---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most Americans want judges who will stick…"
description: "\"Most Americans want judges who will stick to interpreting the law rather than making it.\" — Sam Brownback"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/061/sam-brownback-11107_interpreting_most-americans-want-judges-who-will-stic_1452755.jpg"
---

#  Most Americans want judges who will stick to interpreting…

![“Most Americans want judges who will stick to interpreting the law rather than making it.” quote by Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/061/sam-brownback-11107_interpreting_most-americans-want-judges-who-will-stic_1452755.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/061/sam-brownback-11107_interpreting_most-americans-want-judges-who-will-stic_1452755.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/061/sam-brownback-11107_interpreting_most-americans-want-judges-who-will-stic_1452755.jpg)

> “Most Americans want judges who will stick to interpreting the law rather than making it.”

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

## About This Quote

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

People prefer judges who interpret existing laws rather than create new ones, reflecting a desire for limited judicial activism.

**In simple terms:** Prefer judges who interpret, not create law.

Key Takeaway

Support judicial restraint.

Themes

law judiciary politics

Mood

critical thoughtful

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- court decisions
- legislative debates
- public policy

Key Concepts

judicial restraint interpretation vs creation

Questions to Reflect On

- Should judges ever adapt law to modern contexts?
- How does judicial activism impact democracy?

A Different Perspective

Strict interpretation can ignore evolving societal needs.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Americans Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-want/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Interpreting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interpreting/) [Interpreting Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interpreting-law-5228489/) [Judges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judges/) [Judges Stick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judges-stick-5228488/) [Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Sticks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticks/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Judges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-judges-342143/)

## Related quotes

> [I would like beautiful gymnastics to be recognized as the best. I want the judges to appreciate things that are not necessarily winning points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kohei-uchimura/i-would-like-beautiful-gymnastics-to-be-recognized-as-the-best-i-want/)

[Kohei Uchimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kohei-uchimura/)

> [Ideological warriors whether from the Left or the Right are bad news for the bench. They tend to make law, not interpret law. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ideological-warriors-whether-from-the-left-or-the-right-are-bad-news/)

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

> [I want judges on the Supreme Court who will not use that position to impose their personal policy preferences or political agenda on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cornyn/i-want-judges-on-the-supreme-court-who-will-not-use-that-position-to/)

[John Cornyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cornyn/)

> [I'm afraid, is that there are a number of groups who really don't want a fair-minded judge who has an openness to both sides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cornyn/i-m-afraid-is-that-there-are-a-number-of-groups-who-really-don-t-want/)

[John Cornyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cornyn/)

> [Softly! Softly! I want none but the judges to hear me. The Jews have already gotten me into a fine mess, as they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/softly-softly-i-want-none-but-the-judges-to-hear-me-the-jews-have/)

[Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/)

> [I want judges on the Supreme Court who will respect the words and the meaning of the Constitution, the laws enacted by Congress and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cornyn/i-want-judges-on-the-supreme-court-who-will-respect-the-words-and-the/)

[John Cornyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cornyn/)

> [The court's injected itself in the definition of marriage, deciding whether or not human life is worth protecting, permitting government to transfer private property…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/the-court-s-injected-itself-in-the-definition-of-marriage-deciding/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [Most Americans believe in fairness; we believe that people should work hard but there should be a safety net. We believe in saving the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-maclean/most-americans-believe-in-fairness-we-believe-that-people-should-work/)

[Nancy MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-maclean/)

> [Americans want a strong military but one that is extremely cautious about getting involved in war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/americans-want-a-strong-military-but-one-that-is-extremely-cautious/)

[Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/)

> [ I think I knew how frightened people were \[when Donald Trump was elected\], and I think I knew that people were worried about their… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/i-think-i-knew-how-frightened-people-were-when-donald-trump-was/)

[Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/)

> [As Americans, we want peace - we work and sacrifice for peace. But there can be no peace if our security depends on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/as-americans-we-want-peace-we-work-and-sacrifice-for-peace-but-there/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [Americans might not want to intervene in the outside world, but the outside world will still want to intervene in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/americans-might-not-want-to-intervene-in-the-outside-world-but-the/)

[Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/)

