Supreme Court Favorability Rebounds

Continuing Partisan Divide in Views of Court’s Ideology

Favorable views of the Supreme Court are back above 50%, having rebounded from historic lows reached in the summer of 2013. However, the court still has several major decisions pending that could impact the public’s views, including rulings on challenges to the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that employers include contraceptive coverage in their employees’ health plans.

The latest survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted April 23-27 among 1,501 adults, finds that 56% have a favorable view of the court, while 35% have an unfavorable view. (The survey was conducted before the court’s ruling that a town council in New York and, by extension, other legislatures, can begin meetings with a Christian prayer.) Last July, following high-profile rulings on the Voting Rights Act and same-sex marriage, about half held a favorable view of the court (48%), among the lowest measures recorded in Pew Research surveys.

Currently, more Democrats (63%) than Republicans (54%) have a favorable impression of the Roberts court, though the gap has narrowed considerably since July 2012. At that time, shortly after the court upheld most of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, 64% of Democrats viewed the court favorably compared with just 38% of Republicans.

Blacks hold a favorable view of the Supreme Court by about a two-to-one margin (63%-30%). In July 2013, blacks were divided in their views of the court (44% favorable, 41% unfavorable).