Meaning: The quote "Loyalty of the law-making power to the executive power was one of the dangers the political fathers foretold" by Garet Garrett, a journalist and author known for his writings on economics, politics, and history, reflects a concern about the potential for imbalance and concentration of power within the government. In this quote, Garrett highlights the risk of the legislative branch becoming subservient to the executive branch, which was a fear expressed by the framers of the U.S. Constitution and remains relevant in discussions of governance and separation of powers.

The concept of the separation of powers is fundamental to the design of many modern democratic governments, including that of the United States. The idea is that distinct branches of government – the legislative, executive, and judicial – should have separate and independent powers and areas of responsibility. This separation is intended to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful and to provide a system of checks and balances to ensure that no branch oversteps its authority.

Garrett's quote suggests that the loyalty of the law-making power, or the legislative branch, to the executive power, or the presidency, poses a threat to this balance of power. When the legislative branch becomes overly deferential to the executive, it may fail to fulfill its role as a check on executive authority, potentially leading to the concentration of power in the hands of the president or executive leadership. This concentration of power can undermine the principles of democratic governance and threaten individual liberties.

The concern about the loyalty of the law-making power to the executive power has historical roots in the debates and discussions surrounding the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. The framers of the Constitution, drawing on the ideas of political philosophers such as Montesquieu, sought to avoid the accumulation of power in a single branch of government. Their aim was to create a system in which each branch would act as a check on the others, thereby preventing any one branch from dominating the government.

In Federalist No. 47, James Madison, one of the key architects of the Constitution, emphasized the importance of maintaining separate powers and preventing the "accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands." This principle of separation of powers was enshrined in the Constitution through the creation of distinct roles and powers for each branch of government.

Throughout U.S. history, tensions and debates over the balance of power among the branches of government have been recurrent. As the government has evolved and faced new challenges, questions about the proper extent of executive authority and the role of the legislative branch in checking that authority have continued to arise.

Garrett's quote can be seen as a reminder of the ongoing relevance of these concerns. It serves as a caution against the potential dangers of an imbalance of power within the government and a call to uphold the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances. By highlighting the risk of excessive loyalty of the legislative branch to the executive, Garrett's quote encourages vigilance in safeguarding the integrity of democratic governance and the rule of law.

In conclusion, Garet Garrett's quote underscores the enduring importance of preserving the separation of powers and preventing the concentration of authority within any single branch of government. The concerns raised in the quote reflect longstanding debates about the proper balance of power and the need to ensure that each branch of government plays its role in checking and balancing the others. As such, the quote serves as a reminder of the ongoing relevance of these principles to the functioning of democratic government and the protection of individual freedoms.