⚖️ Article II — Separation of Powers

What Article II says (short and powerful)

• Government is divided into three branches:

1. Legislative — makes the law

2. Executive — enforces the law

3. Judicial — interprets the law

• No branch may “attach itself” to another.

That sentence is doing a lot of work.

What this means in real life

• The Governor:

• ❌ Cannot make new law

• ❌ Cannot punish without statutory authority

• ❌ Cannot bypass courts

• Agencies:

• ❌ Cannot invent power not granted by the Legislature

• ❌ Cannot enforce rules that contradict statutes or the Constitution

• Courts:

• ❌ Cannot legislate from the bench

• ❌ Cannot excuse constitutional violations for convenience

🔗 How Articles I and II work together

Think of it like this:

• Article I = What government may not do to you

• Article II = Who is allowed to do what

Together they say:

Even good intentions do not excuse unconstitutional power.