FDR's Judicial Agenda Term Paper by Nicky

A discussion on the judicial philosophy and agenda of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR).
# 146303 | 1,204 words | 5 sources | MLA | 2010 | US
Published on Dec 25, 2010 in History (Leaders) , History (U.S. Presidency) , History (U.S. The 1930's - Great Depression)


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Description:

The paper focuses on Roosevelt's contentious attempt to expand the U.S. Supreme Court with new justices, when the elderly, conservative members of the Court proved unwilling to uphold the constitutionality of critical aspects of his New Deal legislation. The paper explains that Roosevelt thought the Supreme Court should serve the people and not be unresponsive to the popular will. The paper concludes that as noble as Roosevelt's intentions may have been, even liberal defenders of the New Deal might argue that this type of executive confidence, although thwarted, would later spur other presidents on to even more egregious use of their powers.

From the Paper:

"FDR was determined to bring the nation back from economic ruin. Many people wanted America to revert to total socialism, and FDR feared the specter of radicalism, as manifest in Russia at the time. He also feared the foot-dragging of conservative Republicans who agreed with the former President Herbert Hoover's contention that the business cycle would correct itself. Even more so than President Obama today, when Roosevelt assumed the presidency in 1933, the nation was in an economic, political, and moral crisis. America was depressed and in the midst of a Great Depression. Thus Roosevelt initiated unprecedented government regulation over the economy. He devalued the dollar and placed American industries and agriculture under a system of controls, codes and production quotas (Pusey 1958)."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Lord, Lewis. "An eagle that didn't take off." U.S. News and World Report. August 10, 2003. Full text of print article available March 6, 2009 athttp://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/030818/1870thann.htm
  • Menaker, by Richard G. "FDR's Court-Packing Plan: A Study in Irony." History Now. Issue 15, April 2008. March 6, 2009 http://www.historynow.org/04_2008/historian4.html
  • Pusey, M. "FDR versus the Supreme Court." American Heritage Magazine. 1958. Reprint accessed March 6, 2009 athttp://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1958/3/1958_3_24.shtml
  • "Presidential politics: Franklin Delano Roosevelt." The American Experience.PBS. March 6, 2009http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/32_f_roosevelt/f_roosevelt_politics.html
  • Roosevelt, Franklin. "Fireside Chat on Reorganization of the Judiciary." March 9, 1937. Full text and audio available March 6, 2009 at http://www.hpol.org/fdr/chat/

Cite this Term Paper:

APA Format

FDR's Judicial Agenda (2010, December 25) Retrieved June 07, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/term-paper/fdr-judicial-agenda-146303/

MLA Format

"FDR's Judicial Agenda" 25 December 2010. Web. 07 June. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/term-paper/fdr-judicial-agenda-146303/>

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