---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My politics would be, must be, have to…"
description: "\"My politics would be, must be, have to be, completely separate from my judgment.\" — Elena Kagan"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/elena-kagan-22833_judgment_my-politics-would-be-must-be-have-to-be_201857.jpg"
---

#  My politics would be, must be, have to be, completely…

![“My politics would be, must be, have to be, completely separate from my judgment.” quote by Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/elena-kagan-22833_judgment_my-politics-would-be-must-be-have-to-be_201857.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/elena-kagan-22833_judgment_my-politics-would-be-must-be-have-to-be_201857.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/elena-kagan-22833_judgment_my-politics-would-be-must-be-have-to-be_201857.jpg)

> “My politics would be, must be, have to be, completely separate from my judgment.”

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Kagan emphasizes the necessity of separating personal political views from judicial judgment to maintain impartiality.

**In simple terms:** Judges must keep politics out of their decisions.

Key Takeaway

Maintain judicial impartiality.

Themes

judiciary ethics politics separation

Mood

reflective analytical professional

Type

legal ethical

When to use this quote

- court rulings
- legal education
- policy making

Key Concepts

impartiality judicial ethics political neutrality

Questions to Reflect On

- How can judges guard against unconscious bias?
- What mechanisms ensure judicial neutrality?

A Different Perspective

Political pressures can subtly influence judgments despite intentions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Completely Separate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/completely-separate-875228/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Politics Completely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics-completely-2106853/) [Separate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separate/) [Separate Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separate-judgment-2106854/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/)

## Related quotes

> [“When we separate ourselves from the rest of the world, the world becomes a lonely and difficult place to live in. When we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-walsh/when-we-separate-ourselves-from-the-rest-of-the-world-the-world/)

[Tom Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-walsh/)

> [My work as an artist is completely separate from my work as a philanthropist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/my-work-as-an-artist-is-completely-separate-from-my-work-as-a/)

[Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/)

> [The British political system and the whole clapped out Westminster architecture, and the language that we use about politics, it's completely unsustainable. You either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/the-british-political-system-and-the-whole-clapped-out-westminster/)

[Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/)

> [I was really lucky that I came to puberty at a time when music and politics were completely intertwined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-geldof/i-was-really-lucky-that-i-came-to-puberty-at-a-time-when-music-and/)

[Bob Geldof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-geldof/)

> [But I've always felt a need to have a life which is completely separate - at least as far as possible - from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/but-i-ve-always-felt-a-need-to-have-a-life-which-is-completely/)

[Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/)

> [We don't want to go starting completely separate businesses that do nothing for our user base.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-blecharczyk/we-don-t-want-to-go-starting-completely-separate-businesses-that-do/)

[Nathan Blecharczyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-blecharczyk/)

> [I am certain that we need a solution completely separate from military intervention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvio-berlusconi/i-am-certain-that-we-need-a-solution-completely-separate-from/)

[Silvio Berlusconi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvio-berlusconi/)

> [The more perfect the artist, the more completely separate in him will be the man who suffers and the mind which creates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/the-more-perfect-the-artist-the-more-completely-separate-in-him-will/)

[T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/)

> [To get audiences to go see a film is a completely separate issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-berg/to-get-audiences-to-go-see-a-film-is-a-completely-separate-issue/)

[Peter Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-berg/)

> [“I miss you and I miss you naked. Those are two completely separate ways of missing you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillaume-morissette/i-miss-you-and-i-miss-you-naked-those-are-two-completely-separate/)

[Guillaume Morissette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillaume-morissette/)

> [The thing with being able to do accents is that it's still completely separate from being an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessandro-nivola/the-thing-with-being-able-to-do-accents-is-that-it-s-still-completely/)

[Alessandro Nivola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessandro-nivola/)

> [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/)

[Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/)

> [If I'm doing a voice-over session, like animation or something, and I'm doing three different voices, you've gotta separate them. You've gotta find the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-adlon/if-i-m-doing-a-voice-over-session-like-animation-or-something-and-i-m/)

[Pamela Adlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-adlon/)

> [I think of a book and a play, or a book and a movie, as two separate things - I don't think of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-sachar/i-think-of-a-book-and-a-play-or-a-book-and-a-movie-as-two-separate/)

[Louis Sachar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-sachar/)

