--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think a basic principle of our…" description: "\"I think a basic principle of our Constitution is nobody above the law\" — Barack Obama" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/barack-obama-17_above-the-law_i-think-a-basic-principle-of-our-constit_788664.jpg" --- # I think a basic principle of our Constitution is nobody… ![“I think a basic principle of our Constitution is nobody above the law” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/barack-obama-17_above-the-law_i-think-a-basic-principle-of-our-constit_788664.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/barack-obama-17_above-the-law_i-think-a-basic-principle-of-our-constit_788664.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/barack-obama-17_above-the-law_i-think-a-basic-principle-of-our-constit_788664.jpg) > “I think a basic principle of our Constitution is nobody above the law” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Constitution guarantees equality before the law for all citizens. **In simple terms:** No one is above the law. Key Takeaway Uphold legal equality. Themes law equality justice constitution Mood hopeful serious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - court rulings - policy making - public protest - media reporting Key Concepts rule of law democratic principles civil rights Questions to Reflect On - What steps can strengthen accountability? - How do we protect vulnerable groups? A Different Perspective Legal systems can be unevenly applied. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Above the law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/above-the-law/) [Basic principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basic-principles/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Principle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principle/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The rule of law is the most basic principle on which our Constitution is based.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prashant-bhushan/the-rule-of-law-is-the-most-basic-principle-on-which-our-constitution/) [Prashant Bhushan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prashant-bhushan/) > [My basic principle is that you don't make decisions because they are cheap; you make them because they're right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-hesburgh/my-basic-principle-is-that-you-don-t-make-decisions-because-they-are-2/) [Theodore Hesburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-hesburgh/) > [The most basic principle to being a free American is the notion that we as individuals are responsible for our own lives and decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-most-basic-principle-to-being-a-free-american-is-the-notion-that/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [I agree with the basic principle that anybody who wants to serve in our armed forces and make sacrifices on our behalf, on behalf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-agree-with-the-basic-principle-that-anybody-who-wants-to-serve-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [But the basic principle that we’re going to have to see some of this debt written down, that the government is going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/but-the-basic-principle-that-we-re-going-to-have-to-see-some-of-this/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We are a nation of laws. And nobody can ignore our Constitution. No one's above the law. And that includes the president of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yang/we-are-a-nation-of-laws-and-nobody-can-ignore-our-constitution-no-one/) [John Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yang/) > [The right to be let alone is the underlying principle of the Constitution's Bill of Rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-griswold/the-right-to-be-let-alone-is-the-underlying-principle-of-the/) Erwin Griswold > [ \[It is a basic principle of a tyrant\] to unarm his people of weapons, money and all means whereby they resist his power. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/it-is-a-basic-principle-of-a-tyrant-to-unarm-his-people-of-weapons/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) > [The basic principle, rarely violated, is that what conflicts with the requirements of power and privilege does not exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-basic-principle-rarely-violated-is-that-what-conflicts-with-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Life is the expression of tone. In that sentence is the basic principle of Chiropractic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-palmer/life-is-the-expression-of-tone-in-that-sentence-is-the-basic/) [Daniel D. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-palmer/) > [Bill Walton, UH Volleyball coach, after his player kept looking at him on the bench every time the ball hit the floor...Next time you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-hesburgh/bill-walton-uh-volleyball-coach-after-his-player-kept-looking-at-him/) [Theodore Hesburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-hesburgh/) > [ Now ... the basic principle of modern mathematics is to achieve a complete fusion \[of\] 'geometric' and 'analytic' ideas. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dieudonne/now-the-basic-principle-of-modern-mathematics-is-to-achieve-a/) [Jean Dieudonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dieudonne/) > [Concentration is the key to economic results. No other principle of effectiveness is violated as constantly today as the basic principle of concentration… Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/concentration-is-the-key-to-economic-results-no-other-principle-of/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [There’s only one basic principle of self-defense- you must apply the most effective weapon, as soon as possible, to the most vulnerable target.