--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Americans revere both the Constitution…" description: "\"Americans revere both the Constitution and an independent Court that applies the document's provisions. The Court has done many excellent things in our..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/robert-bork-16437_behave_americans-revere-both-the-constitution-a_2444321.jpg" --- # Americans revere both the Constitution and an independent… ![“Americans revere both the Constitution and an independent Court that applies the document's provisions. The Court has done many excellent things in our history, and few people are willing to see its power broken. The difficulty with all proposals to respond to the Court when it behaves…” quote by Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/robert-bork-16437_behave_americans-revere-both-the-constitution-a_2444321.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/robert-bork-16437_behave_americans-revere-both-the-constitution-a_2444321.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/robert-bork-16437_behave_americans-revere-both-the-constitution-a_2444321.jpg) > “Americans revere both the Constitution and an independent Court that applies the document's provisions. The Court has done many excellent things in our history, and few people are willing to see its power broken. The difficulty with all proposals to respond to the Court when it behaves unconstitutionally is that they would create a power to destroy the Court's essential work as well.” [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote stresses the tension between respecting the Constitution and an independent judiciary while recognizing the difficulty of curbing a court that oversteps its bounds without undermining its essential role. **In simple terms:** Respect courts but limit overreach without harming their core purpose. Key Takeaway Balance respect with accountability. Themes law government checks and balances judicial independence political theory Mood cautious analytical Type political legal When to use this quote - legislative reform - court oversight - civic education - media analysis Key Concepts constitutionalism separation of powers institutional integrity Questions to Reflect On - How can we hold courts accountable without eroding their legitimacy? - What safeguards protect judicial independence? A Different Perspective Limiting a powerful court may weaken its ability to protect rights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [I believe the attorney general or the deputy attorney general has an obligation to follow the law and the Constitution and to give their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-yates/i-believe-the-attorney-general-or-the-deputy-attorney-general-has-an/) [Sally Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-yates/) > [In matters of religion, I have considered that its free exercise is placed by the Constitution independent of the powers of the general government.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/in-matters-of-religion-i-have-considered-that-its-free-exercise-is/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [If somebody flouts laws unconstitutionally, they will not get support from the BJP.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smriti-irani/if-somebody-flouts-laws-unconstitutionally-they-will-not-get-support/) [Smriti Irani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smriti-irani/) > [“The core argument of this book is that African Americans were unconstitutionally denied the means and the right to integration in middle-class neighborhoods, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rothstein/the-core-argument-of-this-book-is-that-african-americans-were/) [Richard Rothstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rothstein/) > [If they are incorporated into the Constitution, independent tribunals of justice will consider themselves in a peculiar manner the guardians of those rights; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/if-they-are-incorporated-into-the-constitution-independent-tribunals/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“The report made a science fiction-like case that the president was within his constitutional rights to reinterpret congressional legislation to conform more closely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-report-made-a-science-fiction-like-case-that-the-president-was/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I see the Beijing National Stadium as an architectural project. I accepted Herzog and De Meuron's invitation to collaborate on the design, and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-see-the-beijing-national-stadium-as-an-architectural-project-i/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Perhaps my early problems with dyslexia made me more intuitive: when someone sends me a written proposal, rather than dwelling on detailed facts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/perhaps-my-early-problems-with-dyslexia-made-me-more-intuitive-when/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [The workman cut to the left, still laying on his horn, and roared around the drunkenly weaving limousine. He invited the driver of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-workman-cut-to-the-left-still-laying-on-his-horn-and-roared/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [One of the reasons so many nonfiction books are so boring is because what they've done, very diligently, is fulfill the terms of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-dyer/one-of-the-reasons-so-many-nonfiction-books-are-so-boring-is-because/) [Geoff Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-dyer/) > [In order to expand the gaming population, it is taken for granted that we need to offer games to satisfy veteran gamers. At the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satoru-iwata/in-order-to-expand-the-gaming-population-it-is-taken-for-granted-that/) [Satoru Iwata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satoru-iwata/) > [In entirely unrelated news, there's a new proposal to mandate coverage for gay infertility. The problem is that gay infertility is just biology. Two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/in-entirely-unrelated-news-there-s-a-new-proposal-to-mandate-coverage/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [ As we have seen after every other \[Donald\] Trump controversy, this one only increased their enthusiasm for him. His supporters thought the idea of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/as-we-have-seen-after-every-other-donald-trump-controversy-this-one/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [I get that the media wants us to play theater critics and critique every other proposal. What I'm focusing on are my own policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-get-that-the-media-wants-us-to-play-theater-critics-and-critique/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [ Ben Carson also denounced \[Donald\] Trump's ban all Muslims proposal saying we do not and would not advocate being selective on one's religion. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/ben-carson-also-denounced-donald-trump-s-ban-all-muslims-proposal/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) ## More by Robert Bork > [Those who made and endorsed our Constitution knew man's nature, and it is to their ideas, rather than to the temptations of utopia, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/those-who-made-and-endorsed-our-constitution-knew-man-s-nature-and-it/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [ \[The current governing judicial philosophy is:\] If you want something passionately enough, it is guaranteed by the Constitution. No need to fiddle around gathering… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/the-current-governing-judicial-philosophy-is-if-you-want-something/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [The major obstacle to a religious renewal is the intellectual classes, who are highly influential and tend to view religion as primitive superstition. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/the-major-obstacle-to-a-religious-renewal-is-the-intellectual-classes/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [The Federalist Society has done more for the health of the law than any organization I have witnessed in my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/the-federalist-society-has-done-more-for-the-health-of-the-law-than/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [Reporters treat religion as beneath mention, as personally distasteful, or as a clear and present threat to the American way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/reporters-treat-religion-as-beneath-mention-as-personally-distasteful/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [“Now, however, the educational system has become the weapon of choice for modern liberals in their project of dismantling American culture.