Andrew Card Quotes

The most important benefit that I can confer on the country by my Presidency is to insist upon the entire independence of the executive and legislative branches of government

The authority of Congress must be respected …. The President must confine himself to his executive duties—to obey and execute, not make the laws.

The federal courts do not sit as an ombudsman, refereeing the disputes between the other two branches.

The Founders of this Nation entrusted the lawmaking power to the Congress alone in both good and bad times … the President's power to see that the laws are faithfully executed refutes the idea that he is to be a law-maker.

The courts are truly the least dangerous of the three branches of our government.

The framers of our Constitution thought it was of critical, critical importance, in establishing three branches of government, that we have an independent judiciary. Therefore was that without that, the provisions of the constitution couldn’t be enforced

The difference between the departments undoubtedly is, that the legislature makes, the executive executes, and the judiciary construes the law.

Separation of powers means that the president cannot control Congress.

If our forefathers had wanted Congress to be the Commander in Chief, they would have said so.

The independence of the legislative arm must be respected. I had little taste for forcing Congressional action.

Legislative power is always superior to the executive.

The authority of the Supreme Court must not ... be permitted to control the Congress, or the Executive, when acting in their legislative capacities.

... the opinion of the Supreme Court ... ought not to control the co-ordinate authorities of this Government. The Congress, the Executive, and the Court, must each be guided by its own opinion of the constitution.

The legislature makes, the executive executes, and the judiciary construes the law.

The President … does not originate laws or resolutions; he takes no part in the deliberations on them during their progress; he does not act in relation to them indirectly by advice or interference of any sort, until they have passed both houses: it is only when their operations are concluded that his power begins.

From time to time we must remind ourselves that the President has a role in the legislative process.

Does not the President ... submit this subject to Congress for their sanction? Does he not recognize the principle ... that no treaty is binding until we pass the laws for executing it?”

The judicial branch of the government is the least dangerous because … it has no influence over either the sword or the purse.

Time has proved that the Supreme Court’s judgment was wrong on the most outstanding issues upon which it chose to challenge the popular branches

Presidents look back seeking both inspiration for the future and sanction for the moment

To say that I'm going to veto something that I haven't read is just - or sign something that I haven't read - I don't think is good policy for any chief executive.

It's not about whether we should have a conservative or a liberal. It's about, do we have someone that has the mental acumen to understand what the laws are, and not write laws but defend the laws. That's the whole purpose of three branches of government.

Our Founding Fathers created the Executive Branch to implement and enforce the laws written by Congress, and vested this power in the president.

It matters enormously to a successful democratic society like ours that we have three branches of government, each with some independence and some control over the other two. That's set out in the Constitution.

The presidency is the most visible thread that runs through the tapestry of the American government. More often than not, for good or for ill, it sets the tone for the other branches and spurs the expectations of the people.