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1932 › Norman Thomas (Socialist) › Independence of the Supreme Court

A Workers' Rights Amendment; curb the Supreme Court's power over Congress; proportional representation; direct election of the President

pledge_forwardspecific_pledgeparty_platformevidence B Government & InstitutionsLabor & Employment similar solutions · similar reasoning

Solution

Constitutional changes: a 'Workers' Rights Amendment' removing legal obstacles to nationalization and social insurance; limit the Supreme Court's power to void congressional legislation; proportional representation; direct popular election of the President.

Rationale

Judicial review has repeatedly blocked labor and social legislation.

Evidence B: the platform text is archived only as contemporary newspaper OCR (Milwaukee Leader, the Socialist daily) and Levinson's New Leader summary, not the official platform document.

Statements (1)

1932-05-24 · Edward Levinson, convention report in The New Leader (May 28) · conventionparty_platform ✓ verified

The section dealing with constitutional changes urge proportional representation, direct election of President of the United States, curb- ing the power of the Supreme Court to pass upon Congressional leg- islation, and the enactment of a "Workers' Rights Amendment" to the Federal constitution

Source: The Socialist Party Convention Day-by-Day (1932-05-24)

Follow-through

not_applicable

Thomas received 2.2 percent of the vote; the Socialist program could not be tested in office. No constitutional amendment; Roosevelt's 1937 court-enlargement plan failed but the 'switch in time' ended judicial obstruction of social legislation.

Enacted by others

1937-02-05

Franklin D. Roosevelt

message Judicial Procedures Reform Bill and the 1937 'switch in time'

source

Other positions on this issue

Preserve the independence of the Supreme Court from party control — Herbert Hoover, 1932 directional_stance
An independent Supreme Court secure from executive or legislative invasion; maintain the balance between States and nation — Alf Landon, 1936 directional_stance

1932-thomas-workers-rights-amendment-curb-court · created by claude-fable-5-1 · review: unreviewed