Thaddeus Stevens says that a president should not take part in legislation (making laws). This job is part of the role of the legislative branch. He also says the president should not make a judgement on "the laws of his country" (such as deciding whether or not a law is constitutional). This is part of the role of the judicial branch. The president is in charge of the executive branch, so his job is to make sure that others are obeying the laws of the nation. If a president takes on the roles of the other branches of government, this would violate the principle of separation of powers and break the president's oath of office, since he has sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution.
“When Andrew Johnson took upon himself the duties of his high office he swore to obey the Constitution and take care that the laws be faithfully executed. That, indeed, is and has always been the chief duty of the President of the United States. The duties of legislation and adjudicating [making a judgment on] the laws of his country fall in no way to [the President's] lot. To obey the commands of sovereign power of the nation, and to see that others should obey them, was his whole duty—a duty which he could not escape, and any attempt to do so would be in direct violation of his official oath…”
—Thaddeus Stevens, Closing Remarks in the Impeachment Trial of Andrew Johnson, 1868
Fill in the blanks to correctly summarize the argument made by Thaddeus Stevens in the passage above.
Thaddeus Stevens says that a president should not take part in legislation (making laws). This job is part of the role of the ______ branch. He also says the president should not make a judgement on "the laws of his country" (such as deciding whether or not a law is constitutional). This is part of the role of the _____ branch. The president is in charge of the ______ branch, so his job is to make sure that others are obeying the laws of the nation. If a president takes on the roles of the other branches of government, this would violate the principle of separation of _____ and break the president's _____ of office, since he has sworn to uphold the U.S. _______.
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