"Most of the federal government’s authority over the economy derived from a clause in the Constitution empowering Congress to regulate interstate commerce, but the court construed the clause so narrowly that in another case that next spring, it ruled that not even so vast an industry as coal mining fell within the commerce power."
The "regulation of interstate commerce" now is a joke of a catchall which basically is modernly interpreted as "government can damn do what it pleases in every avenue of our lives" from its original interpretation which was "you can make sure horses can get from point A to point B".
The ruling with regards to interstate commerce was obviously correct. Local businesses even vertically integrated ones are part of a national marketplace
Many people disagree with that interpretation so its not at all obviously correct. It was not interpreted that way at all until FDR threatened to pack the court.
"Most of the federal government’s authority over the economy derived from a clause in the Constitution empowering Congress to regulate interstate commerce, but the court construed the clause so narrowly that in another case that next spring, it ruled that not even so vast an industry as coal mining fell within the commerce power."
The "regulation of interstate commerce" now is a joke of a catchall which basically is modernly interpreted as "government can damn do what it pleases in every avenue of our lives" from its original interpretation which was "you can make sure horses can get from point A to point B".