Democracy v. Concentrated Wealth: In Search of a Louis D. Brandeis Quote

Abstract

On June 25, 2000, Ralph Nader used a little known quote by Louis D. Brandeis in his acceptance statement for the Green Party presidential nomination. Nader was apparently so enamored of the quote that he proceeded to repeat it in nearly every subsequent speech he made on the campaign trail. History has yet to determine whether any of Nader’s other statements in his speeches will make any lasting impact, but the Brandeis quote has certainly caught on. Over the years since 2000, the quote has been repeated so often in books, in articles and on the Internet that it has arguably become Brandeis’ most well-known quote. Unfortunately, there is no evidence he ever actually said it.

Keywords: Louis D. Brandeis, legal research

JEL Classification: K00