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United States v. Butler

United States Supreme Court
297 U.S. 1 (1936)

Written by Megan Petersen, JD

Facts

In 1933, Congress enacted the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) to allow the secretary of agriculture to set limits on the production of certain crops and to tax farmers who produced in excess of those limits. The AAA also provided grants to farmers to control their production of crops and thus regulate prices. Butler (plaintiff), a processor of crops, brought suit against the United States government (defendant) in federal district court to challenge the constitutionality of the AAA. The district court ruled that Butler was required to pay taxes under the AAA, but the court of appeals reversed. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.

Rule of Law

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Issue

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Holding and Reasoning (Roberts, J.)

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A "yes" or "no" answer to the question framed in the issue section;
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Dissent (Stone, J.)

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