Separation Powers Quotes
President George W. Bush, during the War on Terror, asserted the authority to contravene laws passed by Congress and signed by a previous president. He further, argued that he did not have to inform Congress when he ordered steps that broke the existing laws. His position was based on his claim that there were inherent Presidential powers in wartime granted by the Constitution and the Congress could not override the Constitution.
This constitution was written 7 years before the national constitutional convention. It shows that there was concern about the separation of powers in United States even before the Constitution was drafted. See {616749} for an even clearer statement of the separation of powers principle. The national legislatures in Europe had commonly declared people traitors and in many cases incarcerated or executed them. This clause, effectively presaged the national constitution of 1787 where the Congress was prohibited from trying people for treason or anything else except impearchment.
