Federal Governance: Rule of Law Principle in the US Government

This essay examines the principle of 'A government of laws, not of men' in the context of the US federal government, drawing from John Adams's quote. It highlights the importance of a properly constructed government that upholds the rule of law and secures political liberty. The essay references the Declaration of Independence and the separation of powers among the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches. Recent events, such as Trump's travel ban and tariffs, are discussed in relation to the constitutionality and legality of governmental actions, emphasizing that the US government is founded on laws, not on the whims of individuals.

30 September 2018
Federal Government

John Adams had quoted and referred to the US Government as “"A government of laws, not
of men,” in the year 1780 when the oldest active written constitution oldest active written
constitution was ratified (Kimball, and Kimball). It is the prime responsibility of the
Government to determine, communicate, and enforce the law. Thus, the above statement lays
focus on the fact that Government must be properly constructed in the first place, to serve the
society at its best. In addition it secures the political liberty of the people in power.
The declaration of the independence in July 1776 is considered as a remarkable event in the
history of the United States. This declaration allowed the United States to sign the foreign
treaties in the capacity of a sovereign nation. In addition, it enabled the citizens to choose the
government, and avail participation in the governance process through the elected
representatives. The constitution of the federal government has expanded on the separation of
the powers, i.e. the legislative, executive, and judiciary powers, as stated in the Declaration of
Rights ("A Government Of Laws, Not Of Men"). The three department cannot interchange
their powers. In addition, a situation is resolved by the application of the laws, as pronounced
in the earlier judgements by different courts. Thus, it can be stated that laws and customs
have evolved over a time, and are not designed by any given individual or lawmaker.
Recently, the statement is in light because of the Trump’s travel ban, which is regarded to be
the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment (McCarthy). While the efforts of the
president are directed at making the country safe, the deal stills violates the due process and
the equal protection. Thus, in response to the same the federal courts had stayed the multiple
proposed travel bans. There have been many such incidents, one of which was when the
president Trump had asked the postal service to review its contact with the Amazon, and
preferably revoke it. Again, applying the concept that the constitution is for the laws, and nor
for the men; the decision of the Trump was not only rebuffed in first place, but also was
regarded as illegal. Some other incidents to be added on to the list are the ongoing increased

tariffs for steel and aluminium, and the announced but yet to be enacted punitive tariffs on
Chinese goods. The administration of the president has cited the ambiguous, long inactive
“national security” clauses in the federal code as the justification to invoke the same
(Karabell). The policies may be regarded as imprudent, but the same do not fall out of the
legal framework.
Thus, as per the discussion in the previous parts it can be concluded that the constitution of te
US Government is based on the principle that “"A government of laws, not of men.”

References
"A Government Of Laws, Not Of Men". Claremont.Org, 2018,
https://www.claremont.org/crb/article/a-government-of-laws-not-of-men/. Accessed 30 Sept
2018.
Karabell, Zachary. "Trump's Words Might Denigrate The Rule Of Law. His Actions, Less So
| Zachary Karabell". The Guardian, 2018,
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/commentisfree/2018/jul/01/trump-rule-of-law.
Accessed 30 Sept 2018.
Kimball, Roger, and Roger Kimball. "A Government Of Laws, Not Men". American
Greatness, 2018, https://amgreatness.com/2017/03/19/government-laws-not-men/. Accessed
30 Sept 2018.
McCarthy, Tom. "Is The US In A Constitutional Crisis? Experts Say: Not Yet". The
Guardian, 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/law/2018/feb/07/us-constitutional-crisis-
analysis. Accessed 30 Sept 2018.