FDR Fireside Chat and the New Deal

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts from FDR's Fireside Chat and the New Deal.

Commerce Clause

A clause in the Constitution that gives Congress the power to regulate trade among the states and with foreign nations.

Court Packing Plan

President FDR's proposal to increase the number of Supreme Court justices to counteract court rulings against New Deal legislation.

Laissez-faire

An economic philosophy of free-market capitalism that opposes government intervention.

Judicial independence

The concept that the judicial branch should be separate from the executive and legislative branches to provide fair and unbiased interpretations of the law.

New Deal

A series of programs and reforms introduced by FDR during the Great Depression aimed at economic recovery and social welfare.

Administrative agencies

Government bodies formed to carry out specific laws and programs, often composed of non-elected officials.

Social Security Act

A 1935 law that created a social insurance program designed to provide economic security for the elderly, unemployed, and disabled.

Glass-Steagall Act

A law enacted in 1933 that separated commercial banking from investment banking to reduce the risk of financial speculation.

Four Horsemen

A nickname for the four conservative justices of the Supreme Court during the 1930s who opposed FDR's New Deal policies.

Substantive due process

A constitutional doctrine that protects certain fundamental rights from government interference, even if fair procedures are followed.

Selective incorporation

The process by which select provisions of the Bill of Rights are applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

Liberty of contract

A legal doctrine that protects the right of individuals to enter into contracts without government interference.

Chief Justice Hughes

The Chief Justice of the United States during FDR's presidency who played a crucial role in judicial rulings regarding New Deal legislation.

Federalism

A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units (like states).

Judicial review

The power of the courts to assess whether a law is in compliance with the Constitution.

Footnote 4 (Carolene Products Case)

A famous footnote in the Supreme Court ruling that indicated the Court would apply stricter scrutiny to laws that discriminate against minorities or infringe on the electoral process.

Living Constitution

The idea that the Constitution is not a static document but evolves and adapts to changing societal conditions.

Economic security

The assurance that individuals will have the support they need to meet their economic needs.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

A landmark civil rights law that outlawed discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Imperial Presidency

A term used to describe the expansion of the power of the presidency, especially in terms of foreign policy and executive power.

U.S. v. Nixon (1974)

A landmark case that limited the power of the president by ruling that executive privilege is not absolute.

Wickard v. Filburn (1942)

A Supreme Court case that expanded Congress's regulatory power over economic activity, asserting that even private agricultural production can be regulated.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

A Supreme Court case that ruled racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, emphasizing that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.