Source: Tenth Amendment Center
by Michael Boldin
“‘The curse and scandal of human nature.’ That’s how James Otis, Jr. described arbitrary power. It wasn’t just a sign of tyranny, or a step toward it. It was the very definition of tyranny. It is power without right. And that principle pervades the Declaration of Independence. But this wasn’t a new idea born of the American Revolution. The principle stretches back thousands of years and became the driving force behind written constitutions. The Founders didn’t just fear arbitrary power or fight against it. They defined it. And they warned us: it leads to tyranny, every single time.” (04/23/25)
https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2025/04/23/arbitrary-power-the-definition-of-tyranny/