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Difficulty: MediumThe New Deal: Policies, Reforms, and Debates

"The clause of the Constitution which confers the power to lay and collect taxes... does not grant power to regulate agricultural production. It is an established principle that the attainment of a prohibited end may not be accomplished under the pretext of the exertion of powers which are granted... The act invades the reserved rights of the states. It is a statutory plan to regulate and control agricultural production, a matter beyond the powers delegated to the federal government. The tax, the appropriation of the funds raised, and the direction for their disbursement, are but parts of the plan. They are but means to an unconstitutional end. From the accepted doctrine that the United States is a government of delegated powers, it follows that those not delegated are reserved to the states or to the people."
— Supreme Court of the United States, United States v. Butler (1936)

Which of the following was the most direct political consequence of the judicial reasoning expressed in the excerpt?

  1. A legislative proposal by the executive branch to expand the membership of the Supreme Court.Answer
  2. B
    The immediate termination of the Great Depression as private agricultural businesses rapidly recovered.
  3. C
    The constitutional invalidation of Great Society social welfare programs such as Medicare.
  4. D
    A shift toward internationalism as the federal government sought to resolve agricultural surpluses through foreign treaties.

Answer

The correct answer is the option stating that the excerpt led to a legislative proposal by the executive branch to expand the membership of the Supreme Court.
The correct answer is correct because the Supreme Court's decisions to strike down key New Deal legislation, including the Agricultural Adjustment Act in United States v. Butler (1936), directly prompted President Franklin D. Roosevelt to propose the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937. This controversial proposal aimed to expand the membership of the Supreme Court in order to establish a judicial majority favorable to New Deal policies.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the excerpt to identify the source and context.
The excerpt is from the 1936 Supreme Court case United States v. Butler, which declared the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) unconstitutional.
Recognizing the case helps identify the conflict between the judiciary and the Roosevelt administration over the scope of federal power.
2
Connect the judicial ruling to subsequent political developments of the New Deal era.
The Supreme Court struck down major New Deal programs, creating a major obstacle for the Roosevelt administration's reform efforts.
To bypass this judicial opposition, President Roosevelt proposed the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937 (court-packing plan).
3
Match the correct historical consequence to the options provided.
The option stating that a legislative proposal was made by the executive branch to expand the Supreme Court is the correct option.
It directly describes the political fallout of the Court's invalidation of New Deal reforms.

Key Concept

The debate over the constitutional limits of federal power and the role of the Supreme Court during the New Deal.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

The New Deal: Policies, Reforms, and Debates

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