---
title: "1 Clauses Quotes By William Rehnquist"
description: "1 Clauses quotes by William Rehnquist. Plus more from William Rehnquist and more Clauses sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/william-rehnquist-28058_clauses_it-is-impossible-to-build-sound-constitu_1380608.jpg"
---

> [It is impossible to build sound constitutional doctrine upon a mistaken understanding of Constitutional history... The establishment clause has been expressly freighted with Jefferson's misleading metaphor for nearly forty years... There is simply no historical foundation for the proposition that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/it-is-impossible-to-build-sound-constitutional-doctrine-upon-a/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/william-rehnquist-28058_clauses_it-is-impossible-to-build-sound-constitu_1380608.jpg)

## More by William Rehnquist

> [Somewhere "out there," beyond the walls of the courthouse, run currents and tides of public opinion which lap at the courtroom door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/somewhere-out-there-beyond-the-walls-of-the-courthouse-run-currents/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

> [Pregnancy is of course confined to women, but it is in other ways significantly different from the typical covered disease or disability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/pregnancy-is-of-course-confined-to-women-but-it-is-in-other-ways/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

> [At the heart of the First Amendment is the recognition of the fundamental importance of the free flow of ideas and opinions on matters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/at-the-heart-of-the-first-amendment-is-the-recognition-of-the/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

> [Conservatives are those who worship dead radicals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/conservatives-are-those-who-worship-dead-radicals/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

> [Perhaps you should say there should be mandatory retirement even of members of the court, members of the federal judiciary. I'm sure there can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/perhaps-you-should-say-there-should-be-mandatory-retirement-even-of/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

> [The "wall of separation between church and State" is a metaphor based on bad history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/the-wall-of-separation-between-church-and-state-is-a-metaphor-based/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

> [The 'wall of separation between church and state' is a metaphor based on bad history, a metaphor which has proved useless as a guide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/the-wall-of-separation-between-church-and-state-is-a-metaphor-based-2/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

> [The Constitution requires that Congress treat similarly situated persons similarly, not that it engages in gestures of superficial equality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/the-constitution-requires-that-congress-treat-similarly-situated/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

> [In any civilized society the most important task is achieving a proper balance between freedom and order. In wartime, reason and history both suggest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/in-any-civilized-society-the-most-important-task-is-achieving-a/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

> [I may not be able to define pornography but I know it when I see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/i-may-not-be-able-to-define-pornography-but-i-know-it-when-i-see-it/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

> [It is impossible to build sound constitutional doctrine upon a mistaken understanding of Constitutional history... The establishment clause has been expressly freighted with Jefferson's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/it-is-impossible-to-build-sound-constitutional-doctrine-upon-a/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

> [It is always possible for the court to overreach its proper bounds and perhaps declare a lot of laws unconstitutional and frustrate the will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/it-is-always-possible-for-the-court-to-overreach-its-proper-bounds/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

> [ \[I\]f we assume a liberty interest but nevertheless say that, even assuming a liberty interest, a state can prohibit it entirely, that would be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/i-f-we-assume-a-liberty-interest-but-nevertheless-say-that-even/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

> [If you could say of any one individual that the court as an institution is the length and shadow of that individual, surely it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/if-you-could-say-of-any-one-individual-that-the-court-as-an/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

> [We start with first principles. The Constitution creates a Federal Government of enumerated powers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rehnquist/we-start-with-first-principles-the-constitution-creates-a-federal/)

[William Rehnquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rehnquist/)

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