The Lochner Era

A little cold water on the idea that it was a decision that led to corporations doing anything they wanted to their employees. Oddly, people ignore that the Supreme Court said valid health and safety codes were fine, but that the maximum number of hours that any employee (specifically in a baker's shop) can work didn't have much to with the health of the employee. Really, the specific NY law that was overturned was introduced by unions to protect their large shops against rival bakers (add in some anti-immigrant bias too). And just three years later, the roughly same court said that maximum 10 hour per day laws were ok for femal garment workers. Probably some sexism in that (women are the fairer sex type thought). So, much of both the liberal and conservative critiques of the extremism of that decision is over blown.

Also, you got to love Wickard v. Filburn too. A farmer grows his wheat for his chickens and keeps the wheat for his own use, but that still qualifies as something the federal government can regulated under INTERSTATE commerce. After all, his growing "too much" wheat leads to the price some where, some how changing by hundredths of pennies. Too be fair, conservatives can be just as bad as New Deal era courts when they think the "higher purpose" served by the law is more important then the common sense understanding of The Constitution actually is.