This Day
FDR's Court-Packing Plan Backfires (1937)
Feb 6, 2024
Explore FDR's failed court-packing plan to reform the judiciary and expand the number of Supreme Court justices. Learn about FDR's motivations, the consequences of the plan, and the challenges and critiques he faced. Discover the impact on FDR's team and party, the Supreme Court's independence, and the lasting legacy of his New Deal reforms. Also, delve into the history of the Supreme Court's composition and the arguments for expanding the court.
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Quick takeaways
- FDR's plan to expand the Supreme Court was a response to the opposition faced by his New Deal reforms, but it ultimately backfired, resulting in a loss of momentum for his second term.
- The Supreme Court saw FDR's court-packing plan as a political power grab that threatened the separation of powers, highlighting the court's conservative nature and the value placed on its independence.
Deep dives
FDR's Plan to Expand the Supreme Court
On February 5th, 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt announced a plan to expand the Supreme Court to as many as 15 judges with the intention of making it more efficient. Under the proposed plan, FDR would nominate an additional judge for every sitting judge who had served at least 10 years and was at least 70 years old. This plan was a response to the Supreme Court's opposition to Roosevelt's New Deal reforms during his first term. However, the plan faced intense pushback and ultimately backfired, contributing to a loss of momentum for Roosevelt's second term.
