Is the judicial branch the weakest?

Did the Founding Fathers really want the judicial to be the weakest branch of government?

• Last night on the Republican debates that Thomas Jefferson wanted the Judicial to be the least powerful branch of government. Did the Founding Fathers actually believe this?

• Answer:

  This sounds like the perrenial political tactic of asserting that the intentions of the founding fathers were monolithic and align perfectly with one's own belief system.   In this case the motive is more strategic:  if you can minimize any capacity to interpret the constitution while simultaneously convincing others that you have a perfect understanding of the founder's intentions, you put yourself in a position of power that is difficult to challenge.  It's the same dynamic with Biblical fundamentalism:  make a claim that everything in the Bible is perfectly clear for those with the ability to see and that you are one of those enlightened few.  Combined with a certain charisma, it's a formidable power vehicle.