Adopted Quote by Charles Evans Hughes
“Emergency does not increase granted power or remove or diminish the restrictions imposed upon power granted or reserved. The Constitution was adopted in a period of grave emergency. Its grants of power to the federal government and its limitations of the power of the States were determined in the light of emergency, and they are not altered by emergency.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks on the Constitution, 1935
The Constitution’s powers and limits were set during a crisis and remain unchanged by later emergencies.
In simple terms: Emergency does not change constitutional limits.
Key Takeaway
Respect constitutional boundaries even in crises.
Themes
law
government
emergency
constitution
Mood
serious
reflective
Type
legal
political
When to use this quote
- national crisis
- policy making
- judicial review
- legislative action
Key Concepts
federalism
separation of powers
legal stability
Questions to Reflect On
- How should leaders balance urgent action with constitutional limits?
- Can emergencies ever justify altering foundational laws?
A Different Perspective
Emergency may pressure leaders to overreach, but legal frameworks resist change.
![“[The necessary and proper clause] neither enlarges any power specifically granted; nor is it a grant of any new power to Congress; But it is merely a declaration, for the removal of all uncertainty, that the means of carrying into execution those otherwise granted are included in the grant.” quote by Joseph Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/206/joseph-story-11919_clauses_the-necessary-and-proper-clause-neither_1577673.jpg)
