A strong majority of Americans believe Supreme Court justices are more likely to be guided by their own ideology than to serve as neutral arbiters of government authority, according to a new poll, as the court prepares to rule on major cases involving former President Donald Trump and other divisive topics.
According to a survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 7 in 10 Americans believe the justices of the Supreme Court are more influenced by ideology, while only about 3 in 10 believe the justices are more likely to provide an independent check on other branches of government by remaining fair and impartial.
The poll indicates the Supreme Court’s steady decline in public trust, which was higher a decade ago.
It highlights the difficulties for the nine justices to be perceived as more than simply another aspect of Washington’s hyper-partisanship.
The justices are set to rule shortly on whether Trump is immune from criminal penalties for his efforts to overturn his 2020 reelection defeat.
And, while the Supreme Court’s conservative majority has delivered several landmark triumphs for Republican legislative aims in recent years, rank-and-file Republicans aren’t praising the judges.
With a dozen cases still unsettled, this year’s term has already produced several significant verdicts.
Earlier in June, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld access to the pharmaceutical medicine mifepristone, which was used in roughly two-thirds of all abortions in the United States last year.
The same week, the court overturned a Trump-era gun limitation, a prohibition on rapid-fire gun modifications known as bump stocks, in a victory for gun rights supporters.
More significant verdicts are expected in the coming days.
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