Constitutional Accountability Center Constitutional Accountability Center

Rule of Law

Holding the courts and political branches accountable to the text and history of the Constitution and federal statutes
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President Obama addressing Joint Session of Congress | Lawrence Jackson, White House Archives

Summary

The Constitution and its Amendments, as well as numerous federal statutes, guarantee rights for all in America, define responsibilities for government officials, and mark the boundary between the federal and state governments. CAC works to hold those in power accountable to the commands of our Constitution and laws in these areas.

Rule of Law in Brief

Oral Arguments at the Florida Supreme Court | Jeanie 0146, Wikimedia Commons

CAC works in the courts and the public square to help ensure that no public official — or ex-officials including former President Trump — is above the law.

Featured Case

Rule of Law July 7, 2025

AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition v. Department of State and Global Health Council v. Trump

On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order directing an immediate pause in all United States foreign development assistance. Agency officials suspended all congressionally appropriated foreign aid, freezing billions of dollars in federal funding. The spending pause has forced lifesaving medical programs to shut down, planned distribution of vital medications to be canceled, refugee support programs to close their doors, shelters to turn children away, and more. A group of nonprofits that perform foreign assistance work with federal grant money challenged the suspension of funding in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. In February...

Case Timeline

Current
  • The U.S. District Court will hear oral arguments
  • CAC files amicus brief in the D.C. Circuit
  • The U.S. District Court issues its decision granting a preliminary injunction

Related Issue Areas

Federal Courts and Nominations See More
Access to Justice See More