Question 13 of 128 · American Government · Principles of American Government
What is the rule of law?
Accepted answers
- Everyone must follow the law.
- Leaders must obey the law.
- Government must obey the law.
- No one is above the law.
Any one of these is accepted, unless the question asks for more than one.
Why this is the answer
The rule of law means that the law applies to everyone equally, including the people who write it and enforce it. A president, a senator or a judge has to obey the same laws as anyone else, and the government itself has to follow the Constitution. The Founders built the presidency this way because they feared a president who could act like a king; under the rule of law nobody is above the law. All four official answers say this in slightly different words. Memory hook: nobody is above the law, and "nobody" includes the government.