> [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Elena Kagan

> [I have no regrets. I don't believe in looking back. What I am proudest of? Working really hard... and achieving as much as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/i-have-no-regrets-i-don-t-believe-in-looking-back-what-i-am-proudest/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [In our own times, a coherent socialist movement is nowhere to be found in the United States. Americans are more likely to speak of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/in-our-own-times-a-coherent-socialist-movement-is-nowhere-to-be-found/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [I owe a debt of gratitude to two other living Justices. Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg paved the way for me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/i-owe-a-debt-of-gratitude-to-two-other-living-justices-sandra-day-o/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [If there is an ‘overabundance' of an idea in the absence of direct governmental action -- which there well might be when compared with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/if-there-is-an-overabundance-of-an-idea-in-the-absence-of-direct/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [I've led a school whose faculty and students examine and discuss and debate every aspect of our law and legal system. And what I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/i-ve-led-a-school-whose-faculty-and-students-examine-and-discuss-and/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [I think the nine justices think the solicitor general is the 35th clerk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/i-think-the-nine-justices-think-the-solicitor-general-is-the-35th/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [Suppose a state said that, Because we think that the focus of marriage really should be on procreation, we are not going to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/suppose-a-state-said-that-because-we-think-that-the-focus-of-marriage/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [I think people are great in many different ways. So, I think some justices are great because they have extraordinary wisdom, they have an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/i-think-people-are-great-in-many-different-ways-so-i-think-some/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [The Supreme Court, of course, has the responsibility of ensuring that our government never oversteps its proper bounds or violates the rights of individuals.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/the-supreme-court-of-course-has-the-responsibility-of-ensuring-that/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [American radicals cannot afford to become their own worst enemies. In unity lies their only hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/american-radicals-cannot-afford-to-become-their-own-worst-enemies-in/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [It was a very cool thing to be a smart girl, as opposed to some other, different kind. And I think that made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/it-was-a-very-cool-thing-to-be-a-smart-girl-as-opposed-to-some-other/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [Perhaps most important, judges will have goals. And because this is so, judges will often try to mold and steer the law in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/perhaps-most-important-judges-will-have-goals-and-because-this-is-so/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [It's not that there are no masters, but that there are many. And the job of the solicitor general is to balance those masters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/it-s-not-that-there-are-no-masters-but-that-there-are-many-and-the/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [In fact, corporate and union moneys go overwhelmingly to incumbents, so limiting that money, as Congress did in the campaign finance law, may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/in-fact-corporate-and-union-moneys-go-overwhelmingly-to-incumbents-so/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

> [Like all Jews, I was probably at a Chinese restaurant!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/like-all-jews-i-was-probably-at-a-chinese-restaurant/)

[Elena Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

[Explore all 27 Elena Kagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/)

## More Judgment quotes

> [Humans are, as Sartre put it, 'condemned to be free'. To insist that science, or God, objectively defines moral values is to abandon our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenan-malik/humans-are-as-sartre-put-it-condemned-to-be-free-to-insist-that/)

[Kenan Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenan-malik/)

> [Pain results from a judgment you have made about a thing. Remove the judgment and the pain disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/pain-results-from-a-judgment-you-have-made-about-a-thing-remove-the/)

[Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/)

> [“The absence of judgment becomes a catalyst and an enabler for greater injustice. Contrary to popular thought, judgment is a GOOD thing when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-chace-gordon/the-absence-of-judgment-becomes-a-catalyst-and-an-enabler-for-greater/)

[J. Chace Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-chace-gordon/)

> [It is exactly in the repetition of the exercises that the education of the senses exists; not that the child shall know colors, forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/it-is-exactly-in-the-repetition-of-the-exercises-that-the-education/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [Dont judge me by my hair, my skin colour, my body size, or my outer beauty. Because if you do, you might miss who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-judge-me-by-my-hair-my-skin-colour-my-body-size-or-my-outer/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/)

[Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/)

> [“Do not judge, so that you won't be judged. 2 For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-judge-so-that-you-won-t-be-judged-2-for-with-the-judgment-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It isn't bad judgment to make a man believe he is something. He is by nature inclined to it, and a little encouragement is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-langley-bosher/it-isn-t-bad-judgment-to-make-a-man-believe-he-is-something-he-is-by/)

[Kate Langley Bosher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-langley-bosher/)

> [A hard heart makes for hard judgments; a compassionate heart understands the humanity of the one we presume to judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/a-hard-heart-makes-for-hard-judgments-a-compassionate-heart/)

[Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/)

> [Love's mind of judgment rarely hath a taste: Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-s-mind-of-judgment-rarely-hath-a-taste-wings-and-no-eyes-figure/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Every man will have his own criterion in forming his judgment of others. I depend very much on the effect of affliction. I consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cecil/every-man-will-have-his-own-criterion-in-forming-his-judgment-of/)

[Richard Cecil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cecil/)

> [More exposure leads to more judgment and negativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camila-morrone/more-exposure-leads-to-more-judgment-and-negativity/)

[Camila Morrone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camila-morrone/)

> [Laugh at every mistakes and realize that no one is perfect. We are human. All of us are imperfect, so there's no point judging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/laugh-at-every-mistakes-and-realize-that-no-one-is-perfect-we-are/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Anybody who is an entrepreneur is a person who essentially has impaired judgment. The odds of success are zilch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/anybody-who-is-an-entrepreneur-is-a-person-who-essentially-has/)

[Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/)

> [Nobody wants to see someone's life ruined over a small-time lapse in judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-baker/nobody-wants-to-see-someone-s-life-ruined-over-a-small-time-lapse-in/)

[Charlie Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-baker/)

[Browse all 3,488 Judgment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My politics would be, must be, have to be, completely separate from my judgment.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Elena Kagan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/my-politics-would-be-must-be-have-to-be-completely-separate-from-my/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Judgment"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/my-politics-would-be-must-be-have-to-be-completely-separate-from-my/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/elena-kagan-22833_judgment_my-politics-would-be-must-be-have-to-be_201857.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/elena-kagan-22833_judgment_my-politics-would-be-must-be-have-to-be_201857.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/elena-kagan-22833_judgment_my-politics-would-be-must-be-have-to-be_201857.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My politics would be, must be, have to be, completely separate from my judgment.” — Elena Kagan",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Elena Kagan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kagan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My politics would be, must be,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/my-politics-would-be-must-be-have-to-be-completely-separate-from-my/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kagan/my-politics-would-be-must-be-have-to-be-completely-separate-from-my/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
