THE POLLS-TRENDS PUBLIC OPINION ON THE US SUPREME COURT, 1973-2015

Historically, the US Supreme Court has been the federal branch most highly regarded by the public on almost every measure. However, recent polling suggests that there may have been an unprecedented drop in support for the Court over the past decade. I examine this downturn in the context of historical trends in public opinion of the Court, finding that while there does appear to be an appreciable decline, there does not appear to be a single clear causal factor or series of events responsible, and that the decline has not persisted long enough to represent a real sea change to date. In contrast to formal and informal academic assessments, controversial appointments and ideologically charged decisions do not appear to influence substantially the public's evaluations of the Court. Prevailing trends in opinion on the other branches of government, however, do appear to have an influence. Additionally, strong, consistent support for a political confirmation process emerged, suggesting that the public sees the Court as a political body with the justices as self-interested actors, rather than a strictly impartial legal entity.