A Quote by Ted Cruz

You want to know what judicial activism is? Judicial activism is judges imposing their policy preferences on the words of the Constitution.

Ted Cruz

Quote Topics

Activism Constitution Imposing Judges Judicial Judicial Activism Know Policy Preferences Want Words

Quote Author

Ted Cruz
American - Politician
Born: December 22, 1970

If Americans loved judicial activism, liberals wouldn't be lying about what it is. Judicial activism means making up constitutional rights in order to strike down laws the justices don't like based on their personal preferences. It's not judicial activism to strike down laws because they violate the Constitution.

Ann Coulter

Much of the Constitution is remarkably simple and straightforward - certainly as compared to the convoluted reasoning of judges and law professors discussing what is called 'Constitutional law,' much of which has no basis in that document....The real question [for judicial nominees] is whether that nominee will follow the law or succumb to the lure of 'a living constitution,' 'evolving standards' and other lofty words meaning judicial power to reshape the law to suit their own personal preferences.

Thomas Sowell

The Supreme Court's most conservative Justices have presented themselves as great respecters of precedent and opponents of 'judicial activism' - of judges using the Constitution to strike down laws passed by the elected branches of government. If they are true to those principles, they should uphold rent control.

Adam Cohen

Popularity makes no law invulnerable to invalidation. Americans accept judicial supervision of their democracy - judicial review of popular but possibly unconstitutional statutes - because they know that if the Constitution is truly to constitute the nation, it must trump some majority preferences.

George Will

As Alexander Hamilton said in 'The Federalist Papers,' law is about the exercise of judgment and not will. Judicial activism is best understood as substituting judicial opinion for the command of law. The law is not an infinitely malleable tool.

Edwin Meese

We have a problem with judicial activism in this country.

Dan Bongino

It is true that there have been excesses of judicial activism.

Prashant Bhushan

Of course, conservatives always claim to be against judicial activism.

Michael Kinsley

Out of control judicial activism threatens traditional marriage in America.

Ernest Istook

Liberals attempt through judicial activism what they cannot win at the ballot box.

Rush Limbaugh

Our Parliamentary system has simply failed to meet the challenge of judicial activism.

Stockwell Day

Judicial activists are nothing short of radicals in robes--contemptuous of the rule of law, subverting the Constitution at will, and using their public trust to impose their policy preferences on society. In fact, no radical political movement has been more effective in undermining our system of government than the judiciary. And with each Supreme Court term, we hold our collective breath hoping the justices will do no further damage, knowing full well they will disappoint. Such is the nature of judicial tyranny.

Mark Levin

So the danger of conservative judicial activism has been averted for another year. Stay tuned.

Michael Kinsley

I do think the whole question of judicial accountability is a complicated one. On the one hand, you want to encourage judicial independence. And it's always, I think, problematic when an unpopular decision triggers a recall election. Because it sends a disempowering message to judges. On the other hand, it's the only way that voters have to rein in someone whose views are really so out of the mainstream of public opinion that they jeopardize the legitimacy of the judicial process.

Deborah Rhode

Invalidating laws has absolutely nothing to do with judicial activism. It depends on whether the law is unconstitutional or not. That's really the key point.

Ann Coulter

Central planning, judicial activism, and the nanny state all presume vastly more knowledge than any elite have ever possessed.

Thomas Sowell