Was the Supreme Court supportive of Franklin D Roosevelt's efforts to solve the Great Depression?

Answer 1

No. The nine Lochner-era justices Roosevelt inherited from earlier administrations opposed most of his New Deal legislation, declaring six of the eight major Acts unconstitutional. The 1935 and 1936 Terms were especially brutal, but the Court began to shift toward a more progressive stance in 1937, as the older justices retired and were replaced.

Roosevelt appointed eight new, liberal, justices between 1937 and 1943, beginning a progressive era that lasted into the 1970s.

Answer 2

The Supreme Court was wary of FDR's programs because the size of the federal government that they would create was unprecedented in American history. Also, many of his programs had little Constitutional basis (that is not to say that they were specifically anti-Constitution, but were neutral as far as the document was concerned. When the Supreme Court began to consider ruling the programs unconstitutional, however, FDR passed a law increasing the number of justices to fifteen. He then began to submit applications for justices he wanted on the court to fill the new six slots and give him a majority. When the nine sitting justices saw this threat to their power, they relented on the New Deal programs provided that no new justices would join the court.