After a hectic close to the 2024-2025 term, recent surveys indicate that voters are viewing the Supreme Court more favorably. The high court is now enjoying its highest approval rating since 2020.
According to the latest poll, 47% of voters approve of the Supreme Court’s performance, which is a notable increase of 9 points since last July, when approval was at a low of 38%.
This rise in approval is widespread, but particularly noticeable among independents (up by 16 points), women (+15), Republicans (+14), and younger voters under 30 (+12).
Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who collaborates on the survey, noted that confidence in major institutions has been declining over the last decade. He suggested that the Court’s improved standing could reflect its efforts to find a balanced approach on divisive issues or a resurgence in public trust in key institutions.
Despite this positive trend, the current approval rating is still shy of the 54% approval in 2020, which was the last time it was above 50%, and significantly below the all-time high of 58% in 2017. Back then, a majority of Democrats (65%), independents (55%), and half of Republicans (50%) voiced approval.
The latest survey revealed that 50% of voters disapprove of the Court, down from 60% last year. Disapproval is most pronounced among Democrats (78%), liberals (75%), and Black voters (61%). Conversely, the highest approval ratings come from Republicans (76%), conservatives (74%), and White evangelical Christians (66%).
Interestingly, fewer voters now believe that partisanship influences the Court’s decisions. The percentage of voters who say partisanship plays a significant role decreased from 42% to 33% over the past year. Additionally, more than 2-to-1, voters perceive the Court as too conservative (43%) rather than too liberal (18%). Around 36% feel the Court’s decisions are just right, reflecting similar sentiments from last summer.
For some time now, voters have considered the Court’s decisions to lean more conservative. The perception of it being too liberal last arose in February 2017, when 31% characterized it as liberal.
Democrats are currently the most vocal about the Court’s conservative stance. A striking 72% of them believe it is too conservative, with only 17% thinking it is about right, and a mere 8% considering it too liberal. In stark contrast, 56% of Republicans think the Court’s decisions are appropriate, while 29% feel it is too liberal.
Among independents, opinions are more mixed, with 40% seeing the Court as too conservative, 36% as about right, and 18% as too liberal.
This shift in public perception regarding the Supreme Court highlights an evolving landscape in American politics, where trust in institutions seems to be slowly rebuilding.
