--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anyone who writes a law that cannot be…" description: "\"“Anyone who writes a law that cannot be easily understood by an average citizen is not worthy of leadership. The Constitution, which was written by ext..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c5/ben-carson-3320_gold-standard_anyone-who-writes-a-law-that-cannot-be-e_1826846.jpg" --- # Anyone who writes a law that cannot be easily understood… ![“Anyone who writes a law that cannot be easily understood by an average citizen is not worthy of leadership. The Constitution, which was written by extremely learned men, is quite easy to understand and should serve as a gold standard for the language and size of subsequent legislation that is…” quote by Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c5/ben-carson-3320_gold-standard_anyone-who-writes-a-law-that-cannot-be-e_1826846.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c5/ben-carson-3320_gold-standard_anyone-who-writes-a-law-that-cannot-be-e_1826846.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c5/ben-carson-3320_gold-standard_anyone-who-writes-a-law-that-cannot-be-e_1826846.jpg) > ““Anyone who writes a law that cannot be easily understood by an average citizen is not worthy of leadership. The Constitution, which was written by extremely learned men, is quite easy to understand and should serve as a gold standard for the language and size of subsequent legislation that is introduced.”” [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Law should be clear and accessible; complex legal language alienates citizens and undermines leadership legitimacy. **In simple terms:** Laws must be understandable. Key Takeaway Demand plain language in legislation. Themes transparency leadership law citizen rights Mood concerned optimistic Type political educational When to use this quote - policy drafting - civic education - public advocacy - legislative reform Key Concepts democratic governance communication accessibility Questions to Reflect On - How can legislators ensure clarity without oversimplifying? - What mechanisms can enforce plain‑language standards? A Different Perspective Legal jargon can obscure intent and reduce accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Constitution Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution-written-245294/) [Gold standard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold-standard/) [Law Easily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-easily-2240262/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Leadership Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-constitution-2240261/) [Understood Average](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood-average-2240264/) [Writes Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writes-law-2240263/) ## Related quotes > [The law is more easily understood by few than many words. For all words are subject to ambiguity, and therefore multiplication of words in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/the-law-is-more-easily-understood-by-few-than-many-words-for-all/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [Our Constitution was not written in the sands to be washed away by each wave of new judges blown in by each successive political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-black/our-constitution-was-not-written-in-the-sands-to-be-washed-away-by/) [Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/) > [We believe in humility and integrity, the spirit of one people, bound together under God. We understand that the Constitution was written to control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/we-believe-in-humility-and-integrity-the-spirit-of-one-people-bound/) [Allen West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-west/) > [The American Constitution is a written instrument full and complete in itself. No Court in America, no Congress, no President, can add a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-american-constitution-is-a-written-instrument-full-and-complete/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I wish I could set deadlines for the Congress, but that's just not the way the Constitution is written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-wish-i-could-set-deadlines-for-the-congress-but-that-s-just-not-the/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [To those who cite the first amendment as reason for excluding God from more and more of our institutions and everyday life, may I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/to-those-who-cite-the-first-amendment-as-reason-for-excluding-god/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Every constitution written since the end of World War II includes a provision that men and women are citizens of equal stature. Ours does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/every-constitution-written-since-the-end-of-world-war-ii-includes-a/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [The Constitution was not written to restrain the citizen's behavior, it was writtne to restrain the government's behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/the-constitution-was-not-written-to-restrain-the-citizen-s-behavior/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Do you know we have more acreage of forest land in the United States today than we did at the time the Constitution was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/do-you-know-we-have-more-acreage-of-forest-land-in-the-united-states/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“Now, it’s a pity that your schools no longer teach the same language in which the Declaration and the Constitution were written because you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-pelham/now-it-s-a-pity-that-your-schools-no-longer-teach-the-same-language/) [Jack Pelham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-pelham/) > [The government was set to protect man from criminals-and the constitution was written to protect man from the government. The Bill of Rights was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-government-was-set-to-protect-man-from-criminals-and-the/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“The protection of our Constitution, and, moreover, of written law itself, has been laughed to scorn by traitors in black dresses who have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/the-protection-of-our-constitution-and-moreover-of-written-law-itself/) [Joseph Befumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-befumo/) > [These are issues we've been grappling with since the Constitution was written: how you hold your government to account for its words and deeds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-plame/these-are-issues-we-ve-been-grappling-with-since-the-constitution-was/) [Valerie Plame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-plame/) > [“Interpreters, when challenged on their manipulations, tell us the Constitution was written for a different and simpler time. Actually, the genius of the Constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-ledbetter/interpreters-when-challenged-on-their-manipulations-tell-us-the/) [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) > [A judge must interpret statutes as written. And a judge must interpret the Constitution as written, informed by history and tradition and precedent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-kavanaugh/a-judge-must-interpret-statutes-as-written-and-a-judge-must-interpret/) [Brett Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-kavanaugh/) ## More