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/now-however-the-educational-system-has-become-the-weapon-of-choice/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [ When a judge goes beyond \[his proper function\] and reads entirely new values into the Constitution, values the framers and ratifiers did not put… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/when-a-judge-goes-beyond-his-proper-function-and-reads-entirely-new/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [I don't think the Constitution is studied almost anywhere, including law schools. In law schools, what they study is what the court said about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/i-don-t-think-the-constitution-is-studied-almost-anywhere-including/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [If the children already born each have only two children themselves ... in twenty-seven to thirty-five years the population of the world will double.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/if-the-children-already-born-each-have-only-two-children-themselves/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [In a constitutional democracy the moral content of law must be given by the morality of the framer or legislator, never by the morality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/in-a-constitutional-democracy-the-moral-content-of-law-must-be-given/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [As the courts keep pushing religion out of sight, the press either ignores it or treats it as some sort of emotional affliction. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/as-the-courts-keep-pushing-religion-out-of-sight-the-press-either/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [No church that panders to the zeitgeist deserves respect, and very shortly it will not get respect, except from those who find it politically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/no-church-that-panders-to-the-zeitgeist-deserves-respect-and-very/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [The National Rifle Association is always arguing that the Second Amendment determines the right to bear arms. But I think it really is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/the-national-rifle-association-is-always-arguing-that-the-second/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [The purpose that brought the fourteenth amendment into being was equality before the law, and equality, not separation, was written into the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/the-purpose-that-brought-the-fourteenth-amendment-into-being-was/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [One evening at a hotel in New York I flipped around the television channels. Suddenly there on the public access channel was a voluptuous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/one-evening-at-a-hotel-in-new-york-i-flipped-around-the-television/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) [Explore all 40 Robert Bork quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) ## More Behave quotes > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) Burne Hogarth > [You can behave as badly as you like in America. Nobody notices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/you-can-behave-as-badly-as-you-like-in-america-nobody-notices/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“Then Olympus it is. But do try to behave. I know it’s hard for you, but… (Delphine) I won’t piss on the floor. (Jericho)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/then-olympus-it-is-but-do-try-to-behave-i-know-it-s-hard-for-you-but/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [The possibility of saying anything about a thing rests on the assumption that it preserves its identity, or continues to be the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-knight/the-possibility-of-saying-anything-about-a-thing-rests-on-the/) [Frank Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-knight/) > [Why does man behave like perfect idiot? This is the problem I wish to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-szent-gyorgyi/why-does-man-behave-like-perfect-idiot-this-is-the-problem-i-wish-to/) [Albert Szent-Gyorgyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-szent-gyorgyi/) > [This is a time in my life where I'm gonna behave like an elegant human being. Or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/this-is-a-time-in-my-life-where-i-m-gonna-behave-like-an-elegant/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [Most people, even in simple risky situations, don't behave the way the theory of utility would have them behave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-raiffa/most-people-even-in-simple-risky-situations-don-t-behave-the-way-the/) [Howard Raiffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-raiffa/) > [As a club, we have an educational purpose: to give back to those people who love Arsenal so that they learn moral values from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/as-a-club-we-have-an-educational-purpose-to-give-back-to-those-people/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [What astonishes many of us is not so much that human nature is fundamentally corrupt; we are astonished rather that it does not behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-irving-seiden/what-astonishes-many-of-us-is-not-so-much-that-human-nature-is/) Morton Irving Seiden > [Do we behave out of fear of punishment, or out of the demands of our heart? For me, it is the latter, as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-we-behave-out-of-fear-of-punishment-or-out-of-the-demands-of-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you are in hard labor, remember that the length of labor is usually proportional to the number of people around. Avoid the presence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-odent/when-you-are-in-hard-labor-remember-that-the-length-of-labor-is/) [Michel Odent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-odent/) > [The superpowers often behave like two heavily armed blind men feeling their way around a room, each believing himself in mortal peril from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-superpowers-often-behave-like-two-heavily-armed-blind-men-feeling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For political and bureaucratic reasons, governments at all levels are telling far less to the public than to insiders about how to prepare for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/for-political-and-bureaucratic-reasons-governments-at-all-levels-are/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) Browse all 1,587 Behave quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Americans revere both the Constitution and an independent Court that applies the document's provisions. The Court has done many excellent things in our history, and few people are willing to see its power broken. The difficulty with all proposals to respond to the Court when it behaves unconstitutionally is that they would create a power to destroy the Court's essential work as well.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Bork" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/americans-revere-both-the-constitution-and-an-independent-court-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behave" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/americans-revere-both-the-constitution-and-an-independent-court-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/robert-bork-16437_behave_americans-revere-both-the-constitution-a_2444321.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/robert-bork-16437_behave_americans-revere-both-the-constitution-a_2444321.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/robert-bork-16437_behave_americans-revere-both-the-constitution-a_2444321.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Americans revere both the Constitution and an independent Court that applies the document's provisions. The…” — Robert Bork", "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": "Robert Bork", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Americans revere both the Constitution and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/americans-revere-both-the-constitution-and-an-independent-court-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/americans-revere-both-the-constitution-and-an-independent-court-that/#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 } } ] } ```