"Our government... teaches the whole people by its example. If the government becomes the lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy"

Louis D. Brandeis’s words highlight the profound responsibility that governments bear in upholding the rule of law through their actions. When those entrusted with power adhere faithfully to the laws they enforce, they set a public standard that communicates not only the necessity of legal compliance but also the legitimacy of the authority behind those laws. The very fabric of a society depends on this dynamic: laws derive their force not just from their written statutes or penalties but from the shared understanding that those who make and enforce the rules are also subject to them.

When a government chooses to transgress or ignore legal boundaries under any pretext, it does more than violate statutes; it weakens the public’s trust in the entire system. Such behavior sows seeds of skepticism in citizens, who may begin to question why they should follow a law that the government itself has disregarded. This breakdown in trust initiates a dangerous ripple effect, if the guardians of law are seen as lawbreakers, individuals may feel justified in disregarding the law as well. The sense of a shared social contract, which undergirds peaceful and cooperative society, erodes as people lose faith in the fairness and consistency of justice.

Brandeis catalogs the logical and ethical peril of such governmental misconduct: it breeds contempt, disregard or even disgust, for the rule of law. The implication is that the sanctity of law does not exist in isolation from the behavior of its enforcers; instead, it depends on mutual respect and consistent example. If every person chooses which laws to obey based on their own interests or on the government’s selective obedience, societal order breaks down. The warning is clear: when a government acts as though it is above the law, it unwittingly licenses every citizen to do the same, inviting chaos and the dissolution of civil society.