Roosevelt Packs Tries to Pack the Supreme Court

Supreme Court Building

From the moment the Supreme Court had invalidated the NRA Roosevelt had looked for means of effecting change within it. After his overwhelming election victory he decided to take a bold step. he proposed to increase the number of Justices, thus allowing him to appoint Justices more attuned to his point of views. Opposition to the proposal was strong, and ultimately Roosevelt was forced to withdraw the proposal. In the meantime the court upheld a number of important New Deal programs. It can be argued that fear of the plan led swing Justices to go along with some of the New Deal legislation. Ultimately he did pack the court, appointing 8 justices.