The U.S. Supreme Court case Railroad Retirement Board et al. v. Alton Railroad Co. et al., 1934, revolved around the constitutionality of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1934 which mandated a pension plan for railroad employees funded by both employers and employees alike, with administration overseen by a federal board (the Railroad Retirement Board). The Alton Railway Company along with other railroads and their workers challenged this act on grounds that it violated due process rights under the Fifth Amendment as well as exceeding Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce under Article I Section 8 Clause 3 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Alton Railways, declaring that while Congress had authority to regulate aspects directly affecting interstate commerce such as safety measures or labor conditions, it did not have jurisdiction over matters like retirement benefits which were considered local affairs and more related to employee welfare than direct business operations.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Railroad Retirement Board v. Alton Railroad Co., argued that the majority's decision was an overreach and misinterpretation of the Constitution's commerce clause. The justices believed that Congress had a right to regulate interstate commerce, including employee retirement plans within railroad companies operating across state lines. They contended that such regulation was necessary for maintaining stability and preventing disruptions in interstate trade caused by labor disputes or financial instability among railway workers nearing retirement age. Furthermore, they disagreed with the majority’s view on non-delegation doctrine, arguing instead that Congress could delegate regulatory authority to administrative agencies like the Railroad Retirement Board as long as it provided clear guidelines for their actions.