Supreme Court Approval Rating Hits Record Low: What It Means

The Supreme Court’s public approval rating has fallen to a historic low, according to a new national poll. This marks the first time since tracking began that fewer than four in ten Americans view the Court favorably. The decline comes amid a string of highly polarized rulings on abortion, gun rights, and affirmative action, which have deepened the Court’s political profile. Legal experts say the drop erodes the Court’s key source of power: public trust in its impartiality. While the Court does not rely on popular opinion to enforce its decisions, sustained low confidence can encourage political attacks on its legitimacy and make compliance with rulings more uneven. The slide has been particularly steep among Democrats and independents, while Republican approval remains stable. Chief Justice John Roberts has publicly warned that perceptions of the Court as partisan could damage its institutional standing. The poll, conducted by a nonpartisan research group, surveyed 1,500 adults and has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points. The record low follows a series of ethics controversies involving some justices, which have fueled calls for a binding code of conduct. For now, the Court begins its next term with a docket that includes cases on presidential immunity, social media regulation, and environmental policy—issues that could further test public confidence.