Court Packing vs. Reorganizing: The Supreme Court in the New Deal
During President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s first term, the Supreme Court had declared eight of FDR’s New Deal programs unconstitutional, including the National Recovery Act (NRA) and the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA).
After his landslide reelection in 1936, FDR submitted to Congress a plan for “judicial reform,” which forever came to be known as his attempt to “pack” the Supreme Court. FDR’s controversial plan proposed adding another justice for every justice over the age of 70 who refused to retire, up to a maximum of 15 total.
Analyze the following letter concerning one citizen’s opinion of FDR’s plan.
Carefully read and summarize the document. Cite specific textual evidence to support your analysis of the document.
- What type of document is this?
- Are there any symbols, letterhead, stamps, seals, or notations on the document? What do these tell you?
- What was author Frank Gannett’s purpose in writing this document?
- What claims does Gannett make in this letter?
- What evidence does Gannett provide to support his claims?
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