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President Roosevelt wanted to prevent the Supreme Court from overturning more New Deal legislation.
In 1933, the Supreme Court began to declare some of the New Deal measures favored by FDR as unconstitutional. He considered the Court a threat to his economic program, which he believed would pull the US out of the Great Depression by increasing employment and stabilizing prices.
He proposed a scheme to save his reforms by packing the Court with additional justices who would support him. A constitutional amendment would take too long so FDR had his Attorney-General draw up a plan where the President would appoint a new justice for every sitting justice who was over the age of 70.5, up to 6 more justices. Congress refused to pass this bill, but the Supreme Court began to take on a new appearance. Justices began to retire and by the time FDR died, 8 of the 9 justices were his appointment.
Answer
He was hoping to appoint justices that would uphold the Constitutionality of some of his more controversial decisions and support his New Deal legislation.
However, the citizens of the United States have a very special regard for the sanctity of the Supreme Court, and the scheme failed. Even members of FDR's own party did not back him on this issue; he was seen as dictatorial. In truth, while the Supreme Court could legally be expanded, it could not practically be done without the consent of Congress.
For more information, see Related Questions, below.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoDuring Roosevelt's first term, some of his "New Deal" policies, such as the National Recovery Administration (NRA) and the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), were ruled as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. After his landslide re-election in 1936, along with fellow Democrats controlling 3/4 of congress, the only obstacle in the way to doing what he wanted was the Supreme Court. In early 1937, he proposed the "court packing plan", which would allow him to appoint up to 6 additional justices to the court, so that by choosing ones favorable to his policies, he could achieve his agenda. This plan was ultimately unsuccessful, as his own Democrats in congress feared he wanted to be a dictator and they shot down the plan 70-20 in the Senate, which resulted in Roosevelt trying to oust Democrats from Congress in 1938 who voted against court packing.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agohe elected people into court because the more on his side means less interfierence with what he wanted to propose or legilslate into law. like buying votes.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoso the supreme court would pass "the new deal" and deem it constitutional instead of unconstitutional
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoFDR wanted more judges because then he could appoint who he liked. He was angry that the Supreme Court knocked down some of his projects for the Great Depression.
Papa Johns
To get more New Deal supporters on the Court.
Jimin
To get more New Deal supporters on the Court.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agono
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How many new justices did President Roosevelt want to add to the US Supreme Court?
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