The New Deal at High Tide Summary and Analysis

Roosevelt seemed to enjoy his first term in office. He always projected a happy and confident image. There were problems that he encountered with his legislation along the way. In 1936, the Supreme Court ruled that the processing tax of the AAA was unconstitutional. This was known as the Butler decision, and it was followed by a sharp decline in farm prices. Roosevelt's plans to balance the budget were disturbed, but there was a need for revenues. The result was the Revenue Act of 1936, which levied a mild tax on undistributed earnings.

A new farm law had to be passed. The Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act paid farmers for not planting certain crops. There had been many dust storms in the 1930s and the nation was concerned with soil conservation. The...