A new poll has shown that Americans are dissatisfied with the Supreme Court’s current functioning. It also shows that a large number of respondents have changed their opinions on the institution in the past year.
The Marquette Law School Poll, which was conducted between July 5-12, found that most Americans do not approve of how the Supreme Court has functionedOver the past year. Just 38 percent of respondents said that they approve of the Court’s recent actions, while 61 percent said that they disapprove.
That approval rating is a drastic shift from the American public’s opinion on the Court a year ago. Indeed, in July 2021, those numbers were reversed — 60 percent of respondents approved of the Court while 39 percent disapproved, according to a Marquette Law School poll at the time.
The Court’s confidence is also very low. Just 28 percent of respondents said that they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the Court, while the same rate, 28 percent, said that they only have “some” confidence in the institution. A plurality of respondents, 44 percent, said that they have “very little” or no confidence in the Court.
The shift in public opinion is likely due to the Court’s myriad right-wing rulings this past term, most notably their decision to overturn Roe v. Wade Precedent for nearly five decades of abortion rights reform. The poll found that only 36% of respondents had high knowledge about the case. 64% said they opposed the ruling.
The poll also showed that 61% of Americans believe that the Court’s motivations are political, while only 39% say that the Court’s motivations are motivated by a desire for the rule of the law.
Americans are split over whether the High Court should be expanded. This is something that many progressives have called out in light of Republicans’ underhanded maneuveringTrump administration added justices to Court to secure a majority of 6-3. Although President Joe Biden established a commission to study expansion, it was not unanimous. Proponents of this measure have however noted that doing so could help restore the Court’s legitimacy.
Forty nine percent of the poll’s respondents said that they back the idea of increasing the Court’s size, while 51 percent said that they are opposed to such a measure — a virtual tie, given the poll’s 4-point margin of error.
Marquette Law School did not ask respondents their opinions about the possibility of limiting the time Supreme Court justices can serve. However, it has asked this question in the past. However, other polling data suggests that Americans would be open to reform. A Politico/Morning Consult Poll conducted in JuneFor example, a survey showed that 62 per cent of Americans support term limits for justices. Only 23 percent of respondents said that they wouldn’t support the idea.
