-enforce-the-law-which-carri_1406193.png" --- # The power to enforce the law, which carries with it the… ![“The power to enforce the law, which carries with it the equally salient power not to enforce the law, is a president’s most imposing domestic weapon, rivaled in importance only by the awesome authority inherent in a president’s status as commander in chief of the U.S. Armed Forces.” quote by Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/andrew-mccarthy-4162_armed-forces_the-power-to-enforce-the-law-which-carri_1406193.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/andrew-mccarthy-4162_armed-forces_the-power-to-enforce-the-law-which-carri_1406193.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/andrew-mccarthy-4162_armed-forces_the-power-to-enforce-the-law-which-carri_1406193.png) > ““The power to enforce the law, which carries with it the equally salient power not to enforce the law, is a president’s most imposing domestic weapon, rivaled in importance only by the awesome authority inherent in a president’s status as commander in chief of the U.S. Armed Forces.”” [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The president can both enforce laws and choose not to, making the decision to enforce a powerful domestic tool, second only to military command authority. **In simple terms:** A president’s choice to enforce or not is a strong domestic power, rivaled only by military command. Key Takeaway Recognize the strategic impact of enforcement decisions. Themes politics law executive power military authority Mood cautious analytical Type political legal When to use this quote - policy making - legal strategy - government leadership - public administration Key Concepts constitutional law executive discretion civil-military relations Questions to Reflect On - How does the threat of non‑enforcement shape legislative behavior? - What checks exist on a president’s enforcement discretion? A Different Perspective Enforcement power can be limited by political constraints and public opinion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Armed forces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/armed-forces/) [Commander in chief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commander-in-chief/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) ## Related quotes > [Men resort to talking only when they haven't the power to enforce their convictions upon others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-yutang/men-resort-to-talking-only-when-they-haven-t-the-power-to-enforce/) [Lin Yutang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-yutang/) > [Peace, like war, can succeed only where there is a will to enforce it, and where there is available power to enforce it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/peace-like-war-can-succeed-only-where-there-is-a-will-to-enforce-it/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [No one is above the law, not even the President.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/no-one-is-above-the-law-not-even-the-president/) [Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/) > [No one has done more to advance the rule of law than President Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-pruitt/no-one-has-done-more-to-advance-the-rule-of-law-than-president-trump/) [Scott Pruitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-pruitt/) > [There were so many things I couldn't do when my brother-in-law was president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-radziwill/there-were-so-many-things-i-couldn-t-do-when-my-brother-in-law-was/) [Lee Radziwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-radziwill/) > [Trump has been - has shown himself to be the most ignorant president that we've ever had. He has shown himself to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hart/trump-has-been-has-shown-himself-to-be-the-most-ignorant-president/) [Carl Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hart/) > [“Back in Libya, Obama recklessly neglected the duty of a president and commander in chief to protect Americans serving overseas, a negligence that included…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/back-in-libya-obama-recklessly-neglected-the-duty-of-a-president-and/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Despite being briefed about the ongoing terrorist attack at the Benghazi facility very soon after it began, the president took no meaningful action as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/despite-being-briefed-about-the-ongoing-terrorist-attack-at-the/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [I am not a proponent of the death penalty, but I will enforce the law as this Congress gives it to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-am-not-a-proponent-of-the-death-penalty-but-i-will-enforce-the-law/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [“When you were trying to enforce law and order, it was difficult to explain that the rules did not actually apply to you personally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-follett/when-you-were-trying-to-enforce-law-and-order-it-was-difficult-to/) [Ken Follett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-follett/) > [Finally, a good prosecutor knows that her job is to enforce the law without fear or favor. Likewise, a Supreme Court Justice must interpret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-klobuchar/finally-a-good-prosecutor-knows-that-her-job-is-to-enforce-the-law/) [Amy Klobuchar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-klobuchar/) > [There are not enough jails, not enough police, not enough courts to enforce a law not supported by the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/there-are-not-enough-jails-not-enough-police-not-enough-courts-to/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [I'm sometimes asked why it is that for 30 years we seem to have trouble in the United States enforcing the rules against illegal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/i-m-sometimes-asked-why-it-is-that-for-30-years-we-seem-to-have/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [Trying to enforce our out-of-touch laws is as foolish and impossible as trying to enforce a law requiring that water flow uphill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-polis/trying-to-enforce-our-out-of-touch-laws-is-as-foolish-and-impossible/) [Jared Polis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-polis/) > [So the first task of a police force is not to fight crime and enforce the law. It is to establish legitimacy with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/so-the-first-task-of-a-police-force-is-not-to-fight-crime-and-enforce/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## More by Andrew McCarthy > [“As was easily foreseeable, the unprovoked military adventure empowered anti-American terrorists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/as-was-easily-foreseeable-the-unprovoked-military-adventure-empowered/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Republicans, as well as Democrats committed to our constitutional framework, should fearlessly marshal the administration’s frauds, obstructions, and violations of law. They should demand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/republicans-as-well-as-democrats-committed-to-our-constitutional/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“In addition to involving the nation in an unauthorized war in Libya that empowered jihadist enemies of the United States, he and his subordinates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/in-addition-to-involving-the-nation-in-an-unauthorized-war-in-libya/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“The president and his subordinates willfully defrauded the American people, including investors in the public securities exchanges, in connection with Solyndra, a solar energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-president-and-his-subordinates-willfully-defrauded-the-american/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Rouhani triumphantly boasted in a tweet that the United States had “surrendered to Iranian nation’s will,” while the regime’s chief negotiator bragged that Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/rouhani-triumphantly-boasted-in-a-tweet-that-the-united-states-had/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Passing articles of impeachment against President Obama in the House at this premature point would have the same effect. 