Our judges are as honest as other men, and not more so. They have, with others, the same passions for party, for power, and the privilege of their corps (group of people)....and their power the more dangerous as they are in office for life, and not responsible, as the other functionaries are, to the elective control.

Question

Our judges are as honest as other men, and not more so. They have, with others, the same passions for party, for power, and the privilege of their corps (group of people)....and their power the more dangerous as they are in office for life, and not responsible, as the other functionaries are, to the elective control.

This excerpt comes from a letter Jefferson wrote in response to the Supreme Courts decision on Matbury v. Madison. What was Jefferson's greatest concern?

Jefferson feels that congress should advise the Supreme Court on all constitutional matters.

Jefferson was concerned by the fact that judges were not elected.

Jefferson was concerned that the decision gave the Supreme Court too much authority.

Jefferson felt that judges were honest men and should not be questioned.

Answer 1

Jefferson's greatest concern was that the decision in Marbury v. Madison gave the Supreme Court too much authority. He believed that the judges, like all other men, were not inherently more honest and could be influenced by party, power, and self-interest. He also criticized the fact that the judges held their positions for life and were not accountable to the electorate, making their unchecked power more dangerous.

Answer 2

Jefferson's greatest concern, based on the provided excerpt, was that the decision in Matbury v. Madison had given the Supreme Court too much authority. He expressed concerns about the judges' power being dangerous because they held their positions for life, without being accountable to any elective control.

Answer 3

From the given excerpt, Jefferson's greatest concern can be inferred to be that the decision gave the Supreme Court too much authority. This is evident from the statement "and their power the more dangerous as they are in office for life, and not responsible, as the other functionaries are, to the elective control." This suggests that Jefferson was worried about the judges having a lifetime appointment without being accountable to the electorate, which could lead to an excessive accumulation of power in the hands of the Supreme Court.