> [If the Americans do not want to support us anymore, let them go, get out! Let them forget their humanitarian promises!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nguyen-van-thieu/if-the-americans-do-not-want-to-support-us-anymore-let-them-go-get/)

[Nguyen Van Thieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nguyen-van-thieu/)

> [Now, look, it's true, Americans do want leaders that will come to Washington, D.C. and work together to get things done, but that comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/now-look-it-s-true-americans-do-want-leaders-that-will-come-to/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [“Americans do not want to endure the necessary pain to resolve their fiscal problems; so they will continue to print and spend more money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-skarica/americans-do-not-want-to-endure-the-necessary-pain-to-resolve-their/)

[David Skarica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-skarica/)

## More by Sam Brownback

> [The next president needs to know foreign policy and not learn it on the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/the-next-president-needs-to-know-foreign-policy-and-not-learn-it-on/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [I always think that the party that offers the most hope and ideas for the future is the party that wins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/i-always-think-that-the-party-that-offers-the-most-hope-and-ideas-for/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [I've been around the government system and believe me it's built to spend. You've got to change the system, otherwise it's like asking a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/i-ve-been-around-the-government-system-and-believe-me-it-s-built-to/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [I enjoyed working with Ted Kennedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/i-enjoyed-working-with-ted-kennedy/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [We must do everything we can to be more aggressive in confronting Syria about what they are doing in Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/we-must-do-everything-we-can-to-be-more-aggressive-in-confronting/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [Unborn children can experience pain even more so than adults as the baby has more pain receptors per square inch than at any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/unborn-children-can-experience-pain-even-more-so-than-adults-as-the/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [Among the most famous of these Supreme Court cases of exercise of political power I believe are the cases of Roe V. Wade and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/among-the-most-famous-of-these-supreme-court-cases-of-exercise-of/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [History has shown that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg did, in fact, dramatically change the balance of the court in many critical areas, such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/history-has-shown-that-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg-did-in-fact/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [Immigration is a volatile issue, but we're in the middle of it now, and probably the worst thing to do is to not do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/immigration-is-a-volatile-issue-but-we-re-in-the-middle-of-it-now-and/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [As I noted to my colleagues in the Roberts' hearings, in a year between 80 percent to 90 percent of the children in America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/as-i-noted-to-my-colleagues-in-the-roberts-hearings-in-a-year-between/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [The historical relationship between Christians and Jews for most of the two thousand years of Christianity has not been good and it's been mostly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/the-historical-relationship-between-christians-and-jews-for-most-of/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [The court's injected itself in the definition of marriage, deciding whether or not human life is worth protecting, permitting government to transfer private property…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/the-court-s-injected-itself-in-the-definition-of-marriage-deciding/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [ \[Jane\] Roe has made it not only possible, but has found it constitutional to kill a whole class of people, simply because of their… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/jane-roe-has-made-it-not-only-possible-but-has-found-it/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [It is time for the government of China to stop holding innocent religious figures in captivity merely for peacefully protesting China's occupation of Tibet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/it-is-time-for-the-government-of-china-to-stop-holding-innocent/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

> [ To kill \[children in the womb\] makes us all the poorer, insensitive, calloused and jaded. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/to-kill-children-in-the-womb-makes-us-all-the-poorer-insensitive/)

[Sam Brownback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

[Explore all 61 Sam Brownback quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/)

## 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": "Most Americans want judges who will stick to interpreting the law rather than making it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sam Brownback"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/most-americans-want-judges-who-will-stick-to-interpreting-the-law/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Constitution"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/most-americans-want-judges-who-will-stick-to-interpreting-the-law/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/061/sam-brownback-11107_interpreting_most-americans-want-judges-who-will-stic_1452755.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/061/sam-brownback-11107_interpreting_most-americans-want-judges-who-will-stic_1452755.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/061/sam-brownback-11107_interpreting_most-americans-want-judges-who-will-stic_1452755.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Most Americans want judges who will stick to interpreting the law rather than making it.” — Sam Brownback",
                "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": "Sam Brownback",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-brownback/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Most Americans want judges who will...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/most-americans-want-judges-who-will-stick-to-interpreting-the-law/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-brownback/most-americans-want-judges-who-will-stick-to-interpreting-the-law/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```