Why was Roosevelt upset when the supreme court started ruling parts of the New Deal unconstitutional?
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was upset when the Supreme Court started ruling parts of the New Deal unconstitutional because it threatened his efforts to implement his economic and social reform policies. The New Deal was a series of programs and reforms aimed at addressing the economic crisis of the Great Depression, providing relief to the unemployed, and regulating the financial sector.
The Supreme Court, however, ruled against several key components of the New Deal. For example, in 1935, the Court ruled the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) unconstitutional in the case of Schechter Poultry Corporation v. United States. The NIRA established industrial codes and regulated wages and working conditions to promote fair competition. The Court argued that it gave the president excessive powers and violated the separation of powers under the Constitution.
In another instance, the Court ruled against the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) in 1936, claiming that it infringed upon state powers due to its regulatory nature. The AAA sought to combat overproduction and stabilize prices in agriculture by regulating farm production and providing subsidies to farmers.
These rulings threatened to undermine Roosevelt's New Deal agenda and his ability to address the economic crisis. Frustrated by these decisions, Roosevelt proposed the "court-packing plan" in 1937, which aimed to expand the number of Supreme Court justices. This plan would have allowed him to appoint new justices who shared his views on the New Deal, thereby altering the Court's composition and potentially leading to more favorable rulings.
Although the court-packing plan ultimately failed, it did put pressure on some justices, leading to a shift in the Court's stance. Faced with mounting public criticism and an increasing number of vacancies due to retirements, some justices began to change their positions, and subsequent rulings became more favorable toward Roosevelt's policies.