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 September 22, 2023

Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo

In the 1984 case Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, the Supreme Court held that courts should defer to an agency’s interpretation of an ambiguous statute so long as that interpretation is reasonable. Known as Chevron deference, this framework has guided judicial review of agency decisions for decades, striking a balance between agency expertise and congressional guardrails. Now, a group of commercial fishing companies, backed by a cadre of conservative legal groups, is asking the Supreme Court to reconsider Chevron. They challenge a National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) rule that requires the fishing industry to pay for monitors. Federal law...

Case Timeline

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  • CAC files amici curiae brief on behalf of law professors in the Supreme Court

Related Issue Areas

Federal Courts and Nominations See More
Access to Justice See More