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/there-s-only-one-basic-principle-of-self-defense-you-must-apply-the/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [We can never have too much preparation and training. We must be a strong competitor. We must adhere staunchly to the basic principle that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-bunche/we-can-never-have-too-much-preparation-and-training-we-must-be-a/) [Ralph Bunche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-bunche/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Above the law quotes > [The vision that the founding fathers had of rule of law and equality before the law and no one above the law, that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/the-vision-that-the-founding-fathers-had-of-rule-of-law-and-equality/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [It was clear to me that the White House's solemn atmosphere would not civilize Trump. But the merciless nepotism with which he conducts politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/it-was-clear-to-me-that-the-white-house-s-solemn-atmosphere-would-not/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [“no man is above the law and that includes the president of the United States”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-allred/no-man-is-above-the-law-and-that-includes-the-president-of-the-united/) [Gloria Allred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-allred/) > [The intelligence community, for the most part, has no accountability at all; to the Congress, to us the American people, and so they feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-naylor/the-intelligence-community-for-the-most-part-has-no-accountability-at/) [Gloria Naylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-naylor/) > [In England Parliament is above the law. In America the law is above Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/in-england-parliament-is-above-the-law-in-america-the-law-is-above/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [I promise, before God and my community, to seek reforms so that the powerful and corrupt are no longer above the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-thomas/i-promise-before-god-and-my-community-to-seek-reforms-so-that-the/) [Andrew Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-thomas/) > [At a time when our moral standing in the world has been weakened by a rubber stamp Justice Department that placed the Bush Administration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-wasserman-schultz/at-a-time-when-our-moral-standing-in-the-world-has-been-weakened-by-a/) [Debbie Wasserman Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-wasserman-schultz/) > [Any violation of civil rights will be aggressively pursued and prosecuted by my administration. No one will be above the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/any-violation-of-civil-rights-will-be-aggressively-pursued-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [No one is above the law and that I would pursue justice on their behalf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-mosby/no-one-is-above-the-law-and-that-i-would-pursue-justice-on-their/) [Marilyn Mosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-mosby/) > [Sometimes you have to go above the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fawn-hall/sometimes-you-have-to-go-above-the-law/) [Fawn Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fawn-hall/) > [Live like the Kennedy's, above the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-pun/live-like-the-kennedy-s-above-the-law/) [Big Pun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-pun/) > [As God as my witness, they said, We're above the law. There's nothing you can do to us. You're just a church secretary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hahn/as-god-as-my-witness-they-said-we-re-above-the-law-there-s-nothing/) [Jessica Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hahn/) > [We are a nation of laws. And nobody can ignore our Constitution. No one's above the law. And that includes the president of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yang/we-are-a-nation-of-laws-and-nobody-can-ignore-our-constitution-no-one/) [John Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yang/) > [Wherever the Government does not emanate...from the people, the principle of the Government, the esprit de corps, the point of honour, in all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/wherever-the-government-does-not-emanate-from-the-people-the/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [No one is above the law, not even the president. I believe perjury does meet at least the definition of high misdemeanor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-johnson/no-one-is-above-the-law-not-even-the-president-i-believe-perjury-does/) [Nancy Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-johnson/) [Browse all 58 Above the law quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/above-the-law/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think a basic principle of our Constitution is nobody above the law", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-a-basic-principle-of-our-constitution-is-nobody-above-the-law/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Above the law" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-a-basic-principle-of-our-constitution-is-nobody-above-the-law/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/barack-obama-17_above-the-law_i-think-a-basic-principle-of-our-constit_788664.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/barack-obama-17_above-the-law_i-think-a-basic-principle-of-our-constit_788664.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/barack-obama-17_above-the-law_i-think-a-basic-principle-of-our-constit_788664.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think a basic principle of our Constitution is nobody above the law” — Barack Obama", "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": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think a basic principle of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-a-basic-principle-of-our-constitution-is-nobody-above-the-law/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-a-basic-principle-of-our-constitution-is-nobody-above-the-law/#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 } } ] } ```