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 March 9, 2023

Window Covering Manufacturers Association v. Consumer Product Safety Commission

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is led by five presidentially appointed commissioners who may be removed from office only for inefficiency, neglect, or malfeasance. In November 2022, the CPSC established new safety standards for the operating cords on window coverings, designed to reduce the risk of strangulation that long window cords pose to young children. The Window Covering Manufacturers Association challenged these standards in the D.C. Circuit, arguing among other things that the CPSC’s leadership structure is unconstitutional because the president can remove the agency’s commissioners only for good cause, not at will. In March 2023, CAC filed an amicus...

Case Timeline

Current
  • CAC files brief in the D.C. Circuit

Related Issue Areas

Federal Courts and Nominations See More
Access to Justice See More