Age Quote by Joseph Story
“Temporary delusions, prejudices, excitements, and objects have irresistible influence in mere questions of policy. And the policy of one age may ill suit the wishes or the policy of another. The constitution is not subject to such fluctuations. It is to have a fixed, uniform, permanent construction. It should be, so far at least as human infirmity will allow, not dependent upon the passions or parties of particular times, but the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States, 1833
Political ideas should be stable, not swayed by fleeting public moods or partisan pressures.
In simple terms: Policy should stay constant despite changing opinions.
Key Takeaway
Design institutions that resist temporary passions.
Themes
constitution
stability
politics
law
human nature
Mood
serious
reflective
Type
philosophical
legal
When to use this quote
- Legislative drafting
- judicial review
- constitutional amendment
- public policy debates
Key Concepts
Legal theory
institutional design
philosophy of law
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we protect laws from short‑term pressures?
- What mechanisms best ensure lasting constitutional stability?
A Different Perspective
Human passions can still indirectly shape outcomes despite fixed structures.
![“At the time of the adoption of the constitution, and of the amendment to it, now under consideration [i.e., the First Amendment], the general, if not the universal sentiment in America was, that Christianity ought to receive encouragement from the state, so far as was not incompatible with the…” quote by Joseph Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ef2/joseph-story-11919_adoption_at-the-time-of-the-adoption-of-the-const_282131.jpg)
![“[I]t is impossible for those, who believe in the truth of Christianity, as a divine revelation, to doubt, that it is the especial duty of government to foster, and encourage it among all the citizens and subjects. This is a point wholly distinct from that of the right of private judgment in…” quote by Joseph Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5c4/joseph-story-11919_believe_i-t-is-impossible-for-those-who-believe_635340.jpg)
