No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we require him to obey it. Obedience of the law is demanded; not asked as a favor.

Theodore Roosevelt used this formulation while pressing a central theme of his presidency: that the federal government must enforce the law impartially, especially against powerful interests. In the early 1900s, Roosevelt’s administration pursued prominent antitrust and regulatory actions (often framed as curbing “malefactors of great wealth”) and emphasized that corporate size or social standing did not confer immunity. The statement reflects Progressive Era arguments for a stronger, more evenhanded rule of law—one that protects ordinary citizens from both elite impunity and arbitrary favoritism. It is frequently quoted in discussions of equal justice, civic duty, and the legitimacy of government authority grounded in law rather than personal privilege.

Roosevelt’s statement is a compact defense of the rule of law as the foundation of democratic government. By insisting that no one is “above” or “below” the law, he rejects both aristocratic impunity and the idea that some people can be treated as outside legal protection or obligation. The second sentence sharpens the point: law is not a request granted by status, popularity, or power; it is a binding public command. The quote thus frames legal obedience as a civic requirement essential to equality, legitimacy, and social order—especially in moments when influential actors might seek exemptions or when enforcement might be uneven.