by Ben Carson > [“We all have choices in the way we react to the words we hear. Our lives and the lives of all those around us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/we-all-have-choices-in-the-way-we-react-to-the-words-we-hear-our/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“to do only if you don’t have a good argument. This is also a good way to keep people at one another’s throats constantly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/to-do-only-if-you-don-t-have-a-good-argument-this-is-also-a-good-way/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“Our founding fathers placed so much emphasis on nurturing a well-educated populace because they knew that our system of democracy could not long survive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/our-founding-fathers-placed-so-much-emphasis-on-nurturing-a-well/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“If mediocrity becomes the norm, the quantity of outstanding producers will decline, as will general prosperity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/if-mediocrity-becomes-the-norm-the-quantity-of-outstanding-producers/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“If we are ever going to have adequate funding for health care and other major line items in our budget, however, we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/if-we-are-ever-going-to-have-adequate-funding-for-health-care-and/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“capitalism is an economic system in which individuals or corporate groups have the right to make private decisions and to acquire private property and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/capitalism-is-an-economic-system-in-which-individuals-or-corporate/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“A gigantic, bloated government has to keep itself busy in order to justify its existence; hence, you have more regulations and meddling in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/a-gigantic-bloated-government-has-to-keep-itself-busy-in-order-to/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“Everyone should realize that today the average person lives to be about eighty years of age, the first twenty to twenty-five of which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/everyone-should-realize-that-today-the-average-person-lives-to-be/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“One of America’s most respected legacies is indeed that of rebelling for change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/one-of-america-s-most-respected-legacies-is-indeed-that-of-rebelling/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“The real question is, will we as Americans, accustomed to freedom, continue to sheepishly submit to the purveyors of political correctness without recognizing its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/the-real-question-is-will-we-as-americans-accustomed-to-freedom/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“Many well-meaning Americans have bought into the PC speech code, thinking that by being extra careful not to offend anyone we will achieve unity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/many-well-meaning-americans-have-bought-into-the-pc-speech-code/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“Many in Europe saw an opportunity to escape the oppressive and overbearing governmental systems under which they languished, and these people emigrated in droves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/many-in-europe-saw-an-opportunity-to-escape-the-oppressive-and/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“As long as you have broad representation from many parts of society, representative government works extremely well. And it works even better when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/as-long-as-you-have-broad-representation-from-many-parts-of-society/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“The Constitution is quite clear that the government has the right to tax in order to support its programs, but there is nothing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/the-constitution-is-quite-clear-that-the-government-has-the-right-to/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“Proverbs 11:9: Evil words destroy one’s friends; wise discernment rescues the godly. Proverbs 11:12: It is foolish to belittle a neighbor; a person with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/proverbs-11-9-evil-words-destroy-one-s-friends-wise-discernment/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) [Explore all 131 Ben Carson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) ## More Constitution quotes > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [While not widely reported, our victories in Iraq are plentiful. National elections, a democratic parliament and the drafting of a constitution are just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gillmor/while-not-widely-reported-our-victories-in-iraq-are-plentiful/) [Paul Gillmor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gillmor/) > [In a recent decision of the Supreme Court, not made, however, by the full court, and concurred in by only four justices, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bates-clark/in-a-recent-decision-of-the-supreme-court-not-made-however-by-the/) [John Bates Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bates-clark/) > [The judiciary must not take on the coloration of whatever may be popular at the moment. We are guardian of rights, and we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-bird/the-judiciary-must-not-take-on-the-coloration-of-whatever-may-be/) [Rose Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-bird/) > [There is not a revolution that succe Women are suffering because they are being excluded. The high military council excluded women from the committee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/there-is-not-a-revolution-that-succe-women-are-suffering-because-they/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [Free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy, and not confidence, which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/free-government-is-founded-in-jealousy-and-not-in-confidence-it-is/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“The Court has a special responsibility to ensure that the Constitution works in practice. While education, including the transmission of our civic values from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/the-court-has-a-special-responsibility-to-ensure-that-the/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/) [Joe Pitts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pitts/) > [Nothing from man's hands, nor law, nor constitution, can be final. Truth alone is final.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sumner/nothing-from-man-s-hands-nor-law-nor-constitution-can-be-final-truth/) [Charles Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sumner/) > [“I am apprehensive, Sir, that in the warmth of my feelings, I may have uttered expressions, which were too vehement. If such has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/i-am-apprehensive-sir-that-in-the-warmth-of-my-feelings-i-may-have/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) [Browse all 4,507 Constitution quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Anyone who writes a law that cannot be easily understood by an average citizen is not worthy of leadership. 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