Executive power Quote by Anonymous
““The government tried to justify the secret NSA program by invoking exactly the kind of extreme theory of executive power that had motivated me to begin writing: the notion that the threat of terrorism vested the president with virtually unlimited authority to do anything to “keep the nation safe,” including the authority to break the law.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Congressional Hearing, 2002, US Senate
The quote warns that invoking terror to justify unlimited executive power erodes legal limits and civil liberties.
In simple terms: Terror is used to expand presidential power beyond law.
Key Takeaway
Guard against unchecked authority.
Themes
politics
law
civil liberties
Mood
cautious
critical
Type
political
legal
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- constitutional law
- public advocacy
Key Concepts
executive power
terrorism
legal limits
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies balance security and freedom?
- What safeguards protect against power abuse?
A Different Perspective
Such justifications can be exploited for political gain.
![“I take the Constitution very seriously. The biggest problems that we're facing right now have to do with [the president] trying to bring more and more power into the executive branch and not go through Congress at all. And that's what I intend to reverse when I'm President of the United States of…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ec6/barack-obama-17_america_i-take-the-constitution-very-seriously-t_95034.jpg)
![“[T]hough individual oppression may now and then proceed fro the courts of justice, the general liberty of the people can never be endangered from that quarter . . .” quote by Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e0d/alexander-hamilton-619_court_t-hough-individual-oppression-may-now-an_592732.jpg)
