Has the Supreme Court become just another political branch? Public perceptions of court approval and legitimacy in a post-Dobbs world
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Public perception of the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has significantly polarized along partisan lines. Data shows a clear divide in favorability, trust, and legitimacy, unlike in previous years.
Area Of Science
- Political Science
- Public Opinion Research
- American Politics
Background
- The U.S. Supreme Court historically maintained bipartisan respect, acting as a stabilizing institution.
- Recent years, particularly post-2022 Dobbs decision, suggest a potential erosion of this non-partisan image.
Purpose Of The Study
- To investigate whether public perceptions of the U.S. Supreme Court have polarized similarly to broader American politics.
- To analyze trends in court favorability, trust, legitimacy, and support for reform over two decades.
Main Methods
- Utilized eight waves of longitudinal panel data.
- Incorporated 18 nationally representative surveys conducted over a 20-year period.
- Examined changes in public opinion regarding the Supreme Court's favorability, trust, legitimacy, and support for reform.
Main Results
- Little evidence of partisan polarization in earlier survey years.
- Clear patterns of partisan polarization emerged in 2022 and 2023 across favorability, trust, legitimacy, and support for reform.
- Factors previously insulating the Court, such as public knowledge and democratic value support, no longer mitigate polarization.
Conclusions
- The U.S. Supreme Court now exhibits clear partisan polarization in public perception.
- The Court's increased salience to voters suggests it will remain a significant political issue.
- This polarization carries potentially concerning implications for the Court's institutional standing and role in American democracy.
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