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If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/congressional-democrats-want-the-current-president-to-use-the/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“With the November election looming and the president’s campaign rhetoric about decimating al-Qaeda becoming laughable, the White House endeavored to defraud the American people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/with-the-november-election-looming-and-the-president-s-campaign/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“He and his subordinates have repeatedly, systematically and willfully withheld from Congress and from the American people information to which they are entitled, despite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/he-and-his-subordinates-have-repeatedly-systematically-and-willfully/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Despite being briefed about the ongoing terrorist attack at the Benghazi facility very soon after it began, the president took no meaningful action as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/despite-being-briefed-about-the-ongoing-terrorist-attack-at-the/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [The idea that we cause harm by doing what we perceive to be the right thing, that's another theme that interests me. Because most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-idea-that-we-cause-harm-by-doing-what-we-perceive-to-be-the-right/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [It's embarrassing, isn't it? It took me 15 years to make an 18-minute movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/it-s-embarrassing-isn-t-it-it-took-me-15-years-to-make-an-18-minute/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“As a federal district court in Texas recently ruled, federal law “mandates the initiation of immigration removal proceedings whenever an immigration officer encounters an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/as-a-federal-district-court-in-texas-recently-ruled-federal-law/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) [Explore all 115 Andrew McCarthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) ## More Armed forces quotes > [The terrorist attacks of September 11th and the courageous actions of our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq remind us that friends of tyranny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/the-terrorist-attacks-of-september-11th-and-the-courageous-actions-of/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [Recruitment and retention are critical to sustain our Armed Forces with the best men and women willing to stand in the gap and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/recruitment-and-retention-are-critical-to-sustain-our-armed-forces/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My father was in the military; he was a captain. His service was to quote-unquote integrate the Armed Forces overseas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/my-father-was-in-the-military-he-was-a-captain-his-service-was-to/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts. I do not believe that the Armed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-pace/i-believe-that-homosexual-acts-between-individuals-are-immoral-and/) [Peter Pace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-pace/) > [“The highest ranking Russian intelligence officer to defect from Russia, Stanislav Lunev, testified at a Congressional hearing held in California in January, 2000. Before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-price/the-highest-ranking-russian-intelligence-officer-to-defect-from/) [John Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-price/) > [A colonial war is a very dirty kind of war. You're not fighting armed forces. You're fighting mostly unarmed people. And to fight that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/a-colonial-war-is-a-very-dirty-kind-of-war-you-re-not-fighting-armed/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Scotland forms a crucial part of our Armed Forces which should not be jeopardised by rushed cuts or a rush to the exit from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hammond/scotland-forms-a-crucial-part-of-our-armed-forces-which-should-not-be/) [Philip Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hammond/) > [The people of Iraq are grateful for what the people of the United States of America and our armed forces and our coalition forces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-isakson/the-people-of-iraq-are-grateful-for-what-the-people-of-the-united/) [Johnny Isakson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-isakson/) > [I have deep respect for our armed forces and jawans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-kumaraswamy/i-have-deep-respect-for-our-armed-forces-and-jawans/) [H. D. Kumaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-kumaraswamy/) > [“The ultimate objective of all military operations is the destruction of the enemy’s armed forces and his will to fight.”\* This sums up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-wylie/the-ultimate-objective-of-all-military-operations-is-the-destruction/) [J.C. Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-wylie/) > [Relations between States, as between individuals, must be regulated not by armed force, but in accordance with...truth, justice and vigorous and sincere co-operation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-xxiii/relations-between-states-as-between-individuals-must-be-regulated-not/) [Pope John XXIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-xxiii/) > [Word to the Nation: Guard zealously your right to serve in the Armed Forces, for without them, there will be no other rights to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/word-to-the-nation-guard-zealously-your-right-to-serve-in-the-armed/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [If Congress grants permission, I would put armed forces in the streets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jair-bolsonaro/if-congress-grants-permission-i-would-put-armed-forces-in-the-streets/) [Jair Bolsonaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jair-bolsonaro/) > [To lead uninstructed people to war is to throw them away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/to-lead-uninstructed-people-to-war-is-to-throw-them-away/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Americans will forever be proud of the brave men and women of our armed forces who served in World War II, and we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-rhodes/americans-will-forever-be-proud-of-the-brave-men-and-women-of-our/) [Ben Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-rhodes/) [Browse all 342 Armed forces quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/armed-forces/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The power to enforce the law, which carries with it the equally salient power not to enforce the law, is a president’s most imposing domestic weapon, rivaled in importance only by the awesome authority inherent in a president’s status as commander in chief of the U.S. Armed Forces.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Andrew McCarthy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-power-to-enforce-the-law-which-carries-with-it-the-equally/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Armed forces" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-power-to-enforce-the-law-which-carries-with-it-the-equally/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/andrew-mccarthy-4162_armed-forces_the-power-to-enforce-the-law-which-carri_1406193.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/andrew-mccarthy-4162_armed-forces_the-power-to-enforce-the-law-which-carri_1406193.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/andrew-mccarthy-4162_armed-forces_the-power-to-enforce-the-law-which-carri_1406193.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The power to enforce the law, which carries with it the equally salient power not to enforce the law, is a…” — Andrew McCarthy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Andrew McCarthy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The power to enforce the law,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-power-to-enforce-the-law-which-carries-with-it-the-equally/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-power-to-enforce-the-law-which-carries-with-it-the-equally/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```