Power, by its nature, is precarious.
It enables progress — and invites abuse.
History shows us that even well-meaning leaders can overreach when not restrained.
The framers of the Constitution did not assume that virtue alone could safeguard liberty.
Instead, they devised a system where ambition would check ambition.
No single branch of government would be left to guard itself.
Congress holds the power to legislate.
But its laws can be vetoed by the President, or invalidated by the courts.
The President commands the armed forces, yet cannot declare war without Congress.
And if a President defies constitutional limits, the judiciary may intervene.
Judges are granted life tenure to preserve independence.
Yet they are not untouchable:
Congress can impeach them, and future amendments or laws can reshape the legal framework they interpret.
This interplay is not accidental.
It is a deliberate safeguard — not only against tyranny,
but also against complacency,
and against the quiet erosion of liberty in times of crisis.
The Constitution does not idealize power.
It restrains it, tests it, and subjects it to scrutiny.
In doing so, it places its faith not in individuals,
but in a structure —
a balance of forces constantly negotiating the limits of authority.