Why was the US Supreme Court a problem for President Franklin Roosevelt?

Answer 1

The US Supreme Court ruled six of eight New Deal Programs unconstitutional.

President Franklin Roosevelt and Congress hoped to improve economic conditions in the United States during and immediately after the Great Depression through a series of programs known as the New Deal.

Unfortunately, Roosevelt inherited a court full of older justices who disapproved of the legislation, and declared six of Congress' eight major Acts unconstitutional, thwarting Roosevelt's plans. Roosevelt was angry with the justices, whom he referred to as the "Nine Old Men," for refusing to allow New Deal policies to work as intended. In Roosevelt's mind, the Supreme Court presented a major obstacle to economic recovery and stabilization because of their conservatism.

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Answer 2

President Roosevelt inherited a group of old, conservative, Lochner-era justices who overturned six of his eight major New Deal programs as unconstitutional. Although they were generally obstructionist, in most cases, the justices legitimately checked Congress's inappropriate use of the Interstate Commerce Clause.

From Roosevelt's perspective, they were preventing the Executive and Legislative branches from stabilizing the economy through innovative government intervention.

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