The court has built a great deal of prestige, and I think is generally quite well thought of as a public institution in the country. It is always possible for the court to overreach its proper bounds and perhaps declare a lot of laws unconstitutional and frustrate the will of the majority in a way that it ought not be frustrated. In that sense, it poses a danger, but not the same sort of perhaps very active danger that a run-away Congress or runaway executive would.
More from William Rehnquist
Perhaps you should say there should be mandatory retirement even of members of the court, members of the federal judiciary. I'm sure there can be questions abo…
Permalink to quote #13 [On writing:] Well, it's just a sense of personal satisfaction. Just like taking a good photograph or painting a picture or playing a good golf game or somethi…
Permalink to quote #15 If you could say of any one individual that the court as an institution is the length and shadow of that individual, surely it would be John Marshall.
Permalink to quote #12