--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Under our system of three branches of…" description: "\"Under our system of three branches of government, the courts ultimately are the checks on the legislative and executive branches when they exceed or ev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/475/nina-totenberg-35290_abuse_under-our-system-of-three-branches-of-go_1269834.jpg" --- # Under our system of three branches of government, the… ![“Under our system of three branches of government, the courts ultimately are the checks on the legislative and executive branches when they exceed or even abuse the limits of their power.” quote by Nina Totenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/475/nina-totenberg-35290_abuse_under-our-system-of-three-branches-of-go_1269834.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/475/nina-totenberg-35290_abuse_under-our-system-of-three-branches-of-go_1269834.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/475/nina-totenberg-35290_abuse_under-our-system-of-three-branches-of-go_1269834.jpg) > “Under our system of three branches of government, the courts ultimately are the checks on the legislative and executive branches when they exceed or even abuse the limits of their power.” [Nina Totenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-totenberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The judiciary serves as a check on legislative and executive excess, preventing abuse of power. **In simple terms:** Courts keep other branches in line. Key Takeaway Support strong judicial independence. Themes government checks and balances rule of law Mood serious analytical Type political educational When to use this quote - legislative debate - court rulings - policy implementation Key Concepts separation of powers constitutionalism accountability Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms protect judicial impartiality? - How can courts balance activism and restraint? A Different Perspective Judicial checks can be limited by political appointments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Branches of government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/branches-of-government/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Executive branch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executive-branch/) [Executives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executives/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Three branches of government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three-branches-of-government/) ## Related quotes > [We all learn in school that the judicial, legislative and executive branches of government must check and balance each other. But other non state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/we-all-learn-in-school-that-the-judicial-legislative-and-executive/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [Power is the great evil with which we are contending. We have divided power between three branches of government and erected checks and balances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/power-is-the-great-evil-with-which-we-are-contending-we-have-divided/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [We are sworn to uphold the Constitution and law. And it has to be consistent and agreed upon with three branches of government -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/we-are-sworn-to-uphold-the-constitution-and-law-and-it-has-to-be/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [The Constitution is government's stop sign. 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But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-shaked/the-justice-system-is-a-foundation-of-our-existence-as-a-democratic/) [Ayelet Shaked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-shaked/) > [The court's authority must be clear, and it must not blatantly intervene in the decisions of the legislative and executive branches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-shaked/the-court-s-authority-must-be-clear-and-it-must-not-blatantly/) [Ayelet Shaked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-shaked/) > [You know, when you get to the New World and you develop your three branches of government and you have a civil society, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/you-know-when-you-get-to-the-new-world-and-you-develop-your-three/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [I'm looking for a Justice who appreciates the awesome responsibility that she will be given, if confirmed. A Justice who understands the gravity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-klobuchar/i-m-looking-for-a-justice-who-appreciates-the-awesome-responsibility/) [Amy Klobuchar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-klobuchar/) > [When the three branches of government have failed to represent the citizenry and the mass of the media has failed to represent the citizenry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/when-the-three-branches-of-government-have-failed-to-represent-the/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [The president's powers are always open to being questioned by the co-equal branches of government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/the-president-s-powers-are-always-open-to-being-questioned-by-the-co/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) ## More by Nina Totenberg > [If I dress like a schlump, I think like a schlump and I work like a schlump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-totenberg/if-i-dress-like-a-schlump-i-think-like-a-schlump-and-i-work-like-a/) [Nina Totenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-totenberg/) > [I didnt know how much I cared about having a woman on the court until the day there was a woman on the court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-totenberg/i-didnt-know-how-much-i-cared-about-having-a-woman-on-the-court-until/) [Nina Totenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-totenberg/) > [I didn't know how much I cared about having a woman on the court until the day there was a woman on the court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-totenberg/i-didn-t-know-how-much-i-cared-about-having-a-woman-on-the-court/) [Nina Totenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-totenberg/) > [Well no administration ever wants an independent overseer, and there are very good career people who are in charge of this investigation, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-totenberg/well-no-administration-ever-wants-an-independent-overseer-and-there/) [Nina Totenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-totenberg/) > [Judges have no actual power of enforcement. 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Indeed, sometimes the court's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-totenberg/throughout-our-history-the-supreme-court-has-entered-national-crises/) [Nina Totenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-totenberg/) > [ \[On Senator Jesse Helms\] I think he ought to be worried about what's going on in the Good Lord's mind, because if there is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-totenberg/on-senator-jesse-helms-i-think-he-ought-to-be-worried-about-what-s/) [Nina Totenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-totenberg/) > [Sometimes you just gotta cry, but you never,ever do it in public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-totenberg/sometimes-you-just-gotta-cry-but-you-never-ever-do-it-in-public/) [Nina Totenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-totenberg/) > [I saw a Harry Reid statement saying, there's nothing in the Constitution that says the Senate has to act on any presidential nominee. 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