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Why did Roosevelt ask Congress for a bill that would allow him to add justices to the US Supreme Court?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Roosevelt's court-packing plan was intended to prevent the US Supreme Court from declaring his New Deal legislation unconstitutional by adding justices who favored his policies and to change the balance of the Court toward liberalism.
Explanation
In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt drafted a bill for Congress titled the "Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937," which became popularly known as the "Court-packing Plan," for Roosevelt's attempt to add as many as six new Justices to the Supreme Court.
Although the bill endeavored a broad overhaul and modernization of the federal court system, its most important provision was the proposal that one new Justice be appointed for every sitting Justice over the age of 70.5, up to a maximum of six members (which could potentially have brought the total count to 15).
The motivation behind this change was the President's frustration with the conservative majority opposition to his New Deal legislation. Roosevelt believed the incumbent justices were too old and set in their ways to appreciate the bold scope of the President's plans to revive the economy. He hoped that, by stacking the Court with more liberal Justices, those who shared his ideology, he would create an atmosphere more favorable toward his policies.
Roosevelt's proposed legislation failed when the Senate voted 70-20 to return the bill to the Judiciary Committee with explicit instructions to strip it of its court-packing provisions.
The US Supreme Court attended to Roosevelt's power play and became more supportive of the New Deal. The older, more conservative, justices began retiring in 1937. President Roosevelt eventually got his wish for a new Court when he nominated eight new justices to the bench between 1937 and 1943.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agohe wanted to have more power in the courts so that his, most controversial, new deal could be passed and viewed as Constitutional.
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How many US Supreme Court justices are on the Court today?
Currently, there are nine Supreme Court justices on the United States Supreme Court. The number of justices is set by Congress and has varied from five to 10. There have been nine justices since 1869. In 1937, Franklin Roosevelt attempted to add six more justices to the Supreme Court. He felt the court was obstructing much of his New Deal policies and adding more members who would agree with his views would help. This was termed the "Court Packing Plan." However, Congress did not agree and so the number remains at nine.
Why did roosevelt attempt to change the number of the supreme court justices?
He wanted more liberal justices in the court.
What was Roosevelt's major political failure?
His plan to expand the Supreme Court His plan to replace Supreme Court justices His plan to pack the courts.
The congress is allowed to do what?
impeach supreme court justices!!!!!! novnet>>>
Who has the ability to determine the numbers of justices of the supreme court?
congress
Had Congress allowed six more justices on the Supreme Court how might have this changed the balance of powers?
Had Congress allowed six more justices on the Supreme Court, how might have this changed the balance of powers
There are justices on the supreme courthow mean justices on the supreme court are there?
there are about how mean justices on the Supreme Court.
Who decided how many justices were on the first US Supreme Court?
Congress created the law that fixed the number of justices on the Supreme Court in 1869; the number has not changed since then. Under the US Constitution, the number of justices is not mentioned. Congress decides how many justices there shall be and has changed the number from time to time.
The number of justices on the Supreme Court are fixed by?
Congress decides how many justices should be on the US Supreme Court. The current number, nine, was set by the Judiciary Act of 1869.
How did Roosevelt hope to overcome opposition from the Supreme Court?
He tried to appoint additional justices.
Did Franklin Roosevelt appoint six additional justices to the US Supreme Court?
No. President Roosevelt wrote a plan that would allow him to appoint one new justice for each current justice over the age of 70.5 years old, up to a maximum of six additional justices, which would expand the size of the Supreme Court from nine to fifteen. Congress understood the President's idea was unconstitutional, so they refused to pass the legislation. Eventually, the old members of the Supreme Court began retiring and passing away, so Roosevelt was able to appoint eight replacements without adding to the size of the Court.
How did the US government finally settle on the 9 justice system they have today?
The Constitution gives the power of deciding the number of Supreme Court justices to Congress. In 1789, Congress called for the six appointed justices. As the nation grew in area and more judicial circuits were added, Congress adjusted the number of Supreme Court justices. In 1807, Congress adjusted the number to seven; in in 1837, nine; in 1863, ten; and in 1869, back to nine Supreme Court justices.
