Yahoo Movies Americans remain pessimistic about Supreme Court months after Roe's demise, poll finds
WASHINGTON – Nine months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to abortion along with it, a majority of Americans still view the nation's highest court unfavorably, a new poll released Wednesday shows.
Just more than four in 10 Americans approve of the job the Supreme Court is doing compared with 56% who disapprove, according to the Marquette Law School poll.
The Supreme Court took a nosedive in approval following the decision in June to overturn the 1973 Roe precedent – a drop driven almost entirely by anger at the decision from the left. The court's approval rating has remained under 50% ever since.
Is Supreme Court approval stuck? And who is the least-known justice?
When approval of the Supreme Court tumbles following a controversial decision, it often slowly bounces back. But the Marquette poll suggests the decline has been more stubborn this time around. The court's approval fell to 38% after the decision to overturn Roe. It has been hovering in the mid-40% since then.
How people think about the Supreme Court, not surprisingly, depends on their broader political views. Roughly two-thirds of Republicans approve of the high court; but only 28% of Democrats and 39% of independents agree.
Who is the least-known member of the Supreme Court? More than 70% of Americans do not have an opinion of Justice Elena Kagan – the highest of any of her colleagues. More people had a firm opinion of Justice Clarence Thomas than any other justice, with 29% viewing him favorably and 32% unfavorably.
The Supreme Court still fares better than the presidency or Congress as an institution. Twenty-eight percent have a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the court, compared with 26% for the presidency and 15% for Congress.
Americans are dialed into the Supreme Court's student loan cases
Many Americans were closely watching the Supreme Court's abortion case last year. While the public is still paying attention this term, the intensity is not as high.
Only 17% of respondents said they had heard or read a lot about the Supreme Court cases that could ban affirmative action in college admissions, arguably the most significant issue on the docket this term. Nearly one-third of Americans said they have heard nothing at all about those cases, which will likely be decided in June.
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Part of what may explain that number is the fact that the case was argued in October.
The legal brawl over President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan has captured much greater public attention, the poll suggests. Half of respondents said they had heard a lot about the case, which was argued in February, and only 10% reported hearing nothing at all.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court approval still in the dumps after Roe's demise: poll
