Lewis Williams Douglas (July 2, 1894 – March 7, 1974) was an American politician, diplomat, businessman and academic.

According to William E. Leuchtenburg, Tugwell had been greatly influenced by progressives like Robert LaFollette Jr., and headed the faction that advocated extensive government planning, heavy spending for relief and public works, and curbs on profiteers." During the banking crisis he urged Roosevelt to set up a national bank and take over "large blocks of paralyzed industries".

Tugwell's main opponent in the cabinet was Budget Director Lewis Williams Douglas. Leuchtenburg argued that "Douglas opposed government spending, abhorred currency tinkering, and believed that prosperity would come by balancing the budget and leaving capital investment to private industry". Douglas told Roosevelt that Tugwell's ideas might create the "establishment of a communistic or fascistic order of society". He also suggested that these measures would destroy the "middle-class by paper inflation or unbearable taxation". Douglas also supported regressive tax policies. His views were also shared by Raymond Moley.

On 30th August, 1934, deeply troubled by Roosevelt's fiscal policies, Douglas resigned. Some weeks later he wrote to President Franklin D. Roosevelt: "I hope, and hope most fervently, that you will evidence a real determination to bring the budget into actual balance, for upon this, I think, hangs not only your place in history but conceivably the immediate fate of western civilization." He was replaced by Henry Morgenthau, whose views were more like those of Tugwell than Douglas.