Legislative intent is probably the most common factor cited by courts in statutory interpretation, and the original intent approach to constitutional interpretation flourished for a time in the second half of the 20th century (fading in the 1980s). The importance of legislative intent in statutory interpretation and of original intent in constitutional interpretation is often thought to follow from the demands of democracy. A familiar democratic idea, for example, is that courts should faithfully carry out the intentions of the people’s chosen representatives. Though initially appealing, intentionalism has been subjected to a battery of important criticisms.